The search function seems to behave oddly but it seems there was no review thread of the whole fourth season. Dexter just came out on Netflix last Tuesday, such a thread seems appropriate.
As in previous seasons, Dexter encounters a serial killer who
seems to offer him a kind of normality (this season, a model for a happy family man with a serial killing hobby.) Dexter much choose between normality and the serial killer, and chooses to kill the serial killer, while at the same time being threatened with exposure. This is the fourth version of the same basic story. Dexter is a little thick about getting that dear old Daddy was the real lunatic in the family, or that serial killing is incompatible with what he has proved, repeatedly, what he really wants.
Dexter of course chooses normality and kills this season's big serial killer, Arthur Mitchell. The show devoted most attention to Lithgow's arc, from a psychologically tormented, guilt ridden, suicidal man too squeamish to finish a wounded animal, to an almost normal villain, confident, even arrogant, delighting in his cruelty. Aside from the desire to kill ten year old boys, this Arthur Mitchell is pretty typical for the slightly higher grade of slasher movie. He has the nearly universal fixation on killing either the hero, or preferably, his nearest and dearest, just so the hero can suffer. And then maybe killing the hero. As usual, this desire is more important than self preservation.
When you trouble to put Mitchell's arc into words, it becomes obvious that it is kind of soapy. They portray the transformation in a cunningly crafted series of scenes, deftly loading them, so to speak. For instance, tormented Arthur is never seen with his family. Arthur actually makes a serious attempt to commit suicide though, ironically saved by Dexter (despite Dexter's second thoughts.) It is unbelievable that this aspect never was revealed, even inadvertently, in home life.
The purpose of the transformation so lovingly detailed for us is to change Arthur from a tempting role model into a plausibly successful antagonist who might do things like stroll into police headquarters to learn Dexter's true identity or succeed in killing Rita. The buzz is that Lithgow will get an Emmy for the role (best guest starring actor in a series category?)
The repetitiveness of the Dexter story and the essential triviality of the Mitchell story are two weaknesses inevitably due to open ended serialization. Also known as soaps, these serials have to repeat the satisfying stories that won the fans in the first place, and they had to use their craft to convince the viewers of the necessary character changes that drive/are the plot. In this case, killing Rita. There was a failed effort at a new story in Dexter accidentally killing an innocent man, but it wasn't developed. Plus, he was a pervy photographer who partied and took dirty sadomasochistic pictures. Like the hit and run driver in season one, he didn't really deserve to live, even if technically he wasn't a cold blooded murderer.
What is not essential is the slovenliness of the plotting. Dexter's insinuation of himself under the false name of Kyle Butler into Mitchell's life basically takes place off screen, for the good reason it's ridiculous. The way Dexter somehow finds Mitchell (after Mitchell has slaughtered Rita,) is also left off screen for the same good reason. Dexter is known to the Mitchell family as Kyle Butler, but somehow hiding in a coffin in the garage is supposed to get him out of that. Go figure. Better yet for willing of suspension of disbelief, don't.
Also, Deborah finds out, finally, that Dexter and the Ice Truck killer were brothers but naturally does not leap to the conclusion Dexter would also be a serial killer. (It does not pay to look critically at the idea that the same early childhood trauma will cause both sibling to become serial killers. That's a fundamental premise and if you can't accept the insanity and move one, you shouldn't be watching this show.)
Now this has been an extraordinarily slow burner of a story. Emotionally constricted Dexter not figuring out Harry was really a psycho is one thing, but she's supposed to be normal. This obliviousness to family reality has always diminished the Deborah character. The unfunny part is that Deborah finds this out from a newspaper obituary of Laura Moser.
The notion that no one would read a newspaper obituary is one of the most flagrant uses of idiot plotting I've seen in TV in quite a while. (Damon Knight, I think it was, defined an idiot plot as one that only works if all the characters are idiots.) Even Matthews, who is retconned as knowing this all along, is an idiot for imagining he could keep it a secret, when all it took was a newspaper search. Nobody in Florida or the FBI has Lexis/Nexis or whatever it's called?
