Dexter (TV Series)
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''Dexter'' is an American
crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in C ...
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
television series that aired on Showtime from October 1, 2006, to September 22, 2013. Set in
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
, the series centers on
Dexter Morgan {{More citations needed, date=August 2016 {{Infobox character , color = red , name = Dexter Morgan , series = Dexter , image = Dexter Morgan.jpg , image_size = 200px , caption = Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan , first = Novels:'' Darkly Dr ...
( Michael C. Hall), a forensic technician specializing in bloodstain pattern analysis for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department, who leads a secret parallel life as a vigilante
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
, hunting down murderers who have not been adequately punished by the justice system due to corruption or legal technicalities. The show's first season was derived from the novel ''
Darkly Dreaming Dexter ''Darkly Dreaming Dexter'' is a 2004 novel by Jeff Lindsay, the first in his crime horror series about American forensic analyst/ serial killer Dexter Morgan. It formed the basis of the Showtime television series ''Dexter'' and won the 2005 Di ...
'' (2004), the first in a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay. It was adapted for television by James Manos Jr., who wrote the first episode. Subsequent seasons evolved independently of Lindsay's works. In February 2008, reruns (edited down to a TV-14 rating) began to air on CBS in the wake of the shortage of original programming ensuing from the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, thus the reruns on CBS ended after one run of the first season. The series enjoyed mostly positive reviews throughout its run. The first four seasons received universal acclaim, but reception dropped considerably as the series progressed. The show has received myriad awards, including two
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
s won by Hall and
John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...
for their roles as Dexter Morgan and Arthur Mitchell, respectively. Season four aired its season finale on December 13, 2009, to a record-breaking audience of 2.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched original series episode ever on Showtime at that time. In April 2013, Showtime announced that season eight would be the final season of ''Dexter''. The season eight premiere was the most watched ''Dexter'' episode, with more than 3 million viewers total. The original broadcast of
the series finale "The Series Finale" is the ninth episode and series finale of the American television miniseries '' WandaVision'', based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It follows Wanda as she tries to ...
on September 22, 2013 drew 2.8 million viewers, the largest audience in Showtime's history. In October 2020, it was announced that ''Dexter'' would return with a ten-episode limited series titled '' Dexter: New Blood'', with Hall reprising the title role and Clyde Phillips as
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also the ...
, a position he occupied during the original series' first four seasons. It premiered on November 7, 2021 and concluded on January 9, 2022.


Plot

Orphaned at age three, when he witnessed his mother's brutal murder with a chainsaw, Dexter ( Michael C. Hall) was adopted by Miami police officer Harry Morgan ( James Remar). Recognizing the boy's trauma and the subsequent development of his sociopathic tendencies, Harry manipulated Dexter to channel his gruesome bloodlust into vigilantism, killing only heinous criminals who slip through the criminal justice system. To cover his prolific trail of homicides, Dexter gains employment as a forensic analyst, specializing in
blood spatter pattern analysis Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is the field of forensic science that consists of the study and analysis of bloodstains at a known or suspected crime scene with the purpose of drawing conclusions about the nature, timing and other details of the ...
, with the Miami Metro Police Department. Dexter is extremely cautious and circumspect; he wears gloves and uses plastic-wrapped "kill rooms", carves up the corpses, and disposes of them in the Atlantic Ocean's
Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the Unit ...
to reduce his chances of detection. Dexter juggles his two personas, recognizing each as a distinct part of himself that must cohesively work as one. He depends on their interaction, as a means of survival and normality. Although his homicidal tendencies are deeply unflinching, as he originally claims (via narration), throughout the series he strives to feel (and in some cases does feel) normal emotions and maintains his appearance as a socially responsible human being.


