I tend to agree with this point, though I think they may be going somewhere with it (the continued unhinging of Dexter's mental state).
Dexter season four review (spoilers)
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I tend to agree with this point, though I think they may be going somewhere with it (the continued unhinging of Dexter's mental state).
^^
If that's the case, I wish they had been more gradual with it. Harry appears as a ghost or whatever you want to call it a couple of times in the first two seasons...and then in season three he's appearing to Dexter all the time and the flashbacks are completely dropped.
If that's the case, I wish they had been more gradual with it. Harry appears as a ghost or whatever you want to call it a couple of times in the first two seasons...and then in season three he's appearing to Dexter all the time and the flashbacks are completely dropped.
Mitchell's kills are supposed to be part of the fun, which is why I think he dominates season four in a way Rudy didn't dominate season one.
It is odd that Mitchell doesn't get some last satisfaction telling Dexter about Rita, or try to escape while Dexter's in shock, or just plain stall. That's why Mitchell suddenly switches from a the usual heartless but supremely competent and highly energetic psychopath (with the cliche determination to attack the hero's family) to a passive Arthur brokenly accepting his fate. The switch has no compelling internal logic, it's dictated by the need to hide Rita's death from Dexter and the audience.
When the cops come to Mitchell's house while Dexter is there, he goes to the garage. For some unknown reason, he gets into the coffin. Just as he's getting out, familiar faces open the garage door. He just pretends he was there first. I don't know why the son wouldn't think it perfectly all right for "Kyle Butler" to be there, and the mother and daughter don't even like him since he attacked Arthur. So at some point somebody is going to mention how Kyle attacked Arthur and was there when the cops busted in. Except that the family are such idiots they've forgotten. Again, I know somehow people are thinking that downgrading this season is somehow provocative but how can anyone watch nonsense like that and think that Dexter is getting better?
It seems like the Kyle Butler identity is going to bite Dexter in the ass come season five, so we'll see where the show takes it. Since this happens in the finale, it's not as if there's time for the event to sink in for the characters. That will happen next season if the series wants to maintain its credibility, but I'm not put off by Dexter's ability to barely weasel out of the situation here. The show has never had the strict realism of, say, The Wire. It's most captivating when it's centered around Dexter, which is probably why, despite my misgivings about how the supporting cast is often wasted, that doesn't really matter.
I was more annoyed by Arthur Mitchell's ability to escape from Dexter like Superman when it suited the plot for him to remain alive. For example, when Dexter rescues the kid, Arthur just disappears, after he's been struck in the head!
I think you've skipped over some of the really interesting things that happen this season, like when Dexter kills the photographer and it turns out he had the wrong man. If anything, I would have liked this development to be more central to the narrative, but the season gets so wrapped up in Trinity that it falls to the wayside by the end.
You've also made no mention of Frank Lundy, whose return here is pretty satisfying, and his death a perfectly executed moment, too. There's also some terrific cliffhangers this season. "Hello, Dexter Morgan" might be spoiled by a lousy title, but it's still a great moment. The same goes for the episode where Dexter realizes Trinity is in fact a family man (a moment that pushes the season into high gear if only for it to have to slow down again...it really would have been better with 9 or 10 episodes instead of the prerequisite 12).
I was more annoyed by Arthur Mitchell's ability to escape from Dexter like Superman when it suited the plot for him to remain alive. For example, when Dexter rescues the kid, Arthur just disappears, after he's been struck in the head!
I think you've skipped over some of the really interesting things that happen this season, like when Dexter kills the photographer and it turns out he had the wrong man. If anything, I would have liked this development to be more central to the narrative, but the season gets so wrapped up in Trinity that it falls to the wayside by the end.
