Let's talk about Dex, baby

I've been meaning to write about Dexter Season 4 for some time now but watching the final episodes last night has prompted me into action. [Don't ask me how we happen to be watching the end of this season, which is only half way through on Foxtel at the moment. Suffice to say we have the technology.]

I think I've been drawn to Dexter so much because I can relate to him. No, I'm not a serial killer in my spare time (though keeping an eye on Australian politics could nudge me in that direction). But I do think I'm emotionally stunted in some way, like Dex. I don't "feel" things in the same way as other people. At least I don't think so. I used to feel but somewhere along the way I stopped feeling so much. Not sure how or why that happened but it is something I am acutely aware of, especially when something sad happens; my emotional reaction is not right, not the same as those around me, not what is required.

Anyway and as always, I digress.

After the heady heights and utter brilliance of Season 1 it has been a steady decline of Dexter for me. Of course I love love love the character and I love Michael C. Hall (who plays Dexter) but I have to say that the writing has become crappier with each passing season.

The most significant problem has been Dexter's wife Rita. She started off in season one as a wounded single mum, dealing with a dangerous, violent, druggie ex-husband; looking for comfort with gentle and non-demanding Dexter (the beautiful irony!). Over the past three seasons though she has morphed into Super Wife, some horrific graduate of Stepford; an awful, overgroomed, overdressed, whining, demanding leech. A leech who annoys the bejesus out of me to the point of me hufuffing [I may have just made that word up] about through each episode, complaining to Big Jay about how much I hate her. (It is significant that I have just read on imdb that Julie Benz who plays Rita has just signed up for Desperate Housewives, for which she is much more suited.)

Not only is Rita being written poorly but there is a lot of soap opera style drivel going on throughout the show. The stupid pointless romance between Batista and Laguerta being Exhibit A.

Apart from Dexter (who is himself being screwed over royaly by the writers if you ask me) my two favourite characters would be Debra (Dex's sister - the unluckiest girl in the world?) and the guy with the best lines Vince Masuka. I live for Masuka's quips, cracks me up every time. If the writers can get him so very right why do they fuck up with Dex and Rita so very badly?

Season 4 was giving me the shits quite badly until the last four episodes when things moved up a few gears. The end was very much unexpected but very satisfying for me. Maybe there is hope for Season 5.

So the early rush of tv shows for 2009 has finished. It's been a mad rush of taping and IQing a gazillion shows and then trying to find bits of time watch them. Sheesh, the pressure I am under, I can't tell you!

Anyway, Dexter is finished and I have to say Season 3 a little disappointing. Of course I would watch any program featuring Michael C Hall, even if it was an hour of him sitting on a stool whistling Dixie, but this season just didn't cut it for me. On the other hand I know that such a unique idea can not be sustained for three seasons without loosing some integrity. I can now live in fear/anticipation of Season 4 which is apparently on it's way.

City Homicide also concluded for the season with a very unexpected and terrible ending. Got to give it to the writers for having the balls to end it like that. That show continues to hold our attention.

Underbelly is a dog's breakfast but it's fun and stupid and a little worrying. I don't mind the bums and tits, nothing I don't see in the bathroom every day of my life (sure their's are a little firmer and perkier). I do hate it when they break for Easter though; I mean, does anyone NOT have a VCR and/or some other much more technologically advanced recording device these days?

Packed to the Rafters has been enjoyable (especially with the guest appearance of our dear friend Dina) but I am a tad disappointed with the super cliche, a late in life pregnancy. Gosh, who could have seen that one coming? Overall still a good Tuesday night show which provides a reasonable dose of entertainment without wasting too many brain cells.

Now that regular shows are taking a break I can catch up on True Blood, the entire series of which I have IQ'd but not watched. I do love a vampire tale but I'm not sure what to expect with this strange little series. Also Big Jay and I can finish watching that damn addictive Come Dine With Me which we've been stockpiling on the IQ, mainly because those 20 minute episodes are just right when we want to fill in a bit of time or when we're just too bloody tired to contemplate an entire 90-120 minute movie (which, let's face it, is most of the time).

There's also a new series (praise the ????) of Jon and Kate plus Eight starting at the end of the month. How I've missed those crazy cats and their eight gorgeous offspring. Will I give the new season of Australia's Next Top Model a go? Perhaps now that Sarah O'Hare/Murdoch is hosting I'll give it another try. It's no Big Brother but it does give me a certain dose of shock/horror/yell at the teev type reality entertainment I've been missing.

And another good reason to keep forking out for Foxtel:

Dexter Season 3 starts in just over 2 weeks.

Life is good.

Now that both Dexter and Underbelly are finished we are on a tv diet of sorts. Of course I have my new season of Big Brother to keep me drooling (like a recently recovered lobotomy patient) in front of teev but I'm talking about quality television. Television written by people who have IQ points in the three digits.

Dexter and Underbelly have held us transfixed and their absence leaves a large hole in our weekly schedule. It is so rare to have two great programs to enjoy at the same time.

The thing with these two programs is their moral ambiguity and how they position us as the viewer. By the end of Season Two I loved Dexter Morgan like he was my own brother. Despite him being a serial killer the idea that he would confess and be incarcirated was too horrendous to contemplate. The beauty of the writing and the characterisation is that the audience so steadily positions itself on his side, we forgive all. Even at the very end, when we know he must kill an innocent police officer in order to carry on, we can forgive him, even encourage him. It is with beautiful slight of hand that the writers get him off the hook at the very last moment. We want him to live happily ever after (and return to us in Season Three) despite his minor character flaws (after all he only kills bad people).

It is a similar scenario with Underbelly. While there is no doubt these are very bad people the writing and the presentation attempts to show them as flawed humans rather than pure monsters. We see them with their wives and children, having bbqs and going to their son's football matches. My hat goes off to everyone involved with this fantastic series - putting this convoluted true story into a very watchable, very engrossing television show is good television production at its best.

Oooooh, Dexter. I have a new man in my life and he is a serial killer.

Last night I sat "this" close to Michael C. Hall. You'll remember Michael C. Hall from such roles as DAVID FISHER in Six Feet Under, my alter ego, the character I most loved and related to in that amazing series. I fucking love this guy and to sit "this" far away from him was awesome. I don't know why, it just was OK!

It was a Popcorn Taxi event and we got to see two episodes of the mind-blowing new series Dexter and its star Michael C. Hall (see above) interviewed by a funny and half-decent journalist.

Dexter is the upcoming MUST SEE series (thank fucking GOD we have Foxtel, it's worth every cent just for this show alone) and Michael is cuter, wittier and just plain fantastic-er in the flesh than I could have dared hope for.

Thank you Popcorn Taxi for a great night out.

PS The world is full of nutters and a great deal of them were there last night asking questions during the Q&A session. One guy flew up from Melbourne because he missed out on tickets there. The questions were just plain stupid and crazy and many of those people should be hospitalised for the their own safety and that of the public.