Cast and crew


Cast

Besides Hall playing the
title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
, the show's supporting cast includes Jennifer Carpenter as Dexter's adoptive sister and co-worker (and later boss)
Debra Debra is a feminine given name. Debra may refer to: People * Debra Adelaide (born 1958), Australian writer * Debra Allbery (born 1957), American poet * Debra R. Anderson (1949-2022), American politician * Debra Austin (born 1955), American bal ...
, and James Remar as Dexter's adoptive father, Harry Morgan. Dexter's co-workers include Lauren Vélez as Lieutenant (later Captain) María LaGuerta, Dexter and Debra's supervisor, David Zayas as Detective Sergeant (later Lieutenant) Angel Batista, and C. S. Lee as lab tech Vince Masuka (promoted to title credits in season two).
Erik King Erik King (born April 21, 1963) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Sergeant James Doakes on Showtime's television series ''Dexter''. He is also known for his roles as Moses Deyell on '' Oz''., and as Bobby Davidson in ''Miss ...
portrayed the troubled Sgt James Doakes for the first two seasons of the show. Desmond Harrington joined the cast in season three as
Joey Quinn Joseph "Joey" Quinn is a fictional character in the Showtime television series ''Dexter'', portrayed by Desmond Harrington. Quinn is a cop who transferred to the Homicide division after being in narcotics before season three. Appearances Sea ...
; his name was promoted to the title credits as of season four. Geoff Pierson plays Captain Tom Matthews of Miami Metro Homicide. Julie Benz starred as Dexter's girlfriend, then wife, Rita in seasons one to four, with a guest appearance in season five. Rita's children, Astor and Cody, are played by Christina Robinson and
Preston Bailey Preston Bailey (born July 25, 2000) is an American actor who started acting at the age of two. He is known for appearing in the Showtime television series ''Dexter'' and for starring in such films as '' Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer'', ' ...
(who replaced Daniel Goldman after the first season). Dexter's infant son Harrison is played by twins, Evan and Luke Kruntchev, through season seven; in season eight, Harrison was played by Jadon Wells. Aimee Garcia plays Batista's younger sister, Jamie. Notable appearances in season one are Christian Camargo as Rudy and Mark Pellegrino as Rita's abusive ex-husband Paul. Jaime Murray portrayed Lila Tournay in season two, a physically attractive but unhinged British artist who becomes obsessed with Dexter. Keith Carradine, as Special FBI Agent Frank Lundy, and Jimmy Smits, as ADA Miguel Prado, each appeared in season-long character arcs in seasons two and three, respectively. David Ramsey, who plays
confidential informant An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informan ...
Anton Briggs in season three, returned in season four, becoming romantically involved with Debra Morgan.
John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...
joined the cast in season four as the " Trinity Killer". Carradine returned in season four, reprising his role as newly retired FBI Special Agent Frank Lundy, who was hunting the Trinity Killer. Courtney Ford was featured in season four as an ambitious reporter who mixes business with pleasure, getting romantically involved with Quinn while simultaneously fishing for sources and stories. Julia Stiles joined the cast in season five as
Lumen Pierce Lumen can refer to: * Lumen (unit), the SI unit of luminous flux * Lumen (anatomy), the cavity or channel within a tubular structure * Lumen (band), a Russian rock band * Lumen (branding agency), a design and branding company headquartered in Mila ...
, a woman who gets involved in a complex relationship with Dexter after the tragedy that culminated the previous season. Season five also had Jonny Lee Miller cast as motivational speaker
Jordan Chase This is a list of characters from the Showtime TV series ''Dexter'', its sequel miniseries '' Dexter: New Blood,'' and the Jeff Lindsay novels, including ''Darkly Dreaming Dexter'' (on which the show was based), ''Dearly Devoted Dexter'', ''Dex ...
,
Peter Weller Peter Weller (born June 24, 1947) is an American film and stage actor, television director, and art historian. He has appeared in more than 70 films and television series, including '' RoboCop'' (1987) and its sequel '' RoboCop 2'' (1990), in wh ...
cast as Stan Liddy, a corrupt narcotics cop, and Maria Doyle Kennedy cast as Sonya, Harrison's nanny. In season six, Mos Def was cast as Brother Sam, a convicted murderer turned born-again Christian, and Edward James Olmos and Colin Hanks guest-starred as Professor James Gellar and Travis Marshall, members of a murderous apocalyptic cult. Seasons seven and eight featured multiple guest stars, including Ray Stevenson as Ukrainian mob boss Isaak Sirko, a man with a personal vendetta against Dexter; Yvonne Strahovski as Hannah McKay, the former accomplice of a spree killer; Jason Gedrick as strip club owner George Novikov, also part of the mob; and
Charlotte Rampling Tessa Charlotte Rampling (born 5 February 1946) is an English actress, known for her work in European arthouse films in English, French, and Italian. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, she began her career as a model. She was cast in the role ...
as Dr. Evelyn Vogel, a neuropsychiatrist who takes an interest in Dexter; Ronny Cox as the Tooth Fairy killer; Sean Patrick Flanery as Jacob Elway, a private investigator who Debra works for. Margo Martindale had a recurring role as Camilla Figg, a records office worker who was close friends with Dexter's adoptive parents.
JoBeth Williams Margaret JoBeth Williams (born December 6, 1948) is an American actress and television director. Her directorial debut with the 1994 short film ''On Hope'' earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. In 2009 she bega ...
portrayed Rita's suspicious mother, Gail Brandon, in four episodes of season two. Anne Ramsay portrayed defense attorney Ellen Wolf, Miguel's nemesis. Valerie Cruz played a recurring role as Miguel's wife, Sylvia. In season six, Billy Brown was cast as transferred-in Detective Mike Anderson to replace Debra after her promotion to lieutenant. Josh Cooke played Louis Greene, a lab tech and Masuka's intern, in seasons six and seven, and Darri Ingolfsson played Oliver Saxon in season eight.


