Monday 17 November 2008

A Dexter video

I have been busy lately watching this excellent series and have compiled some scenes from the first 2 episodes. Season 3 is crrently airing and Showtime have recently announced that they have comissioned a further 2 seasons. Devised from the novel 'Darkly Dreaming Dexter' by Jeff Lindsey, Dexter is the tale of a blood spatter officer working for the Miami PD and moonlights as a serial killer at night. He specifically kills only those who have killed but have avoided justice, this is the code that has been instilled in him since he was a boy by his foster father, a cop named Harry Morgan. Predictably there have been opponents to the series, notably the Parents Television Council, who tried to prevent the series being aired on a national broadcaster, quoting:

"We are formally asking CBS to cancel its plan to air the first season of Dexter on its television network. This show is not suitable for airing on broadcast television; it should remain on a premium subscription cable network. The biggest problem with the series is something that no amount of editing can get around: the series compels viewers to empathize with a serial killer, to root for him to prevail, to hope he doesn’t get discovered."

It does raise the point on whether Dexter is seen as a hero, which is emphazised in the second season which has Dexter, dubbed the Bay Harbour Butcher by the police, is seen as a force of good as it is revealed that he only disposes of the scum of society, and dubbed The Dark Defender by the public. In fact in reality there is an ongoing case in America where a copycat killing has been blamed on the TV series.

"Connections have been suggested between the TV show Dexter and an ongoing missing person investigation in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Mark Twitchell, has been charged with first degree murder in the disappearance of 38 year old John Altinger in what appears to be similar to Dexter's clandestine murders. Det. Mark Anstey of the Edmonton Police Service was quoted as saying "We have a lot of information to suggest he definitely idolizes Dexter." Three months prior to the murder of Altinger, Twitchell had posted on his Facebook status that he claimed to have a lot in common with Dexter Morgan."

Perhaps the PTC have a point.

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