Ghost Daddy is lame beyond belief. I suppose these appearances are not flashbacks any more because the young Dexter actor has grown too old. Daddy Morgan as projection of Dexter's unconscious (the superego is part of the unconscious, for the purists amongst you,) is literary cliche, based on psychoanalysis, which is perilously close to quack psychotherapy, no more respectable than Scientology. Not only is it dumb in itself, but people should be noticing Dexter is hallucinating. People are not generally tolerant of mere eccentricity in my opinion, but outright psychosis rather tends to freak them out. Dumb, dumb, dumb!
The verdict is that open ended serialization is taking it's toll. The first season was the best, and each succeeding season is getting weaker and weaker. The fourth season has as its main attractions the more or less dramatically pointless emo writhings of John Lithgow and much domestic comedy. Dexter's frantic efforts to be a good brother and husband are especially highlighted by his incessantly ringing cell phone. The Ice Truck Killer didn't dominate the first season the way Arthur Mitchell dominates the fourth season.
Killing off Rita forecloses a satisfactory happy ending for the series. That's because a Dexter who manages to quit and settles down with the family is a happy ending that makes sense in terms of who Dexter is (as proven by his repeated choices,) and "realistically," insofar as that term applies. A Dexter who somehow keeps on killing and killing is too dumbass to be satisfactory. Dexter the vigilante has long ago lapsed into foolishness. A Dexter who commits suicide exercises justice, so in one sense that is a happy ending. But we viewers who delighted in his heroic efforts to be a good father and brother would be disappointed on one level.
The problem with Dexter choosing between a serial killer temptation and normality isn't that Dexter chooses normality. Well, for most of us it it isn't, even if there are some who like the Dexter kills. The problem is that Dexter hasn't moved to the next step, really coming to terms with Daddy and trying to quit. Killing off Rita may be setting up Dexter to choose to keep on, regardless. If Rita is gone, there isn't much normal left to choose. This is de-dramatizing the conflict.
It's possible that the next season means to set up Deborah Finds Out. By everything that's been showed, Deborah would not let him off, much less accept his continued killing, and Dexter would not kill Deborah. That's not who these people are. Or at least, who they haven't been. It is possible the dreaded "character development" may finish the series off. It's already finished off La Guerta.
As in previous seasons, Dexter encounters a serial killer who
seems to offer him a kind of normality (this season, a model for a happy family man with a serial killing hobby.) Dexter much choose between normality and the serial killer, and chooses to kill the serial killer, while at the same time being threatened with exposure. This is the fourth version of the same basic story. Dexter is a little thick about getting that dear old Daddy was the real lunatic in the family, or that serial killing is incompatible with what he has proved, repeatedly, what he really wants.
Dexter of course chooses normality and kills this season's big serial killer, Arthur Mitchell. The show devoted most attention to Lithgow's arc, from a psychologically tormented, guilt ridden, suicidal man too squeamish to finish a wounded animal, to an almost normal villain, confident, even arrogant, delighting in his cruelty. Aside from the desire to kill ten year old boys, this Arthur Mitchell is pretty typical for the slightly higher grade of slasher movie. He has the nearly universal fixation on killing either the hero, or preferably, his nearest and dearest, just so the hero can suffer. And then maybe killing the hero. As usual, this desire is more important than self preservation.
When you trouble to put Mitchell's arc into words, it becomes obvious that it is kind of soapy. They portray the transformation in a cunningly crafted series of scenes, deftly loading them, so to speak. For instance, tormented Arthur is never seen with his family. Arthur actually makes a serious attempt to commit suicide though, ironically saved by Dexter (despite Dexter's second thoughts.) It is unbelievable that this aspect never was revealed, even inadvertently, in home life.
The purpose of the transformation so lovingly detailed for us is to change Arthur from a tempting role model into a plausibly successful antagonist who might do things like stroll into police headquarters to learn Dexter's true identity or succeed in killing Rita. The buzz is that Lithgow will get an Emmy for the role (best guest starring actor in a series category?)
