Dexter on SHO - Page 42

Loved the accent Dexter used to call in the Freebo sighting - classic!

Although Dexter is emotionally disconnected, he actually displays more emotion and empathy than Deb when dealing with others, as outlined in this week's episode. He did such a good job with the proposal to Rita, almost like a Jerry Maguire performance - was expecting him to say "You complete me"!!!! The look on his face was convincing, I almost get the feeling that Dexter can learn to have true feelings for others - but then again, like all those with irresistable urges (drugs, gambling) he will disappoint his new family.

I'm thinking the Deb storyline will go down the similar road from other seasons - looking for affection from Rudy, Lundy and now the CI. That storyline is repititous and the only part of this season that I could do without.

Ya know, I was going to mention the CBS tie-in like you talk about. Although I didn't because I thought that the airing of Dexter on network TV was just done because of the writer strike. It wouldn't be the first time a show got "ruined" in order to appeal to a wider audience. I was also going to mention how I'm glad that Dexter isn't being "destroyed" like SHO did with Season 2 of Sleeper Cell. Season 1 of Sleeper Cell was "killer" and the 2nd season was so watered down to attract more people (I also think that Season 1 was "bought up" as one thing and it was so successful that they tried to cash in on a second season in a hurry).

larry

This season does seem to be dragging along, It took me 4 or 5 episodes to get really hooked the first season, I was hanging on every episode in season 2 and now this year is reminding me of season 1.

I've watched this episode three times now, and each time it has grown more on me as my favorite episode of the season so far. Director Keith Gordon (the guy who falls in love with the car in 1983's "Christine," now a full time director with five "Dexter" episodes already under his belt including last year's standout "The Dark Defender" and this season's first episode "Our Fathers": http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330360/) has directed an episode that is all about showing the inner angst that every other character in the episode is experiencing. We all know and share Dex's inner struggle through his monologues and clandestine-to-the-outside-world activities, but in "All In The Family" every character exemplifies and is living Hemingway's quote about all men (and women) leading lives of quiet desperation.

Rita putting a polite front at her hotel desk job (before cracking up), honest-to-a-fault cop Batista seeking a prostitute (anybody think he and the vice cop that almost busted him will hook up down the road?), Mazuka seeking the support of his co-workers with bribed doughnuts, Quinn playing nice to Deborah's witness (who is also living in her own made-up world) while secretly laying the foundation for the perp's confession (with Deb pretending she isn't beginning to notice Quinn's eccentricities now that the temptation to succumb to the Internal Affairs officer's request to rat him out is getting stronger), LaGuerta going behind his longtime friend Prado's back to undermine a conviction she believes is wrong, Miguel pulling the Doakes card on LaGuerta to back off (which misfired badly) so she doesn't notice he's covering for Dex... every normal character is playing a role in this "Dexter" episode except for Astor (and to a lesser extent Cody).

Astor's displeasure with the news Rita's having another baby manifests itself as openly and normally as most kids do. The use of slow-motion and a classic "Dexter" BGM music cue (which sadly are in short supply this year) as Astor runs away from her mom when Rita tries to talk to her was both moving and indicative of why Dex has survived for so long with his secret: HE OBSERVES AND UNDERSTANDS LITTLE THINGS PEOPLE DO OR SAY TO HURT/LIFT EACH OTHER, AND USES THEM TO HIS ADVANTAGE WHEN NECESSARY. Dexter has both the smarts of a grown man (with the street smarts his old man, a cop, trained him to use to stay invisible) and the wide-eyed clarity of a child (the way Michael C. Hall has said he approaches the character). Does Dex like Vince Mazuka any more than his fellow cops in the precint? Of course not, but seeing Vince hurt when everybody else rejected his doughnut bribe for tickets to the symposium made him realize being nice to Mazuka by accepting his doughnut/ticket at that particular moment might pay off down the road with a favor (alibi?). Like Deb with the 'MISSING' flyer last week (and his orchestration of the Prado bros. meltdown this week, complete with hilarious informat act! ) Dex is the consumate manipulator of those around him. He's good at it because he's had practice and has been doing it his entire life to survive undetected. As proven by how everybody else is falling flat in their face with their pretend roles (except for Quinn's smooth operator act, which should be a tip to Deb that the IA woman may be telling the truth) being a master deceiver is a full time job that normal civilians with everyday lives and worries can't dedicate themselves to.

archiguy's revelation that Dex's 'family marriage proposal' was verbatim the confession of the crazy woman that killed her pretend lover (which becomes obvious in repeat viewing when watching the intensity with which Dex watches the monitor) adds another layer of awesome to Michael C. Hall's performance. Watching the proposal scene again I knew I was watching (a) an actor (Hall) (b) pretending to be a serial killer (Dex) (c) faking emotion (sincerity) while (d) pretending to propose marriage to his girlfriend (and fatherhood to her children) which I now knew (e) was something overheard from a crazy female killer with emotional issues. And guess what? Again, like the first time I saw "All In The Family," I balled a little and completely bought Dex's proposal act hook line and sinker even though I (as an audience members) know things about the character not known to Rita and her kids. As repulsive as I find the idea that there are people out there idealizing Dexter Morgan as a hero or a TV character worthy of admiration (the type that write in internet fan groups about Dex being 'hot' or 'sexy') the end scene of this episode made me realize nobody is immune to the "Dexter" charm when all it's cylinders (writing, directing, acting and a specific moment in the show's storyline) are firing all at once.