Crew

The main creative forces behind the series were executive producers Daniel Cerone, Clyde Phillips, and
Melissa Rosenberg Melissa Anne Rosenberg is an American television writer, television producer, and screenwriter. She has worked in both film and television and has won a Peabody Award. She has also been nominated for two Emmy Awards, and two Writers Guild of Ame ...
. Cerone left the show after its second season. Executive producer and showrunner Phillips departed the series, after a record-setting season-four finale, to spend more time with his family; ''24'' co-executive producer
Chip Johannessen George Frederick "Chip" Johannessen (born November 16, 1955) is an American writer, editor, and producer of several popular television series. He is credited with work on '' 24'', '' Homeland'', ''Dexter'', ''Moonlight'', ''Millennium'', and ''Bev ...
took over Phillips' post. Head writer Melissa Rosenberg left after season four, as well. After the conclusion of season five, Chip Johannessen was revealed to be leaving the show after a single run, and Scott Buck would take over as showrunner from season six onward.


Production


Exterior filming

Although the series is set in
Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
, many of the exterior scenes are filmed in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
and
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
. Many landmark buildings and locations in Long Beach are featured throughout the series. The finale episode's airport scene takes place at Ontario International Airport in
Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, i ...
.


Marketing

In preparation for the UK launch of the series, Fox experimented with an
SMS Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...
-based viral marketing campaign. Mobile phone owners received the following unsolicited SMS messages addressed to them by name with no identifying information other than being from "Dexter": "Hello (name). I'm heading to the UK sooner than you might think. Dexter." The SMS-message was followed by an email directing the user to an online video "news report" about a recent spree of killings. Using on-the-fly video manipulation, the user's name and a personalized message were worked into the report—the former written in blood on a wall near the crime scene, the latter added to a note in an evidence bag carried past the camera. While the marketing campaign succeeded in raising the profile of the show, it proved unpopular with many mobile owners, who saw this as spam advertising aimed at mobile phones. In response to complaints about the SMS element of the campaign, Fox issued the following statement:


