http://www.criticsrant.com/archive/2007/10/21/DEXTER----See-Through.aspx Miami is in the middle of its worst heat wave ever. All eighteen victims of the Bay Harbor Butcher have been identified. Pervy forensic expert Vince Masuka has made a big, BIG break in the case. And worst of all, Rita’s mother is coming for a visit. The world of South Florida is wrapping its hands around Dexter’s throat and he is gasping for breath. But just when the show could take the turn into simple genre-based cops and robbers/cat and mouse stuff, morality gets a turn at the wheel. The central issue always is that we love Dexter. You have to in order to enjoy the show. And the seduction of that love is that Dexter only kills those that kill or, as superstar special agent Frank Lundy put it last week, “The only justification for killing is to save the life of an innocent.” That’s how Dexter justifies what he does and that’s how we justify liking him for it. But of course it is a hollow argument. Dexter kills because he needs to and because he loves it. It is the thing he must do in order to be his most excellent self imaginable. And that isn’t justification, that’s self indulgence. Despite being the title character, Dexter is not alone in the moral minefield. Srg. Doakes has to face his demons. Lt. Maria Laguerta must make critical decisions about her career. Officer Batista lies to a widow to get the truth. Debra Morgan tries to take back her sexual power by banging a near stranger (I’m not trying to be rude or indelicate; there really was a lot of banging around in the scene). They all come to moral crises and few emerge unscathed. Doakes tracks down a murder suspect who had similar special ops training to his own. The man admits to killing his wife. Doakes confronts him on boat aptly named “SS FUBAR” and in this corrupted soldier he sees a future that might have been him. And Doakes has to kill him. For many reasons. en-US Critics Rant info@criticsrant.com Subtext Version 1.9.4.0 http://www.criticsrant.com/images/default_gravatar_bullhorn.png http://www.criticsrant.com/archive/2007/10/21/DEXTER----See-Through.aspx 77 60 http://www.criticsrant.com/archive/2007/10/21/DEXTER----See-Through.aspx#1865 my mother first told me about this show. she just loves it to death. i havent had the opportunity to check it out yet. but, i will. brokun1 http://www.criticsrant.com/archive/2007/10/21/DEXTER----See-Through.aspx#1865 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:21:18 GMT