Dexter: A True Serial Killer

The show Dexter portrays the life and family of a man who has suffered psychological damage as an infant. As a result, he has a serial killer mindset that must be satisfied through means of killing and torturing victims. Oddly enough, Dexter finds two methods of outlet for this psychological ‘quirk’. The first is his job as a forensic blood analyst for the LAPD; and the other is through his secret life of being a serial killer. But can we call Dexter a moral serial killer—since he only kills other criminals?

When Dexter was a baby, he was found in a pool of his mother’s blood. It is implied that he witnessed his mother being murdered which set off something inside of him later on in life. Dexter has subsequently become a serial killer and cannot function unless he kills on a fairly regular basis. The show depicts him as a hunter who closes in on his victims—most of which are criminals or serial killers themselves.

It is clearly portrayed in the show that Dexter is unable to function without satisfying his bloodlust. He is obsessed with blood and enjoys being around it any way he can. Once such way is through forensics. Yes; Dexter works for the LAPD as a forensic blood analyst. He is often called upon to testify as an expert witness at murder trials and the like. The other outlet is through being a serial killer himself. But what makes the show different to other serial killer programs is that Dexter only kills people who ‘deserve’ it.

The show gets its popularity in the concept that Dexter is a moral serial killer. He was trained by his adoptive father—also a policeman—in the art of murdering and getting away with it. Since Dexter is in the forensic field, he knows how to kill without getting caught. Viewers cheer Dexter on as he kills those criminals who slip through the justice system.

There is something entertaining about watching someone kill another person without it being wrong. Perhaps secretly, we all fancy ourselves as a Dexter and wish we too could take vengeance on those who—as far as we are concerned—do not deserve to live any longer. Dexter is judge, jury, and executioner; a concept we should perhaps not get too familiar with.