The problems I had with season 2

Posted by dexterfan

November 17, 2008 |

I’m a big fan of Showtime’s Dexter. Really. And I was riveted through much of season 2’s episodes.

But then, when the season had come to an end, I found myself disappointed. Dexter the character hadn’t really changed. He’d been through a lot in season 2 — almost losing his first real girlfriend, discovering that his foster father may not have been the perfect man he’d created in his memories and, of course, almost being discovered as the Bay Harbor Butcher.

Yet, when the season had come to a close, very little in Dexter’s life had really changed. He had Rita back. He no longer had to worry about being tagged as Miami’s busiest serial killer. He even got his apartment back to himself once his sister moved out. All those episodes. All that drama. All that intrigue. But what was it for?

This may seem like an odd post with which to start a Dexter blog. And again, I want to reiterate that I am a big fan. I think Michael C. Hall is perfectly cast as Dexter. I think Julie Benz and Jennifer Carpenter are great as Dexter’s unsuspecting girlfriend and sister. I enjoyed the explosive temper of Erik King as Sgt. James Doakes. And I like the darkness at the heart of this show.

But what I really wanted to see in the second season was agent Lundy, who was depicted as so smart throughout the season, discover that Dexter was, indeed, the Bay Harbor Butcher. How would the show’s writers resolve that? Would Dexter have to kill an innocent, violating his code? Or would the crafty Lundy leave his discovery alone, recognizing that Dexter was actually, in his own blood-soaked way, doing the community a public service? (Personally, I think that second option would have made for a great resolution.)

Dexter’s third season, of course, is now in full swing. It’s been equally entertaining and suspenseful. But I have to wonder: Will the writers let Dexter change? Will they make his life more difficult? That’s the key to good stories — the main character is different at the end of the story than he is in the beginning.

Let’s see what happens. I know I’ll keep watching. Even when it disappoints, Dexter is still better than 99 percent of the shows you can spend your evening with.