Textual Analysis

By Swetha Subramaniam

Dexter (Season 1, Episode 1)

This is an analysis on Dexter, Season 1 Episode 1.

Dexter is a television show that ran from 2006 to 2013. The main character, Dexter Morgan is

a blood splatter analyst by day, serial killer by night. Usually, Serial Killers are villains, the bad guy

that the heroes would go to all lengths to stop, face numerous challenges and when the killer is

caught, they are thrown in jail or killed and the world is safe. But in Dexter, the serial killer is,

supposedly, the good guy. Granted, calling Dexter a “good guy” will make anyone question their own

morals, but in this analysis, I will explore why a serial killer is the “good guy”.

Considering Dexter Morgan is a serial killer, he wouldn’t be called a “hero”, at least not in

conventional terms. He is an anti-hero. True, he is a serial killer but his victims are those who commit

heinous crimes and get away with it because they found a loophole in the justice system that allowed

them to walk. He has principles that don’t allow him to go after the innocent. Those principles, while

not exactly being noble, moral, or ethical were set by Harry Morgan, Dexter’s father. Harry

“redirected” Dexter’s bloodlust because he believed that Dexter’s urge to kill will just get stronger.

Harry Morgan was a Homicide Detective himself. Which means he knew the ins and outs of Murder

and, more importantly, how to get away with it. He taught Dexter everything he needed to know so

that Dexter could live with this part of himself. When Harry found out that Dexter was killing

animals, he knew it was only a matter of time before Dexter moved on to humans. So, Harry had to

find a way to “channel those urges, use them for good” (Manos Jr. & Cuesta, 2006, 30:43). And

Dexter Morgan is who he is now.

Through the episode, Dexter has an internal monologue. It’s like he’s talking to himself and

justifying his decisions. The internal monologue is given to Dexter so that the audience knows what is

going on in his mind. As I had mentioned earlier, Serial Killers are supposed to be the bad guys, but in
this show, the serial killer is an anti-hero. The audience would want to know why he does what he

does. Even murder, no matter how senseless, has a reason. Harry didn’t want his son to turn into the

kind of serial killer that he, as a homicide detective, goes after. He believed that Dexter is “a good kid

otherwise it would’ve been a lot worse than animals” (Manos Jr. & Cuesta, 2006, 30:21). So, he set a

code, some principles. Though they may not be noble or moral, they still make Dexter, sort of,

human.

If he speaks out loud, another character could hear him, and catch on to Dexter’s other life.

Dexter’s day job is with the Miami Metro Police Department. He is surrounded by cops.

Thoughts can be misinterpreted, if not expressed correctly. The creators of the show probably

didn’t want to get the kind of rating that wouldn’t allow most viewers to watch. They also wanted to

keep the graphic images, especially Dexter murdering people to a minimum so that the show could be

aired on regular TV. But they also wanted the audience to give Dexter Morgan a chance to win them

over, to show that there are many sides to him. An internal monologue was the best way to show the

evil thoughts of a good man.

An internal monologue shows what someone is thinking. Expressions can be misinterpreted.

An internal monologue would make sure that doesn’t happen. It also gives us insight on how the mind

works, the reasons for some actions, how and why some urges are controlled. I think the use of the

internal monologue is good because it also helps the audience see from Dexter’s point of view.

Dexter always had the urge to kill, even when he was a kid. This urge came from a curiosity

which stemmed from seeing his mother killed (Green, n.d). Harry recognized this, and tried to help

Dexter find his way out of it. When that didn’t happen, Harry decided to channel it. Harry may have

been Dexter’s adoptive father but he still cared for Dexter like his own and did not want to do to him

what he, as a homicide detective, did to regular serial killers. So, Harry created a “Murder Code” or

“The Code of Harry”. This helped Dexter keep a better control over his urges and made him a better

man, someone who can feel something. Normal serial killers don’t think or feel anything for anyone

but themselves so they can hide in plain sight. Harry made sure that Dexter would not be devoid of

feelings, which is why he helps his sister Debra move up in the department, and is even able to have a

child in season 4.
 The internal monologue is a way to look into the mind of a man like Dexter Morgan, someone

who helps the police solve crimes to help the families of homicide victims AND kills those people

who, he believes, deserve to die.

The internal monologue shows us that Dexter is not just an ordinary serial killer. He has, what

can be considered, a conscience. A character has to have some kind of conscience to be liked and

relatable to the audience.

Dexter Morgan can be considered a vigilante because he goes after people the law can’t. The

audience loves a vigilante because they work outside the law. Again, he is not a regular vigilante,

because he is a serial killer and exhibits the typical behaviour of one. It all depends on a person’s

point of view.

I believe this is what makes Dexter a different kind of crime show than the others that were

aired in the same time period: A serial killer who is, supposedly, a vigilante. It can be creepy,

gruesome but it also can capture the audience and make you wonder about your own dark side.
References.

Manos Jr., J. (Writer), & Cuesta, M. (Director). (2006, October 1). Dexter (Season 1, Episode 1)

[TV series episode]. In D. Bishop (Producer), Dexter. The Colleton Company; John Goldwyn

Productions.

Green S. Dexter Morgan’s Monstrous Origins. (n.d).