Reception


Critical reception

Although reception to individual seasons has varied, the overall response to ''Dexter'' has been positive. The first, second, fourth, and seventh seasons received critical acclaim, the third and fifth seasons received generally positive reviews, while the sixth and eighth seasons received mixed to negative reviews. While remarking on some of the show's more formulaic elements (quirky detective, hero with dense workmates, convenient plot contrivances), Tad Friend of ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' remarked that when Dexter is struggling to connect with Rita or soliciting advice from his victims, "the show finds its voice." The
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website
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
calculated a score of 77 from a possible 100 for season one, based on 27 reviews, making it the third-best reviewed show of the 2006 fall season. This score includes four 100% scores (from the ''
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'', ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...
'', ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the '' Chicago ...
'' and '' People Weekly''). Brian Lowry, who had written one of the three poor reviews Metacritic tallied for the show, recanted his negative review in a year-end column for the trade magazine '' Variety'', after watching the full season. On Metacritic, season two has a score of 85 with all 11 reviews positive; season three scored 78 with 13 reviews; season four scored 77 with 14 reviews; season five scored 76 with 11 reviews; season six scored 62 with 10 reviews; season seven scored 81 with 7 reviews; and season eight scored 71 with 10 reviews. On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
, season one has an 81% approval rating with a score of 8.18 out of 10 and the consensus: "Its dark but novel premise may be too grotesque for some, but ''Dexter'' is a compelling, elegantly crafted horror-drama."; season two has a 96% approval rating with a score of 7.6 out of 10 and the consensus: "The Bay Harbor Butcher secures his nefarious spot among the great television anti-heroes in a taut second season that is both painfully suspenseful and darkly hilarious"; season three has a 71% approval rating with a score of 8.3 out of 10 and the consensus: "America's most amiable serial killer has lost some of his dramatic edge, but this third outing continues ''Dexter''s streak of delivering deliriously twisted entertainment"; season four has an 88% approval rating with a score of 8.4 out of 10 and the consensus: "The inherent comedy of Miami's favorite psychopath contending with domestic bliss and the unspeakable horror of John Lithgow's Trinity killer coalesce into one of ''Dexter'''s most sensational seasons"; season five has an 88% approval rating with a score of 7.5 out of 10 and the consensus: "Michael C. Hall's remarkable performance invites viewers into Dexter's heart of darkness in a sorrowful fifth season that explores whether a hollow man can become a real boy"; season six has a 38% approval rating with a score of 6.1 out of 10 and the consensus: "Heavy-handed symbolism, an unimpressive villain, and a redundant arc for America's favorite serial killer all conspire to make ''Dexter'''s sixth season its worst yet"; season seven has an 82% approval rating with a score of 7.6 out of 10 and the consensus: "Season seven represents a return to form for ''Dexter'', characterized by a riveting storyline and a willingness to take some risks"; and season eight has a 35% approval rating, a score of 5.4 out of 10, and the final consensus: "The darkly dreaming ''Dexter'' lays to rest once and for all in a bitterly disappointing final season that is so hesitant to punish its anti-hero for his misdeeds, it opts to punish its audience instead."


Popular reception

The season-three finale, on December 14, 2008, was watched by 1.51 million viewers, giving Showtime its highest ratings for any of its original series since 2004, when Nielsen started including original shows on premium channels in its ratings. The season-four finale aired on December 13, 2009, and was watched by 2.6 million viewers. It broke records for all of Showtime's original series and was their highest-rated telecast in over a decade. The season-five finale was watched by a slightly smaller number of people (2.5 million). The show was declared the ninth-highest rated show for the first 10 years of IMDb.com Pro (2002–2012). The seventh season as a whole was the highest rated season of ''Dexter'', watched by 6.1 million total weekly viewers across all platforms.


Awards and nominations

''Dexter'' was nominated for 24
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
s, including in the category of Outstanding Drama Series four times in a row, from 2008 to 2011, and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (for Hall) five times in a row, from 2008 to 2012. It has also been nominated for ten
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
s (winning two), seven
Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
and received a
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...
in 2007. On December 14, 2006, Hall was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
at the
64th Golden Globe Awards The 64th Golden Globe Awards were aired on January 15, 2007. The ceremony was broadcast live on NBC. Indicating the impact that animated films have had on the film industry, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced in early 2006 that a G ...
. In 2008, the show was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
for Outstanding Drama Series for its second season (Showtime's first-ever drama to be nominated for the award), and its star for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. It won neither, losing to ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited h ...
'' actor Bryan Cranston. In 2010, Hall and Lithgow, in their respective categories, each won a Golden Globe for their performances in season four.


Cultural impact


U.S. broadcast

In December 2007, when CBS publicly announced that it was considering ''Dexter'' for broadcast reruns, the Parents Television Council ("PTC") protested the decision. When the network began posting promotional videos of the rebroadcast on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
on January 29, 2008, PTC president Timothy F. Winter, in a formal press release, again called for CBS to not air the show on broadcast television, saying that it "should remain on a premium subscription cable network" because "the series compels viewers to empathize with a serial killer, to root for him to prevail, to hope he doesn't get discovered". Winter called on the public to demand that local affiliates pre-empt ''Dexter'' and warned advertisers that the PTC would take action against any affiliates that sponsored the show. Following Winter's press release, CBS added parental advisory notices to its broadcast promotions and ultimately rated ''Dexter'' TV-14 for broadcast. On February 17, 2008, the show premiered edited primarily for "language" and scenes containing sex or the dismemberment of live victims. The PTC later objected to CBS' broadcasting of the final two episodes of season one in a two-hour block, and to the episodes' starting times, which were as early as 8 pm in some time zones.


