Trash Talk Tuesday: Review of Dexter's "Remember the Monster's?" and Theories on Spinoff Ideas

Prepare to be spoiled.

Since I will only be repeating what everyone else has been saying on the internet, I’m going to give my review of the show by showing you my text conversation with my sister about it:

Sister: So Dexter

Me: Stupid. I hated it.

Sister: Me too!

Sister: I didn’t cry or feel any emotions beside what the fuck lumberjack

Me: Same. I would have been fine with the ending if it was just Hannah and Harrison walking. Why did we need the beard?

Sister: Even him leaving Harrison with Hannah pisses me off.

Sister: I never liked her

Me: I liked her. But I hate how much Dexter acted like he loved Harrison. He left him alone all the time. And when Harrison was like “I’ll miss you”, I was annoyed because Harrison should be used to Dexter not being around.

Sister: Seriously. He have should have been more torn up about leaving Jamie

Me: Agreed. Also, kid is the worst child actor I’ve ever seen

Sister: Also why didn’t anyone notice Dexter steal Deb’s body?

Me: That hurricane. Has Grey’s taught you nothing? Haha. I was more annoyed that Bautista and Quinn let Dexter go. That was murder and they knew it.

Basically my reaction to the finale was summed up by sister in the line, “I didn’t cry or feel any emotions beside what the fuck lumberjack.” Feel free to share your opinions whether in agreement or in defense of the ending.

Moving on to spinoffs:

Hannah and Harrison

Daddy issues continue...

What will become of Hannah and Harrison? Elway not being dead has me convinced the spinoff will be about Hannah’s constant running from him. That, combined with Harrison either just having issues with everyone in his life abandoning him, and/or becoming a serial killer himself. This being the spinoff will explain to me the lumberjack ending of Dexter. The writers want the option to bring Michael C Hall in for guest appearances or maybe a starring role if the spinoff does as well as season one of Dexter. 

Will this work? Only if they do a flash forward to when Harrison is old enough to comprehend the death of his whole family, old enough to learn of his dad’s true identity, or just old enough to be a serial killer. Hannah already proved she isn’t a killer by letting Elway live, and I don’t think running from him every episode would be enough to keep anyone engaged. But maybe the writers will prove me wrong?

 Miami Metro PD:

 

Introducing: Even more daddy issues!

This of all things should not be the spinoff. My only thoughts on why it could be the plan come from the introduction of Maskua’s daughter. Normally in Dexter, the random introduction of characters means more than “Surprise Motherfucker, you have a daughter.” So naturally, I was convinced that she was somehow important to the plot. Either a huge plot point, such as being the Brain Surgeon’s girlfriend/accomplice/daughter or a small plot point in that she is out on the streets or the lab and somehow exposes Dexter as a serial killer. Once she started to work in the lab, I was certain she would recover evidence Dexter purposely tossed out; or see him look up something on the computer. Something; not just that she is Masuka’s daughter who works in the lab for a few minutes.

I don’t think Miami Metro as it stands will be a good follow up to what we had in Dexter. There needs to be more to it than just a police department in Miami. The characters we have now, including Masuka’s daughter aren’t enough to be entertaining. Maybe a flash forward to Harrison returning? Or a flash back to when Harry joined the force?

The Death of Trees:

No daddy issues here!

My favorite possible choice of a spinoff is just Dexter being a serial killer of trees.

Actually my favorite possibility is there being no spinoff at all, but feel free to share your thoughts and theories.

They really can't. Goodbye forever, Dexter.

Writing Wednesday: Darkly Dreaming Dexter, a TV show better than the original book? MADNESS.

"Another beautiful Miami day.

 Mutilated corpses with a chance of afternoon showers."

- Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Jeff Lindsay

As any aspiring writer should, I try to always read the original book of a movie/TV adaption. The only book I refuse to do this for is Big Fish because I'm too scared of the possibly of not liking it. But everything else, I want to read the original, I want to support the author. 

So naturally, as a fan of the Dexter television series I needed to read the book. I finished it Tuesday afternoon, and it took me far too long to read a book that short. I had a hard time feeling compelled to read it since I knew the outcome, at least until the book took a weird turn that didn't occur in the first season of the show. Now that I'm done, I feel weird writing a review of this book because I've never truly and completely liked a TV/movie more than the original book. Live-action and even cartoon adaptions never do the author's words justice. But that's not the case with this book. 

I could tell he was a newbie writer. Things were repetitive. For example, Dexter had to keep telling us he was an unfeeling monster. And we got it after the first chapter. It didn't need to be spelled out for us, after he murders someone. The book also felt rushed, and not thought out until the end. It was as though, Jeff Lindsay knew the beginning and ending but didn't know how to connect the two. 

The best difference is Deb. Even LaGuerta. I'm glad they get more screen time in the series, but they are better characters in the book. Rita too! Oh my gosh, she's in the book so little I almost forgot about her. There's stuff about each of the women that I love in the show, but things I love just as much (if not more) in the book that they changed. One thing I realized during the last season of the show is that it's pseudo-feminist. They try to tell us the women are strong and independent but the women all rely on the men for just about everything. The men rely on no one, not even each other. Deb is like that in the book, but LaGuerta isn't. She's more sexualized in the book, but a slight bit more badass. 

Overall, I would give the book a 2.5. Feel free to voice your opinions in the comments!

Also, I'm excited for the new season even though some think it should have ended early. What do you think?