Showing posts with label Jennifer Carpenter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jennifer Carpenter. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

TV Meme: Day 9 - Best Scene Ever

*WICKED SPOILER REGARDING DEXTER BELOW*

I seriously doubt that this is the best scene ever. I tried my best to go back through some of the shows that I had watched, or have been watching, and I came up with a lot of great scenes. However, it was one of the more recent ones that has been ringing in my head.

So, I had to select it - even though I doubt it is the best scene ever, it certainly was a curveball and left a pretty lasting impression.

I decided to select the final scene of Dexter in the season four season finale entitled The Getaway.


If you are a fan of the show you know exactly what I am talking about, and if you are reading this and have not watched the show I suggest you stop reading and make sure to watch the show - you are really missing something.

Anyway, season four brought us one of the greatest characters in television history with John Lithgow's great performance as Arthur Mitchell, or as he is known as The Trinity Killer.

As most of you know Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a serial killer by night, but a blood splatter expert by day for the police department. His department is hot on the trail of a serial killer who has been hidden for quite some time - The Trinity Killer.

It is also expected that The Trinity Killer is responsible for the murder of Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine) and the shooting of Dexter's sister, Debra (Jennifer Carpenter).

This intrigues Dexter to get closer to Arthur Mitchell, who he now knows is The Trinity Killer - he becomes even more intrigued once he finds out that Mitchell also has a family, something that Dexter has been struggling with - balancing his hobby and family life.

Through 12 episodes Dexter has gotten very close to Arthur, but Arthur now is onto him as he blows his cover to save Arthur's family.

At the conclusion of the episode, Dexter finally has The Trinity Killer right where he wants him - on his table about to be killed. Trinity tells Dexter, "it's already over" right before Dexter kills him. Dexter is not sure what that is supposed to mean.

After disposing of the body we reach the scene that I am speaking of - Dexter walks in to his house expecting Rita (Julie Benz) and his kids to be gone, but her phone goes off inside the house. He walks into the bathroom to see Rita is killed in the bathtub the exact same way that Trinity killed one of his victims, and his son, Harrison, is sitting on the floor in her blood - much like Dexter was found when he was younger.

Very creepy and superb finale, and just a great scene to end one of the better seasons of Dexter.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Dexter Seasons 1 & 2

This post will most likely contain spoilers, as it is hard to really explain a television series without it. So, if you have not seen Dexter, but plan to (and you should) it might be best to skip this.

That being said, Dexter is a pretty amazing television program. It stars Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, who is a blood spatter expert for the Miami Police Department. He also just happens to be a serial killer.

Dexter was adopted at 3-year's old by Harry Morgan (James Remar), it became apparent very early to Harry - a Miami Police Officer - that Dexter had a bit of a dark side. In order to quench his thirst for death, Harry took Dexter out on hunting trips. He also began teaching him what Dexter would later proclaim as "The Code of Harry". In essence, it taught him how to get away with murder, but also only to kill those who deserve it - basically murderers who have beaten the system.

Unbeknown to the rest of his fellow police officers, including his sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), Dexter is leading this double life. In order to hide his identity, Dexter does everything he can to act normal around people - including starting a relationship with Rita Bennett (Julie Benz). Bennett is fresh out of an abusive marriage, so she is unable to be intimate with Dexter, which is perfect for him.

All while living these two lives, Dexter is also a blood splatter expert, but becomes extremely infatuated with a new serial killer known as "The Ice Truck Killer". It is revealed to the audience midway through the season that the killer is, Rudy Cooper (Christian Camargo), who just happens to be dating Dexter's sister.

"The Ice Truck Killer" has been killing hookers, draining them of their entire blood contents, cutting up their bodies and leaving them for the police to find. Despite not having any blood, Dexter takes a serious interest in the serial killer's work. And, as he slowly figures things out - "The Ice Truck Killer" begins to become infatuated with Dexter.

I loved the first season, my only issue is that this season may be even better if it was the third or fourth season. As you know by seeing it, "The Ice Truck Killer" turns out to be Dexter's brother. And I found it pretty odd to have that dynamic in the very first season, plus the whole sister in peril thing.

That being said - even with that happening I got totally hooked on this show. It is so well done and Dexter is sort of an odd superhero with some serious issues.

As we move to the second season, a diving crew uncovers Dexter's secret burial ground for all of his kills.

Dexter is very OCD, however, so there isn't many clues that would ever link him to the crimes. Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine) is an FBI agent who is brought in to head up the search for the "Bay Harbor Butcher" which Dexter's name sort of becomes - without anyone knowing it.

Also, Dexter and Rita sort of have some issues as Dexter pretends to have an addiction to drugs to sort of hide his other issues. And during rehab meets Lila Tournay (Jaime Murray), who sort of understands him and becomes his 'sponsor'.

This quickly takes a turn for the worse as Lila accompanies Dexter to track down his mother's killer, and they stay in the same room - which Rita finds out about and breaks up with him. This sends Dexter into Lila's arms. Slowly, he begins to realize that Lila is very crazy and clingy, and even begins to become an issue for Rita and her children - Dexter breaks things off. But, Lila had already dug her meat hooks in and wasn't about to give her man up.

Meanwhile, James Doakes (Erik King) is the lone person in the police department who sees that Dexter has a dark side. It got so bad that Doakes begins stalking Dexter to keep an eye on him, and soon gets himself suspended for a fight. He continues his investigation into Dexter and finds out that he is the "Bay Harbor Butcher". But, Lundy and the FBI mark Doakes as their main suspect.

As Doakes looks to clear his name and also take down Dexter, he confronts him at a cabin where Dexter had killed his mother's killer. Unfortunately for Doakes, Dexter overtakes him and imprisons him inside the cabin.

The ending was sort of very coincidental as Lila steals Dexter's GPS and drives up to the cabin, she finds Doakes and Dexter's dark secret. In order to get Dexter back, she blows up the cabin as well as Doakes and Dexter is free once again.

I got really into this season, but again - it almost seems like we have been tossed into the middle seasons of a 10-season show. I guess it sort of makes sense to have the serial killer almost get caught, but you'd think that it would be in later seasons. Still, again it was a great season and I am hooked on another show.

I really enjoyed the addition of Carradine. I thought he was really good as the FBI agent, and also love interest for Deb (who seems to have some daddy issues). I liked Lila at first, but she sort of became over the top - which I guess was what was supposed to happen.

Anyway, great show - both dark and funny, yet also interesting.

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