Throw in some funny stuff (Rita throwing up when Dex proposes marriage for health/financial reasons) plus a few 'WOW' moments for the faithful fans (Quinn talking back at Mazuka with the cold hard truth about why he is disliked, something missing since early in Season 2 when Doakes was still terrorizing everybody in the precint) and you can see why this one is going down as one of my all-time favorite "Dexter" episodes. The fact Dex didn't kill Prado's brother but orchestrated an almost-permanent division between them (plus the previews for the next episode, which if truth are freaking wild) signals that Dex is almost selfishly seeking Miguel's friendship to himself. Notice Dex called Prado over to his apartment to consult after Rita shot down his first clumsy marriage proposal. And this is completely off-the-cuff speculation, but I'm guessing one of the places "Dexter" is gunning for by season's end is a way for Deborah to leave law enforcement as a profession. Quinn's comments about Deb only having a hammer as a tool hit her (and me as a viewer) hard, almost to the point (IMHO) of making DEb realize she's not cut out for this line of work. Because, if the theme of "All In the Family" is pretending (by Dex and all the other characters), who's a biggest pretender in this series (besides Dex of course) than the daughter of a cop that is only in her line of work to seek the approval of a now-deceased father figure she idolized in vain because of father's attachment to her foster brother? Deb's got issues, and every episode this season is one more tick in what could be a detonation that leads her to decide she doesn't even have what she thinks she does (which is the only thing that's keeping her going): her job. It might just come to Deb deciding that she'd rather quit being a cop instead of being a snitch because that's what her old man (whom she still idolizes) would have done.

Or maybe not! Dex found out the hard way Harry Morgan was hardly worth the admiration bestowed upon him by his kids. But Deb has yet to find this out.

With five "Dexter" seasons guaranteed (60 episodes) and maybe more after that (Showtime could still renew the show after year five if the ratings are good, the show doesn't suck badly and the cast/crew can be employed at a reasonable salary) it makes sense for the producers to start thinking about the syndication potential of the show. Usually this is already taken into account with alternate (i.e. profanity-free) dialogue and camera angles for gore/nudity (a bloody hand instead of a corpse close-up) while the show is being made. This is how "The Sopranos" airs on A&E, "Sex & The City" on TBS and "Dexter" on CBS with minimal jarring cuts/dubs (compared with many 'R' type movies that feel chopped-beyond-redemption on network TV). Since "Dexter" has never been fixated on the gore or sex as an integral part of the show (unlike, say, "Masters of Horror") 90% of the show, which is most of the good parts (character development, interactions, etc.), will remain intact. Me? I can't wait to get Season 1 of "Dexter" on Blu-ray this January 6th (my birthday! )

Dad -- Although I elided most of it, I enjoyed your post and agreed with your analysis that this week's episode was one of the best of the lot. I also share your frustration at Deb's terminal cluelessness. I can't resist observing, though, that the famous quote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," is attributable to Henry David Thoreau, not Ernest Hemingway:

http://www.trivia-library.com/b/orig...esperation.htm

^^^

I doubt very many people read all of dad's posts, they are way too long

Sorry if this is a repost but Dexter was picked up for another 2 seasons?!?! Thought this was the last since they had 3 books.

'Dexter' picked up for 2 more seasons

Showtime has renewed its top-rated drama series "Dexter" for two more seasons.

The premium cable network has ordered 12 episodes each for Seasons 4 and 5, with the fourth season set to go into production in the spring in Los Angeles.

Season 3 premiered Sept. 28 and is averaging 2.5 million weekly viewers combined across all airings, up 16% over the same period last season. When DVR and on-demand numbers are factored in, Showtime expects that number to exceed 3 million weekly viewers.

"Dexter," which stars Michael C. Hall as a complicated and conflicted blood-spatter expert for the Miami police department who moonlights as a serial killer, was nominated for five Emmys this year, including best drama series and best lead actor in a drama. The show also received a 2008 Peabody Award.

Showtime president of entertainment Robert Greenblatt credited the cast, producing team and Jeff Lindsay, author of the books on which "Dexter" is based, for the show's success.

"I thought at best we would attract a devoted cult audience but soon realized that, ironically, this show is so thematically rich and layered with humanity that audiences of all kinds have flocked to it," he said.

John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Clyde Phillips and Charles H. Eglee serve as executive producers for Season 3. Hall, Scott Buck and Melissa Rosenberg are co-executive producers.

Looks like I'm gonna get my wish but I don't put much stock in previews as they tend to be very misleading.

Yup, I saw the whole "possible miscarriage" as a device to have everyone looking for Dexter and wondering what he's doing, maybe catching him doing his wet work.

