He’s Back!
Here’s some great news for fans (I am one of them.) of the Dexter TV series that aired on Showtime for eight seasons before wrapping up back in 2013. Our favorite forensic detective cum serial killer will be returning for one more season this fall. The following is a refresher for fans and an introduction to possible newcomers who can find the series streaming at various sites.
When Dexter (Michael C. Hall) was just 3 years old, some ruthless drug dealers murdered his mother with a chainsaw, and the orphan subsequently was adopted by Harry Morgan (James Remar), a member of the Miami Police Force. Unfortunately, as Dexter grew up, he began to exhibit the unmistakable signs of a sociopath, but Harry has managed to turn the boy’s lust for killing toward only the most gruesome killers who have managed to beat the judicial system and walk around free from deserved punishment.
Now we have the adult Dexter, who secures a job on the Miami Metro Police Department as a forensics expert in blood-spatter patterns. Because he’s a law enforcement officer, he is called into all of the most gruesome murder cases, and so he often is able to solve the case before the police and mete out his own brand of justice from which there is no escape. After Dexter is finished with a victim, he loads the remains onto his boat, appropriately named Slice of Life, and dumps them into the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic Ocean.
Dexter is part drama and part black comedy, and each week in addition to presenting a great murder mystery, the show also carries the fun of whether Dexter can continue to maintain his secret identity. This subplot is enhanced by the fact that Dexter’s sister, Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), is a bona fide member of the same police department Dexter serves. With her sarcasm and X-rated mouth, she’s one of the best characters in the series, and word has it that she will be returning to reprise her role.
During its eight seasons Dexter received 24 Primetime Emmy nominations, and these included four nominations for best dramatic series and five for outstanding lead actor in a drama series. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association also recognized the series with 10 Golden Globe nominations.
Despite all the critical praise, however, the series received a lot of negative press for its finale. Perhaps the new season will make up for that, and in a recent interview Hall spoke about this.
“I think in this case, the story that’s being told is worth telling in a way that other proposals didn’t, and I think enough time has passed where it’s intriguing in a way that it wasn’t before. And let’s be real. People found the way that show left things pretty unsatisfying, and there’s always been a hope that a story would emerge that would be worth telling. I include myself in the group of people that wondered, ‘What the hell happened to that guy?’ So, I’m excited to step back into it. I’ve never had that experience of playing a character this many years on.”
So, what do we know about the new season? Not much other than it picks up 10 years later, and we find Dexter living and working in a new town, and here’s what Hall has to say about his character now.
“We pick him up as if as much time has passed for him as has passed for the rest of us,” Hall explained. “It’s been wild – he’s been relocated from Miami to a tiny town in upstate New York, so the clothes are heavier, and the colors are more subdued. That helps to remind me that things have changed – or I could just look in the mirror to realize that time has passed!”
I’m really looking forward to the new season because Dexter made me do something I never dreamed I would do – cheer on a serial killer.
We Are No. 1!
Break out the bubbly! According to a recent survey conducted by the Informative Living Channel, Wheeling is the best place to live in West Virginia. You read that correctly, so let’s hear it for the Friendly City. Interestingly enough some people already are questioning the criteria (population, cost of living and schools) for judging places, and some also are critical of the video’s overall quality.
However, Olivia Litman, marketing director of the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau, in a recent interview pointed out a positive side to it: “I could see where if you go on and you watch the video and you see the responses. There are a lot of people that are a little bit upset that this video was made, and it’s really just clickbait, you know. They want people to go on, to see it, but from a marketing standpoint we love the analytics it’s going to give us over the next few weeks because I think it will help garner more attention.”
If you want to watch the video, here’s the link: You can watch the video here.
Following Wheeling for livability were Morgantown, Charleston, Fairmont, and Clarksburg, in that order.
Naysayers or not, it’s nice to see Wheeling on top in something.
It’s Not Over!
Don’t throw your masks away yet. If seeing a packed house over the weekend for both the Home Run Derby and the Major League All-Star game is any indicator, it would appear people think the pandemic is over. While it was nice to see all those baseball fans having such a good time, it’s also disturbing because more and more newscasts are reporting upticks of COVID-19 and its variant in various areas of the country. And one area in California is back to mandating that masks be worn at public places indoors. The pathetic bottom line is that some people out there, actually a lot of people out there, either haven’t been vaccinated at all or have failed to obtain the second part of their vaccination. If you are among these, do your part to help squash this virus and get the damn vaccination!
Note to Pet Owners
If your pet is nearby, give him or her or them an extra hug today and every day from now on. It won’t take you that much time, and it will let them know you love them. Just think of how much love and devotion they give to you each day while asking so little in return. In many cases your pets won’t be with you forever, and if you’ve never lost a pet, you can’t even begin to feel the sense of loss that will engulf you. Trust me and hug them while you can. Somewhere down the road you’ll really be glad you did.
Ponder This:
If you mixed vodka with orange juice and milk of magnesia, would you get a Phillip’s Screwdriver?
~George Carlin
