I've only seen three episodes of Dexter but it only takes that long to understand what the show's about. It's a show that sends the message that it would be a good thing if there was a serial killer killing other serial killers as a vigilante operating outside the law. However, it sends this message by secretly omitting the facts of the world we live in and replacing them with a fantasy world.
Here are some problems with Dexter's premise, which makes it's message ugly and dangerous.
1. There are not that many serial killer in real life.
The show makes it look like there are hundreds of serial killers in just one city, as Dexter Morgan murders several serial killers per episode. In real life there are not enough serial killers in America for even one criminal psychologist to be able to work exclusively on them. (That's according to my university psychology lecturer who has worked in the legal system.)
2. Dexter would not kill a guilty person every time in real life.
Dexter never kills any innocent people, yet the death penalty gets it wrong half the time in the cases that were reviewed. Presumably it would be far more inaccurate if it was only one individual deciding people's fate, as opposed to a judge and jury. Furthermore, Dexter states that he can't control his urge to kill, so he lacks impartiality and has a strong incentive to believe people are guilty. Yet, I never saw him make a mistake and he did a lot of killing for only three episodes. The idea that he wouldn't be making any mistakes in knowing who's guilty or innocent is ridiculous, yet it's presented as plausible.
3. Dexter's victims are dehumanised.
It's uncomfortable how there is ZERO opportunity to feel AT ALL bad for Dexter's victims. We only see 10 seconds of their lives where they brag about their crimes, or make excuses, or lie and then Dexter kills them. We don't see anything from their 30+ years on the planet that may mitigate the righteousness of the decision to kill them. This exaggerates the black and white view of Dexter's actions.
Contrary to the show's claim that it's dealing with an ethical grey area, it appears that everything Dexter does is good, and everything about his victims is bad.
4. We never actually SEE any evidence that Dexter is the monster he claims to be.
Dexter repeatedly calls himself a monster on the show, but it comes across as modesty rather than accuracy. There's no opportunity to like anything about Dexter's victims whatsoever, so I haven't been given any reason to oppose what Dexter's doing.
In fact, Dexter only kills people who have evaded the law so unless you can somehow feel sorry for the mass murderers who Dexter is killing, AND feel worse for them than for their victims, then you have no reason to oppose Dexter.
What the ethical dilemma of the show comes down to is - 'Are you going to side with Dexter, or are you going to let these evil murderers get away with it?' It's not a difficult ethical dilemma that we're presented with. It's a clear cut black and white, good versus evil scenario, where Dexter is good and his victims are evil.
My reaction (if I didn't know that Dexter's actions are insanely irresponsible when you consider how the world actually works) would be to come to Dexter's defence in his harsh criticism of himself, and feel sorry for such a great guy having such low self-esteem as to call himself a monster!
5. Mark Twitchall.
Mark Twitchall is a real-life murderer in Canada who is a big fan of Dexter. Twitchall wrote a movie script inspired by Dexter then acted it out in real life. He did this by subscibing to an online dating website where he intended to lure men to his house while pretending to be a woman so he could kill them. Twitchall only managed to kill one person this way before he was caught, (38-year-old Johnny Altinger) but he had plans to become a serial killer himself.
Soon after Twitchall was arrested, Edmonton homicide detective Mark Ansley said 'we have a lot of evidence that suggests he definitely idolises Dexter and a lot of information that he tried to emulate him during this incident.'
Part of this evidence is that Twitchall's 'kill room' where he killed his victim in was designed to look like Dexter Morgan's kill room.http://www.uproxx.com/tv/2013/05/canadian-dexter-copycat-killer-still-watching-dexter-in-maximum-security-prison-obvs/. Twichall also commented on facebook that he had way too much in common with Dexter Morgan.
After finding out about this case Dexter's writer and producer Melissa Rosenberg responded by conveying that the show's creators had been slightly worried about something like this, but insisted that the show did not glorify Dexter's actions.
'Every time you think you're identifying with Dexter and rooting for him, for us it's about turning that back and saying 'You may think that he's doing good but he's a monster. He's killing because he's a monster.''
My conclusion from this is that the show fucked up grotesquely, stupidly and irresponsibly!
I have no idea WHEN the show turned it back and made Dexter look like a monster! All I saw was a morally upstanding individual modestly claiming to be a monster. And I don't think the show got any better. I'll leave a link at the bottom of the page to an article called 'Such a nice boy serial killer' which is saying basically the same thing I'm saying except it's written by someone who's seen more episodes. It sounds like all the episodes were as pro-Dexter as the first three!
Although Melissa Rosenberg claims that the show is not meant to glorify Dexter's actions, actor Michael. C. Hall who plays Dexter Morgan, claims that the viewers decision as to whether Dexter's actions are appropriate is supposed to remain ambiguous.
So the defence of Dexter's message comes down to this- 'We're not glorifying the idea of a vigilante killer with an obvious conflict of interest towards finding people guilty, acting as judge, jury and executioner again and again and again perpetually. We're just saying it MIGHT be a good idea.'
That's a terrible defence! It would NEVER be a good idea in a million years. And the defence isn't even true! Of course Dexter Morgan is glorified! On the show he is both unquestionably right and the only one with the stomach to do what's right, which makes him an exceptional hero. That's what glorifying is.
For me, it's frustrating that the creators apparently couldn't see how appallingly irresponsible it is create something like that.
Here is what the show should be saying. 'Dexter is not a monster. He is a hero. But he's only able to be a hero within the realm of this fantasy world where real life rules do not apply.'
If you want to watch Dexter, THAT'S what you're getting, regardless of what the show claims it's giving you.
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/article/such-a-nice-boy-serial-killer/