You've also made no mention of Frank Lundy, whose return here is pretty satisfying, and his death a perfectly executed moment, too. There's also some terrific cliffhangers this season. "Hello, Dexter Morgan" might be spoiled by a lousy title, but it's still a great moment. The same goes for the episode where Dexter realizes Trinity is in fact a family man (a moment that pushes the season into high gear if only for it to have to slow down again...it really would have been better with 9 or 10 episodes instead of the prerequisite 12).
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That's a striking point about Lundy. The Lundy romance developed Deborah's Daddy issues in a natural, even interesting way. Otherwise Deborah's love life is of zero interest. Anton wasn't even interesting when he was getting skinned alive. (But Deborah finding out about Harry would be interesting.) So bringing back Lundy was a good idea, even if it wasn't executed very well. (No one except La Guerta would believe in Trinity?
) Killing him off and dumping whozis so the only person in her life is Dexter? I'm not so sure. Lundy's death and "Hello Dexter Morgan" are indeed sensational. I too enjoy them, like potato chips. But for me, like potato chips they are not a substantial experience. Perhaps I'm too old and jaded to get how cool it is.
Dexter has nothing to do with realism. When The Wire lapsed into comic book, like with Omar, it was jarring. Dexter is a domestic comedy with corpses.
Dexter killing the wrong man may have not been as integral to the narrative as I would have liked (the whole season is about Dexter slipping, but Dexter killing the wrong man would have been a big event any other season), but it still happened. I didn't see that you mentioned it (I was incorrect), which felt like an incomplete look at the season. That's why I brought it up. That the guy is a "pervy photographer" is essential to the storyline, though. Not to excuse Dexter's actions, but to demonstrate how quick Dexter is to judge and execute. All he sees is that the guy is a "pervy photographer" and that's justification enough. That the guy denies murdering the girls doesn't even matter to Dexter. It's a development that carries through two episodes, but given the show's focus on Dexter's internal struggle, it's a shame more isn't built on it, definitely.
It really isn't convincing that Lundy couldn't bring somebody onboard about Trinity, I agree. I can buy the "suicides" with the jumpers not being picked up by law enforcement, since they don't leave strong evidence of homicide and were often the site of suicides other times during the year, apparently. Lundy himself doesn't recognize the pattern with the kids, who are classified missing rather than murders...though if all Trinity is doing is burying them in concrete they're not going to go undiscovered for long (at least in real life). But that still leaves the women murdered in the bathtub and the men who were bludgeoned to death. There were certainly enough victims to establish a pattern, and having Frank Lundy endorse the theory (he apparently solved the Green River Killings before moving on to the Bay Harbor Butcher) one would think law enforcement would give it a serious look. Actually, this could have been tidied up by changing Trinity's M.O., leaving Lundy with a bunch of "suicides" that he thought were the work of a serial killer.
I'd agree that Anton wasn't that interesting. Not entirely unbelievable when it comes to Debra's character and her love life, but never very interesting. I'm glad that he was brought along after season three (rather than brushing yet another element of that season under the rug, like Rita's real estate job or Angel's new relationship), but he didn't do much then and didn't do much here, either. No loss when he left (and, thankfully, Debra didn't have a romantic subplot this season after that).
You claim that Dexter isn't about realism and I agree. But that also leads me to question why you're so unable to believe the way Dexter weasels his way out of the Mitchell's home. He flashes his laminate. He gets the hell out of there before he can be identified. Works for me. Season five is definitely following up on the Kyle Butler alias, which seems like enough for me, too.
I don't get what being old and jaded has to do with a couple of interesting plot twists. Trinity the presumed lone wolf having a family (just like Dexter!) was potato chips to you? That's the premise of the whole season! Arthur tracking down Dexter and finding out his true identity wasn't a chilling moment? Really?