Association with real crimes

Several comparisons and connections between the TV show and its protagonist have been drawn during criminal prosecutions. In 2009, 17-year-old Andrew Conley said the show inspired him to strangle his 10-year-old brother. In an affidavit filed in Ohio County court, in Indiana, police said Conley confessed that he "watches a show called ''Dexter'' on Showtime, about a serial killer, and he stated, 'I feel just like him.'" In Spain, on July 25, 2009, a man and his girlfriend killed his brother and pregnant partner. The man owned the complete Dexter series DVD collection and the methods used to avoid leaving blood traces were inspired by the show. On November 4, 2010, in Sweden, a 21-year-old woman known as ''Dexter-mördaren'' ("The Dexter killer") or ''Dexter-kvinnan'' ("The Dexter woman") killed her 49-year-old father by stabbing him in the heart. During questioning, the woman compared herself to Dexter Morgan, and a picture of the character would appear on her phone when her father called her. In July 2011, she was sentenced to seven years in prison. In Norway, Shamrez Khan hired Håvard Nyfløt to kill Faiza Ashraf. Nyfløt claimed that ''Dexter'' inspired him, and he wanted to kill Khan in front of Faiza, similar to the television series, to "stop evil". Association was established between
Mark Twitchell Mark Andrew Twitchell (born July 4, 1979) is a Canadian filmmaker convicted of first-degree murder in April 2011 for the murder of John Brian Altinger. His trial attracted particular media attention because Twitchell had allegedly been inspired ...
, of
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...
, Alberta, Canada, during his first-degree murder trial, and the character of Dexter Morgan. After weeks of testimony and gruesome evidence presented in court, Twitchell was found guilty of the planned and deliberate murder of 38-year-old Johnny Altinger on April 12, 2011. British teenager Steven Miles, 17, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on October 2, 2014, for stabbing and dismembering his girlfriend Elizabeth Rose Thomas, 17, in Oxted, Surrey. Police discovered Thomas' body on January 24, 2014, and determined the cause of death to be a stab wound to the back. Miles was arrested on suspicion of murder. Miles pled guilty to the crime on September 9. According to Surrey Police, Miles had dismembered Thomas' body following her death, wrapping up limbs in
plastic wrap Plastic wrap, cling film, Saran wrap, cling wrap, Glad wrap or food wrap is a thin plastic film typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh over a longer period of time. Plastic wrap, typically sold on rolls in boxes ...
, and had attempted to clean up the crime scene before he was found by a family member. Miles had been reported to be obsessed with the television series ''Dexter''. Miles reportedly had an alter ego named Ed, whom Miles claims made him carry out the murder. In New Orleans, Louisiana, 34-year-old Benjamin Beale was arrested after police discovered a decapitated body inside a freezer in a painted bus on January 11, 2022, whose body was confirmed to be Julia Dardar over a week later, who was the missing mother of two children. They even discovered a grim ''Dexter'' profile painting with guns and knives, as this murder was inspired by the "Ice Truck Killer" from the show's first season. On May 18, 2022, in Delhi, India, 28-year-old Aaftab Ameen Poonawala strangled his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar to death after a heated argument, killing her. He chopped off her body into 35-pieces and stored it into a large refrigerator, disposing them off later in the nearby forest over the next 18 days. The murder was apparently inspired by the show.