The repetitiveness of the Dexter story and the essential triviality of the Mitchell story are two weaknesses inevitably due to open ended serialization. Also known as soaps, these serials have to repeat the satisfying stories that won the fans in the first place, and they had to use their craft to convince the viewers of the necessary character changes that drive/are the plot. In this case, killing Rita. There was a failed effort at a new story in Dexter accidentally killing an innocent man, but it wasn't developed. Plus, he was a pervy photographer who partied and took dirty sadomasochistic pictures. Like the hit and run driver in season one, he didn't really deserve to live, even if technically he wasn't a cold blooded murderer.
What is not essential is the slovenliness of the plotting. Dexter's insinuation of himself under the false name of Kyle Butler into Mitchell's life basically takes place off screen, for the good reason it's ridiculous. The way Dexter somehow finds Mitchell (after Mitchell has slaughtered Rita,) is also left off screen for the same good reason. Dexter is known to the Mitchell family as Kyle Butler, but somehow hiding in a coffin in the garage is supposed to get him out of that. Go figure. Better yet for willing of suspension of disbelief, don't.
Also, Deborah finds out, finally, that Dexter and the Ice Truck killer were brothers but naturally does not leap to the conclusion Dexter would also be a serial killer. (It does not pay to look critically at the idea that the same early childhood trauma will cause both sibling to become serial killers. That's a fundamental premise and if you can't accept the insanity and move one, you shouldn't be watching this show.)
Now this has been an extraordinarily slow burner of a story. Emotionally constricted Dexter not figuring out Harry was really a psycho is one thing, but she's supposed to be normal. This obliviousness to family reality has always diminished the Deborah character. The unfunny part is that Deborah finds this out from a newspaper obituary of Laura Moser.
The notion that no one would read a newspaper obituary is one of the most flagrant uses of idiot plotting I've seen in TV in quite a while. (Damon Knight, I think it was, defined an idiot plot as one that only works if all the characters are idiots.) Even Matthews, who is retconned as knowing this all along, is an idiot for imagining he could keep it a secret, when all it took was a newspaper search. Nobody in Florida or the FBI has Lexis/Nexis or whatever it's called?
Ghost Daddy is lame beyond belief. I suppose these appearances are not flashbacks any more because the young Dexter actor has grown too old. Daddy Morgan as projection of Dexter's unconscious (the superego is part of the unconscious, for the purists amongst you,) is literary cliche, based on psychoanalysis, which is perilously close to quack psychotherapy, no more respectable than Scientology. Not only is it dumb in itself, but people should be noticing Dexter is hallucinating. People are not generally tolerant of mere eccentricity in my opinion, but outright psychosis rather tends to freak them out. Dumb, dumb, dumb!
The verdict is that open ended serialization is taking it's toll. The first season was the best, and each succeeding season is getting weaker and weaker. The fourth season has as its main attractions the more or less dramatically pointless emo writhings of John Lithgow and much domestic comedy. Dexter's frantic efforts to be a good brother and husband are especially highlighted by his incessantly ringing cell phone. The Ice Truck Killer didn't dominate the first season the way Arthur Mitchell dominates the fourth season.
Killing off Rita forecloses a satisfactory happy ending for the series. That's because a Dexter who manages to quit and settles down with the family is a happy ending that makes sense in terms of who Dexter is (as proven by his repeated choices,) and "realistically," insofar as that term applies. A Dexter who somehow keeps on killing and killing is too dumbass to be satisfactory. Dexter the vigilante has long ago lapsed into foolishness. A Dexter who commits suicide exercises justice, so in one sense that is a happy ending. But we viewers who delighted in his heroic efforts to be a good father and brother would be disappointed on one level.
The problem with Dexter choosing between a serial killer temptation and normality isn't that Dexter chooses normality. Well, for most of us it it isn't, even if there are some who like the Dexter kills. The problem is that Dexter hasn't moved to the next step, really coming to terms with Daddy and trying to quit. Killing off Rita may be setting up Dexter to choose to keep on, regardless. If Rita is gone, there isn't much normal left to choose. This is de-dramatizing the conflict.
It's possible that the next season means to set up Deborah Finds Out. By everything that's been showed, Deborah would not let him off, much less accept his continued killing, and Dexter would not kill Deborah. That's not who these people are. Or at least, who they haven't been. It is possible the dreaded "character development" may finish the series off. It's already finished off La Guerta.
.