I read Dad's posts because it is obvious that he has carefully watched the shows he posts about and usually has something interesting to say about them. I'm sorry you disagree. Try it, maybe you'll like it.

They showed the advertising text below on the repeat airing. Do they show this during the premiere?

Showtime has been doing this for years now. It used to be a bright red banner but now they made it much smaller. I still find it distracting. Considering you are paying a premium to get Showtime, there should be no popups or bugs, period. I dropped Showtime over a year ago because of this issue. They just don't get it.

The bug wasn't on the First showing. I went back on the DVR and went through the scene.

OTOH, Smits certainly changed the rules just a bit though the case seemed a bit too pat for it not to be a setup/test run. This does not bode well for the Prado family.

Yeah, Dexter's got a new father figure but how long will that last? I mean, he killed his own brother so...

The scene where Mazuka snaps out of his depression is hilarious.

OK, so Miguel wants to feed Dex victims? Partners? Explain how LaGuerta's not going to sniff this out and bring it down. This is much to loose for rule #1.

Love the flashbacks with Harry

You mean fantasies, right? Present day Dex was interacting (in daydreams) with Harry as if he were alive (not remembering lessons from his youth) about the present day circumstances in Dexter's life. Harry mentioned Rita several times, a person Harry never met because he passed away when Dex was still a young man (long before he and Deb worked for Miami Metro, which is how Dex met Rita when Deb intervened in a domestic dispute between Rita and Paul many moons back).

BTW, did anyone notice that a couple of scenes in last night's episode looked noticeably 'digital' (as if shot with a high-def camcorder) and different from the usual top-notch HD quality we're used to expecting from this show? One was when Dex was walking back to his apartment muttering about not wanting to sell it, the other when Miguel Prado was driving and talking with Dex on the car phone. Both look really low-end compared with every other scene in the episode. The 'Dex walking into his apartment complex' shot is notorious because the show is now filmed in Los Angeles and this location (along with many others) were filmed in Miami during the show's first season. Michael C. Hall and a skeleton crew had to go back to Miami to pick this particular shot (which can't be replicated in LA) which might explain the low-quality look in high-def. The crew probably rented an HD camera and shot that in an hour or two. No idea why the 'Smits driving' scene looked so cheap since driving through Miami can be easily faked in LA. Last-minute rewrite that required Smits for half-a-day maybe?

Yes dad, I did mean fantasies

Looking forward to Dad's weekly writeup
The housing subject was interesting. Ohh Dexter

Just watched my DVR of Sunday's episode and something, PQ-wise, seemed amiss. Most scenes had more fuzziness, as if more filtering was used. Many of the shadow scenes made complexions too red--almost as bad as most NCIS complexions on CBS. Don't see blocking artifacts here, on any channel, (NYC's TWC to a CRT RPTV); that's likely because video is 'dumbed down' through rate shaping. Recall a post and tech articles, likely here, pointing out they had used Genesis (or Viper?) taping for this show at times, preferably in darker scenes. -- John

Did you watch next weeks preview? I don't think LaGuerta will be the one to bring it down.

That's interesting. The weird part is that the reair has a higher bitrate and therefore higher quality. almost 1.5Mbps higher so that's the one I prefer to keep but if there are no bugs, well that trumps the higher bitrate.

You might be right. I still keep Laguerta as a wildcard. She's been complaining to Prado about his prosecutions, is very interested in him as the old lover (or as Angel says - the one that got away) etc.
Of course, Miguel's brother is the mad dog in the middle of all this. Are he and Miguel really at odds, or is it a ruse to draw Dexter into a noose?

The writers have so many angles to choose from. The bike kid could ID Dex to Deb. Crazy

But who was monitoring Deb's conversation with that bike kid with binoculars? Quinn? The Internal Affairs lady? Either of the Prado brothers? The real skin-removing killer? That's the unanswered plot that keeps me up at nights!

Unrelated to the plot but I just gotta say that Miguel Prado's wife, Sil, is gorgeous.

I Googled her and the actress' name is Valerie Cruz btw.

She played the female cop foil for Harry Dresden on the short lived SciFi series, the Dresden Files, which if handled correctly could have been better than True Blood. Alas, cancelled after it's first short season.

I enjoyed this week's episode tremendously. It was great to see Masuka back on top of his game, he is the funniest character on the show. I continue to have a love-hate relationship with Deb. She is diligent and energetic but so emotionally fragile that I sometimes wonder how she avoids being committed.

How Dexter's relationship with Prado will play out is anybody's guess. It takes a leap of faith to accept that Prado could be so certain in his conclusion that Dexter did, indeed, dispatch the serial wife murderer. Nevertheless, he seems to have convinced Dexter that he is convinced Dexter killed the guy. I am already looking forward to next week.

Dex was pretty careless with the cruise ship guy. Killing someone on a boat surrounded by 1000 other people? And right after Prado told him about the guy? I can see why Prado would be suspicious. This is the second murderer that has magically turned up dead.

if rita hadn't gotten sick prado wouldn't have had enough evidence to confront dexter on it.