Theme song and series music

The opening title theme for ''Dexter'' was written by
Rolfe Kent Rolfe R. Kent (born 18 April 1963) is an English film score composer. Biography Kent was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. He attended St Albans School, worked at Balrossie School in Renfrewshire, Scotland, then graduated in Psychol ...
and scored by American composer
Daniel Licht Daniel Licht (March 13, 1957 – August 2, 2017) was an American soundtrack composer and musician, best known for writing the score of Showtime TV drama series ''Dexter''. Life and career Licht grew up in suburban Detroit and attended the Roep ...
. The series music for each episode was overseen by Gary Calamar of Go Music and coordinated by Alyson Vidoli. *"Dexter Main Title" (Rolfe Kent) – 1:40 *"Tonight's the Night" (Michael C. Hall, Daniel Licht) – 1:07 *"Conoci La Paz" (Beny Moré) – 3:03 *"Uruapan Breaks" (Kinky) – 2:21 *"Flores Para Ti" (Raw Artistic Soul featuring Rafael Cortez) – 5:16 *"Blood" (Michael C. Hall, Daniel Licht) – 0:59 *"Con Mi Guaguanco" (Ray Armando) – 7:12 *"Perfidia" (Mambo All-Stars) – 2:37 *"Sometimes I Wonder" (Michael C. Hall, Daniel Licht) – 0:29 *"Born Free" (Andy Williams) – 2:25 *"Dexter Main Title" (Kinky) – 1:41 *"Escalation" (Daniel Licht) – 2:09 *"Shipyard" (Daniel Licht) – 2:03 *"Deborah Loves Rudy/The House" (Daniel Licht) – 3:12 *"I Can't Kill" (Daniel Licht) – 2:21 *"Voodoo Jailtime" (Daniel Licht) – 2:58 *"New Legs" (Daniel Licht) – 2:01 *"Photo Albums" (Daniel Licht) – 3:22 *"Courting the Night" (Daniel Licht) – 1:22 *"Hide Your Tears" (Daniel Licht) – 1:36 *"Wink" (Daniel Licht) – 2:08 *"Astor's Birthday Party" (Daniel Licht) – 2:00 *"Epilogue/Bloodroom" (Daniel Licht) – 3:44 *"Blood Theme" (Daniel Licht) – 2:25 *"Die This Way" (Daniel Licht, Jon Licht) – 3:55 *"Fight or Flight" (Daniel Licht) – 1:41 (ITunes Bonus) *"Nowhere to Hide" (Daniel Licht) – 1:43 (ITunes Bonus) *"The Ice Truck Killer" (Daniel Licht) – 2:56 (ITunes Bonus) *"The Fortune" (Daniel Licht) – 1:17 (ITunes Bonus) *"Second Season Suite" (Daniel Licht) – 2:01 (ITunes Bonus)


Other media


''Dexter: Early Cuts''

''Dexter: Early Cuts'' is an animated web series that premiered on October 25, 2009. Hall reprises his role as the voice of Dexter. KTV Media International Bullseye Art produced and animated the webisodes, working closely with Showtime for sound editing, Interspectacular for direction, and illustrators Kyle Baker, Ty Templeton, Andrés Vera Martínez, and Devin Lawson for creating distinctive illustrations. The webisodes are animated with 2.5D style, where flat two-dimensional illustrations are brought to life in three-dimensional space. The first season was created and written by ''Dexter'' producer/writer Lauren Gussis. She was nominated for a Webby for her writing on the first season. The first web series precedes the narrative of the show and revolves around Dexter hunting down the three victims that he mentions in the sixth episode of season one, " Return to Sender". Each victim's story is split into four two-minute chapters. A second season of the web series titled ''Dexter: Early Cuts: Dark Echo'', one story in six chapters, premiered on October 25, 2010. It was written by
Tim Schlattmann Timothy (Tim) Schlattmann is a three-time Emmy award nominee television writer and producer. Nebraska born and raised, this former disc jockey and college professor's writing credits include ABC's number one hit ''Roseanne'', Fox's '' Get ...
and illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz and David Mack. The story begins immediately following Dexter's adoptive father Harry's death. Season 3 centers around Dexter's first encounter with a pair of killers. Each story is told in several two to three minute chapters.


Album soundtrack

In August 2007, the album soundtrack entitled '' Dexter: Music from the Showtime Original Series'' was released featuring music from the television series. The album was produced by Showtime and distributed by Milan Records. The digital download version offers five additional bonus tracks from the show's first two seasons.


Comic book

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
released a ''Dexter'' limited series in July 2013. The comic books are written by creator Jeff Lindsay and drawn by Dalihbor Talajic. Another limited series, called ''Dexter: Down Under'', was published in 2014.