It really isn't convincing that Lundy couldn't bring somebody onboard about Trinity, I agree. I can buy the "suicides" with the jumpers not being picked up by law enforcement, since they don't leave strong evidence of homicide and were often the site of suicides other times during the year, apparently. Lundy himself doesn't recognize the pattern with the kids, who are classified missing rather than murders...though if all Trinity is doing is burying them in concrete they're not going to go undiscovered for long (at least in real life). But that still leaves the women murdered in the bathtub and the men who were bludgeoned to death. There were certainly enough victims to establish a pattern, and having Frank Lundy endorse the theory (he apparently solved the Green River Killings before moving on to the Bay Harbor Butcher) one would think law enforcement would give it a serious look. Actually, this could have been tidied up by changing Trinity's M.O., leaving Lundy with a bunch of "suicides" that he thought were the work of a serial killer.
I'd agree that Anton wasn't that interesting. Not entirely unbelievable when it comes to Debra's character and her love life, but never very interesting. I'm glad that he was brought along after season three (rather than brushing yet another element of that season under the rug, like Rita's real estate job or Angel's new relationship), but he didn't do much then and didn't do much here, either. No loss when he left (and, thankfully, Debra didn't have a romantic subplot this season after that).
You claim that Dexter isn't about realism and I agree. But that also leads me to question why you're so unable to believe the way Dexter weasels his way out of the Mitchell's home. He flashes his laminate. He gets the hell out of there before he can be identified. Works for me. Season five is definitely following up on the Kyle Butler alias, which seems like enough for me, too.
I don't get what being old and jaded has to do with a couple of interesting plot twists. Trinity the presumed lone wolf having a family (just like Dexter!) was potato chips to you? That's the premise of the whole season! Arthur tracking down Dexter and finding out his true identity wasn't a chilling moment? Really?
Because all my suspension of disbelief gets used up with Miami being full of serial killers and killers the cops can't get because of technicality and Dexter being a better detective than Batman. When they do such slovenly plotting, it's like the writers are just winking at us, shruggin their shoulders. It's way too close to camping it up. The supervigilante thing was always pretty weak drama, and it's worn very thin by now.
I didn't buy Arthur. Thrillers have been full of psychotic characters who pull some miraculous stunt out of their ass, spouting cool dialogue the whole time. I think the all time best is Hannibal Lecter and Arthur Mitchell isn't even in the same ball park. This kind of character and this kind of scene is formula, some, like this, executed better than most, but still formula.
Well, if you don't buy Arthur at all, then I can see why you don't care for the fourth season. As you've pointed out, much of the season hinges upon his character.
As for Miami being full of killers the cops can't catch and/or convict, that's the premise of the show, basically. Of course it's a little over-the-top (And it has been since the beginning), but outside of a radical reinvention of the series I doubt that is going to change. Even the crazy book series maintains this central conceit in the sequels, no?
Having a serial killer each season is more problematic, since it's not even necessary every time (especially in the third season, when the killer was a secondary narrative and not all that interesting). At least season five is (hopefully) dropping the serial killer of the season formula. That's what the writers are promising, anyway, though casting notices have me doubt they'll stick to their guns.
The Hannibal reference is an interesting comparison, though I can't say I'm all that qualified to discuss it--I've managed to avoid seeing any of the five films featuring the character (Manhunter, Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon, Hannibal Rising) outside of bits here and there on television. At some point I should rectify that.
As for Miami being full of killers the cops can't catch and/or convict, that's the premise of the show, basically. Of course it's a little over-the-top (And it has been since the beginning), but outside of a radical reinvention of the series I doubt that is going to change. Even the crazy book series maintains this central conceit in the sequels, no?
Having a serial killer each season is more problematic, since it's not even necessary every time (especially in the third season, when the killer was a secondary narrative and not all that interesting). At least season five is (hopefully) dropping the serial killer of the season formula. That's what the writers are promising, anyway, though casting notices have me doubt they'll stick to their guns.
The Hannibal reference is an interesting comparison, though I can't say I'm all that qualified to discuss it--I've managed to avoid seeing any of the five films featuring the character (Manhunter, Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon, Hannibal Rising) outside of bits here and there on television. At some point I should rectify that.
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