the delphic expanse

Anyone watch this show?

I'm sick, and Netflix is streaming the first two seasons. Now, it's not my usual kind of show... not with all the f-bombs and nudity and sex (and to a lesser degree the gruesomeness)... but I'll be damned if I didn't spend the last two days having a Dexter marathon! It disturbs me a little that I feel so much sympathy for a serial killer (granted, he only kills murderers), and even moreso, there are times that I am rooting for him to get someone! Eek! I was so sad to find that the other seasons are not streaming, but it didn't stop me from adding the dvds to my queue. Nuts, considering my preferences (I very rarely watch rated R flicks and this show is a very hard R).

What's wrong with me?

Nope. But I've heard the exact same thing from a couple of other people who've raved about the show. One also isn't who I would have thought would be into a show like that (professor, usually likes romantic comedies) so you're not alone in your surprise.

I no longer have Showtime, but I followed the first couple of seasons. It is really gory, but I think the show's success is a testament to Michael C. Hall's talent and charisma. He just gives an amazing performance - so you CAN sympathize with a serial killer. It's a ridiculous premise, but they sell it in a really compelling way.

I would have to agree with your assessment. The way he portrays the character makes Dexter not a complete sociopath (or maybe the better word is "psychopath"). I know it's "the code" that drives him, but he does experience regret -- as much as he says he's completely empty, he's not totally--I would say that his emotions are severely muted, but still there (probably because his behavior is more due to childhood trauma than being born that way). On the other hand, in the first season, the other serial killer in the arc was a very scary guy. That fellow was devoid of any feeling at all and could mimick emotion so well, that it was frightening.

I'm not sensitive to smut (as you well know) but I'm waaaay sensitive to violence. The whole weirdness with the first season killer really got to me, but the show was so good - I just couldn't help but watch to see how it played out. It was a great backstory, too.

A psychologist once told me that there's no real difference between sociopath and psychopath - that they amount to the same thing. People with no ability to feel anything or understand the feelings of others. In a way, first season Dexter is like a bloody version of Data - he's got people he's attached to and he wants to care, he just doesn't know how to go about it.

I'm the opposite. I'm sensitive to smut, but not as much to violence (perhaps that's because I'm a huge tomboy and grew up loving Arnold Schwarzeneggar flicks?). I do watch some violent scenes of Dexter with my hands over my eyes, though.

1st season Dexter and Bloody Data. That's a pretty fair assessment of the character. And yes, as you said before, the premise of the show is pretty ridiculous. But I have to hand it to the writers (and the actors) to get the viewers to care about a character that for all intents and purposes should be a villian rather than a hero. And, it might be the MU-loving part of me, but when he does go after bad guys, I do want him to be quite scary while he takes them down.

But I would never, ever want to know someone like him in real life. It's fun to escape to this make-believe world, but OMG that would be terrifying--to discover someone you thought was a decent human being was actually a serial killer. Yeesh!

Comcast had a blurb on their homepage about Showtime allowing nonsubscribers to watch their content for free this weekend (01/08/2011 and 01/09/2011) only at Fancast. "One free bite" as it were. This includes Dexter. I believe there are 60 episodes from seasons 1-5 available on-line. Ya'll might want to check it out.

Fancast Homepage

My husband's a big fan of Dexter. I have to admit that the writing's pretty gripping and it draws you in, but I'm not a big gore fan.