Dexter Season Finale.

It's been a few days, and I can honestly say I'm . . . content with how things ended. I do feel like I need to address the Lumen factor, since people seem to either love or hate her run on the show.

Being who I am, I cannot express how much I really wanted a happily ever after for Dexter, and I thought maybe Lumen could deliver that. The scene where he brings Harrison over to the house and Lumen just swings him in the air and into her arms? Oh, what might have been. I want Dexter to be happy. And after Lumen's descent into revenge killing, I changed my idea of happily ever after to TEAM DEXTER AND LUMEN, Rape/Murder Avengers and Specialists (don't think for a *moment* that the little Bonnie and Clyde reference Deb dropped a few episodes back was wasted on me). That never would have worked for longer than maybe one episode, but it was a fun pipe dream.

The deeper theme that I dug this season was that of the victim refusing to be a victim. Lumen's dark passenger is a horrible one. Don't forget that Debra Morgan was the only one who really put herself into the shoes of those rape victims; in a show like this that focuses on violence we the viewer (together with the fictional homicide department) become desensitized to these crimes, but the writers still managed to treat the subject matter respectfully. The things that happened to those women were literally the most disturbing things possible. What would it take for a homicide detective to look the other way when a vigilante starts dishing out payback? THOSE RAPES. Lumen's desire for revenge and catharsis after killing each of her attackers was warranted; this might be going too far, but women are likely to appreciate this more than men.

And while this wasn't my favorite season, I appreciate the risks they took with the overall theme, it was major. And Quinn is fast becoming the hottest thing on wheels! I still remember the scene where the tide started to turn with him the season before this one, pulling up in his Cadillac with Deb in the passenger seat, gangster rap blasting? Damn, you've got my vote!

Masuka's best season. More, please!

Dexter!

I'm finally catching up on season 5 missed episodes, and I hate to say it, but JOEY QUINN? With the Irish tattoos? Where do I sign up? Daaaaaaaaamn!

I might have to put Rescue Me on the old Netflix list if he's on it enough. . .

TONIGHT!

I am a little terrified, to be honest.

In the meantime. . .

To all the men I've loved before. . .

LOST diaries: pilot episode 1

"A sudden plane crash leaves at least 48 survivors stranded on a jungle island, forced to scavenge for survival from the wreckage of the plane. As they get their bearings and pin their hopes on a quick rescue, the band of strangers begin to learn the island holds deep and dark secrets. A group of strong-willed survivors: Jack, a surgical doctor; Charlie, a former rock star; and the enigmatic Kate venture into the dark heart of the jungle to try and recover the airplane transceiver. But even heroes have secrets, as the survivors will soon learn."
http://www.tv.com/lost/pilot-1/episode/334467/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;0

Wow. Relatively late in the game, we have started watching LOST. One episode in and I am already really digging it. My brother said once that I would love it because it was very "Twilight Zone." HOW TRUE!!! Even the music is very much similar. Matthew Fox is very-fine juices. I don't think I'll be willing to get on board an airplane very soon though, these place crash situations have always bothered me. When I was working at NWA I used to have at least one plane crash dream a month.
Bald guy smiling with orange in his mouth: BRANDO FROM THE GODFATHER?!?!!?

I am very excited by this. Sometimes media comes along that gets me this way: 24, Dexter, etc.
How wonderful.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Just finished reading this last night. I have to say the experience was quite influenced by having seen the show first but even so, there are a few things I think the creators of the show really did well given what Jeff Lindsay gave them as a starting-off point. It's only 288 pages long after all. What I liked about reading this was getting that extra insight into the character of Dexter that can only come from reading a story that is told in first-person (although the show does do an excellent job of monologue-ing). The way Dexter talks about the Dark Passenger is a lot more substantial here but it almost seems like there are two Dexters sometimes; the show didn't really have that vibe for me---more like, I am Dexter, I have no emotion, I'm ALWAYS the Dark Passenger, it's just a question of timing and availability that I am able to BE him with all the killing........

The show did a great thing by pumping up the character of Angel Batista. Part of this credit should really go to the actor, David Zayes, without whom this part would really be nothing special, but that was one thing that was lacking for me while reading this. Angel just brought a lot to the series I think. Doakes also was marginally small in the novel but huge in the series, which I also enjoyed. LaGuerta had a bigger role in the novel but I don't know if it was necessarily a better one. I almost found myself liking her toward the end of season two, but that's another discussion. I just now saw that Jeff Lindsay was actually a writer on the series, so maybe these ideas came to him after having lived with the characters as they were......fleshing them out to be bigger, badder, and longer lasting could have been pretty sweet for a writer, in my opinion. The background and flashbacks of Harry and Dexter's younger years were great. Deborah was great and translated almost perfectly from book to film.

All in all, this was a very pleasurable read. The show has that special quality to it that can only come from great writing and kick-ass casting but the story itself is some sort of genius on its own; it was bound to strike a chord with me (serial killers and all....) I've seen only two seasons and already I have placed it on the highest pedestal possible (The Sopranos, Twin Peaks, 24). I look foward to the next installment in the triple-D Dexter series, which I believe is......DEARLY DEVOTED?!?!?

Dexter's Last Episode.

hmmmmm. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. Somehow I thought Lila's end would be a lot more.......FIRE-y. I mean, it seemed fitting to have her go out in such a way; I even envisioned an ending where SHE got pegged being the Bay Harbor Butcher, Dokes was exonerated and all was well, Lila getting the chair in the end.

IN the meantime, what is one to do when there is a writer's strike still going on?
this will have a severe effect on my winter, to be sure. what of tony almeida and the rest
of 24????????????

It's Official

YEp. the show has pretty much taken over my life AND thoughts and I am obsessed with it. It happened with 24 to the point where it would seep into my dreams every single night and I would dream myself as one of the characters. While I am praying that it doesn't happen with Dexter (no serial killer dreams) I am 1 episode away from the end of season 2 and I am LOVING it. To agree with Trent from Pink is the New Blog, this is easily the best show on television now. I'm almost annoyed I'm coming so late into the game here. I have a few ideas on how they will try to tie up the last episode but I am keeping them to myself as Matt hasn't seen 22 and 23 yet and I cheated and watched them both this afternoon by myself. More on the finale tomorrow.

The Genius of Dexter

The best thing about this show has got to be the subtle facial expressions of Michael Hall. Reaction shots get full marks, seriously. Actors are crazy. In all the years I watched this guy in Six Feet Under, never once did I find him attractive at all. Now I can say he has a completely different intrigue and I wonder what that says about me as an American media fiend.....as a conservative gay undertaker he has no physical attractiveness at all but turn him into a hip, smart Miami-Dade serial killer and suddenly I find him hot? The show is great.