Dexter: Season 7 v.2

[Big Nic]

Originally Posted by Ah Man

I think there's a lot about this season that's broken from Dexter's traditional narrative cycle, and I think it's a good change. The Minotaur and Arsonist sort of remind me of similar mini-arcs from previous seasons, like Little Chino, but even with the Arsonist it's unique in how late it is in the season.

If I were to identify what most feels different about this season it's that it seems to adopt a more rolling structure of storytelling. Whereas previous seasons had a handful of subplots, but each had one main storyline that was introduced early and concluded in the last episode (or last two, in Season 2's case), this seasons seems to adopt main storylines and conclude them with far less predictable timing. Viktor was the first main storyline, but ran concurrent with the similarly important Hannah storyline that outlasted it, and has now been joined by the Laguerta storyline. It makes it much harder, as you alluded to, to identify which storylines are most important, and makes it far less predictable how they'll proceed and how they'll end.

It's a bit sloppier stylistically, which I guess gives the curmudgeons something to cry about, but personally I find it far more compelling. I don't get to go into a mid-season episode assuming nothing important will happen, which makes each episode more satisfying.



I alluded in the previous thread to the fact that I think Brian Moser's quote from the first season, "You don't get to be a killer and a hero. It doesn't work that way," ought to be prophetic, and it's feeling more like it will be. I think one of the major strengths of Dexter as a character is that he's clearly someone that probably would have been an upstanding guy if he weren't a murderous psychopath. Oftentimes we like to imagine our villains as having no redeeming characteristics, but of course in reality we all know good and evil can, and almost always do, coexist in people. I think abandoning either of those parts of the character would be a mistake, but I do like the direction they seem to be going in. Dexter's internal struggle has been an important part of the show all along, but I think a final season that focuses on that, in which Dexter is both the primary protagonist and primary antagonist would be really interesting, though I'm sure there are other directions the writers could go and I look forward to seeing what they come up with.

Very well said. The duality of Dexter has always been that beyond the killing he is a very likeable (albeit socially stunted) person. He tries to be a good father, and I think he is for the most part, if you can look beyond the fact that he frequently ships his kids to their grandparents either for protection or so it is easier for him to kill. Dexter certainly isn't a piece of work like Hanna's father was

Dexter is also a protective brother and arguably his motivation for killing is noble (revenge/stop serial killers from killing again). That being said, that motivation is becoming very eroded over time.

I could see Dexter's path becoming much like Walter White's on Breaking Bad. Initially Walter cooked meth to provide for his family, but it eventually became less and less about that, and now Walter is cooking meth just to make money, and he is getting involved in all the associated sociopathic behavior of being a drug kingpin.

I find both shows very interesting from a moral/ethical perspective, and I think they both function much better as character studies than as a plot driven TV show that is trying to portray some realistic situation.

[cinturão**]

Originally Posted by PolishHeadlock

Word.

Also disappointed Isaac is gone.

[JC Komo]

Last episode was the best of the season IMO. Felt more like vintage Dexter and less dramatic soap opera bullshit. Really looking forward to next weeks episode, LaGuerta is getting dangerously close.

[PolishHeadlock]

Originally Posted by cinturão

Also disappointed Isaac is gone.

Gotta love Ray Stevenson.

I actually caught The Three Musketeers on Showtime this weekend and liked him in that too

[ucunc156]

Originally Posted by PolishHeadlock

Matthews kills her?

That would be awesome.

this is a very interesting idea. i think Mathews is a total wild card, and he seems like one who wouldn't mind getting his hands dirty.

[cinturão**]

Originally Posted by Murlik

Yes this.

Any idea who might end up killing her?

[Thread]

Originally Posted by PolishHeadlock

Here's what it is.

You have a bunch of people that fancy themselves TV and movie experts who start watching a show and have an idea of where they personally want the show to go.

Since they could be great writers themselves they can't fathom why the real writers didn't go in the direction they wanted.

Now they have to nitpick away and reach for "plot holes" to show you how much smarter they are than the writers.

[cinturão**]

Originally Posted by JC Komo

Last episode was the best of the season IMO. Felt more like vintage Dexter and less dramatic soap opera bullshit. Really looking forward to next weeks episode, LaGuerta is getting dangerously close.

She will die soon.

[new_mexico1]

Originally Posted by Big Nic

I could see Dexter's path becoming much like Walter White's on Breaking Bad. Initially Walter cooked meth to provide for his family, but it eventually became less and less about that, and now Walter is cooking meth just to make money, and he is getting involved in all the associated sociopathic behavior of being a drug kingpin.

Walter White was never truly doing it for his family. It was about himself from the start.

[cinturão**]

Originally Posted by PolishHeadlock

Gotta love Ray Stevenson.

I actually caught The Three Musketeers on Showtime this weekend and liked him in that too

I loved the film "King Arthur".