Home media releases


Games

On September 13, 2009, Icarus Studios released a video game based on the events of season one, for the iPhone platform, via the
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
app store. The game was released for the
iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, ...
on October 15, 2010, and for PCs on February 15, 2011. The cast and crew of ''Dexter'' were very supportive, with some of the cast providing full voice work for the game, including Hall. The game has received many positive reviews, including an 8/10 from IGN. No additional content for the game has been released or announced as planned; plans to release the game on the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
seem to have been canceled, as no recent information regarding the expansion of the game onto these platforms has been given and both consoles have been discontinued. In July 2010, Showtime launched ''Dexter Game On'' during Comic-Con. The promotion relied on community involvement, part of which required participants to use the SCVNGR applications available for the Android,
iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, ...
, iPhone, and
iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a musi ...
platforms to complete treks around the five cities where the game was available. The final trek led to a kill room, where the Infinity Killer had recently claimed a victim. A link was found in the room to a (fake) company called Sleep Superbly, which began an extensive Showtime-maintained alternate reality game that continued until ''Dexter''s season-five premiere. The alternate reality game involves players working cooperatively to help catch the Infinity Killer and identify his victims; a number of other characters help. During the game, players communicate with the Infinity Killer, among many others. The game spans Craigslist,
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...
,
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, and countless unique sites created for the game. Players can even call phone numbers. The characters and companies are controlled by real people, adding an extra layer of realism and the ability for intelligent conversation. To maintain a realistic feeling in the game, Showtime does not put its name or advertisements on most sites or pages created for the game. In September 2010, the Toronto-based company, GDC-GameDevCo Ltd., released a ''Dexter''
board game Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well. Many board games feature a co ...
. On August 13, 2015, the hidden object mobile game ''Dexter: Hidden Darkness'' was released for all iOS devices, with the announcement that Android support would be available soon. Players, acting as Dexter Morgan, solve crimes and hunt down killers to "feed" the dark passenger.


Merchandise

In February 2010, EMCE Toys announced plans to release
action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually mar ...
s based on the series. In March 2010,
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...
released a seven-inch bust of
Dexter Morgan {{More citations needed, date=August 2016 {{Infobox character , color = red , name = Dexter Morgan , series = Dexter , image = Dexter Morgan.jpg , image_size = 200px , caption = Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan , first = Novels:'' Darkly Dr ...
, as part of its ''Last Toys on the Left'' series. In April 2010, it released a bobblehead doll based on the show character, the Trinity Killer. A variety of merchandise items is available from Showtime including an apron, bin bags, blood slide
beverage coaster A coaster, drink coaster, beverage coaster, or beermat is an item used to rest drinks upon. Coasters protect the surface of a table or any other surface where the user might place a glass. Coasters on top of a beverage can also be used to show th ...
s and
key ring A keychain (also key fob or keyring) is a small ring or chain of metal to which several keys can be attached. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring. Some keychains allow one or bo ...
s, drinking glasses, mugs, pens made to look like syringes of blood, posters, and T-shirts. In June 2021 Flashback announced a highly detailed 1/6th scale figure of Dexter Morgan.


Prop sales

In January 2014, in partnership with the HollywoodsProps company, DexterCorner created an auction site and sold hundreds of original props used in the series; part of the auction's proceeds were donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Showtime has also offered a limited selection of props for sale.


Revival

On October 14, 2020, Showtime announced that ''Dexter'' would return with a 10-episode limited series, starring Michael C. Hall in his original role, with Clyde Phillips returning as showrunner. On November 17, 2020, it was announced Marcos Siega is set to direct six episodes of the limited series as well as executive produce alongside Hall,
John Goldwyn John Howard Goldwyn (born August 10, 1958) is an American film producer. Biography Goldwyn was born on August 10, 1958, in Los Angeles, California, the son of producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr., and his wife, film and stage actress Jennifer Howard ...
,
Sara Colleton Sara Colleton is an American television and film producer. She has worked as an executive producer on the Showtime drama series ''Dexter'' since 2006 and has received several Emmy nominations for her work on the series. Biography Colleton joined ...
, Bill Carraro, and Scott Reynolds. Production began in February 2021, with a fall 2021 premiere date. In January 2021,
Clancy Brown Clarence John "Clancy" Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. Brown's film roles include Viking Lofgren in ''Bad Boys'' ...
was cast as Kurt Caldwell, Dexter's main
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, ri ...
and David Magidoff was cast as Teddy. In February 2021,
Jamie Chung Jamie Jilynn Chung (born April 10, 1983) is an American actress and former reality television personality. She began her career in 2004 as a cast member on the MTV reality series '' The Real World: San Diego'' and subsequently through her appe ...
and Oscar Wahlberg were cast in recurring roles. In June 2021, it was announced that
John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...
would reprise his role as Arthur Mitchell. In July 2021, it was revealed that Jennifer Carpenter would return as well, with both Lithgow and Carpenter appearing in their characters during flashback scenes. It premiered on November 7, 2021, on Showtime.


References


Further reading

* * (Updated May 25, 2011) * * * *


External links

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