I was always intrigued by Dexter but it took me forever to get around to it. What can I say? It shows flashes of brilliance, of HBO quality type storywriting, and Dexter is a great character. His frank, deadpan reactions are a riot. But too often the show falls back on those trite plot devices that really kill the immersion and remind me that this is a show that wants to appear edgy, but behind it all is really the desire to make money, and I can't help but ignore that fact. Especially when they keep reminding me of it with their writing.
*Spoilers*
Was anybody actually surprised when Dexter's sister was captured, and he had to come to her rescue? Or when Lila and him hooked up?
The show could have really been challenging/intriguing if they didn't try so hard to make the character of
Dexter likable in the eyes of the audience. In doing so, they seem to betray the consistency of the character they've developed. Couple that with the fact that he acts out-of-character at the most opportune/exploitative of times (the falling in love with Lila thing, the saving his sister thing). His soft side always emerges when they know they're gonna get an emotional punch from the viewer, and they play right into that. Another attempt to keep us on Dexter's side. No surprises, no challenging us, no Dexter being coldhearted or sociopathic like we were led to believe he was (unless it's a victim of his who has no redeemable qualities, which I get is his 'code', but it sure as hell is convenient).