Friday, April 18, 2014

The Obsession with Dexter




     When I told a friend I'd never seen Dexter he acted like I'd committed a crime. The popular show lasted for eight seasons on television, and it's fan base continues to grow now that it's on Netflix. I had never known much about the show, so I felt pretty indifferent toward it when it was on TV, but since it was so popular I thought I'd give it a try. Although I've only seen the pilot episode, I can't say I was overly impressed. I know I shouldn't judge an entire series off of one episode, but I'm not rushing to watch more.
     The show is unique, that's for sure. It relies heavily on voiceovers by the main character, Dexter. He can be very quiet and awkward and he's very secretive and reserved. The voiceovers are necessary for the audience to hear and understand Dexter's thoughts and feelings, but it seems to me that there are a lot of them and I'm not sure I like that style in a TV show.
     The obsession with blood is obviously a major part of the show, but it seems excessive and somewhat awkward to me at times. I assume that to understand this part of the show I would have to watch more of it, but the blood aspect of the show was thrown at you in the pilot episode. Dexter becomes enthralled in murder cases that involve a lot of blood at the scene. He can't think straight when he encounters a crime scene with no blood. I don't understand it, but that's likely because I haven't seen enough of the show to get into the character's head.
     Michael C. Hall does an excellent job portraying the character of Dexter, but the show as a whole may not be my cup of tea. The concept of the show is very interesting and different from anything I've seen so I want to like it, but its first impression on me didn't reel me in. I think a second chance is required.

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