Dark Passenger

I've been working my way through back issues of Dexter, a crime series from the US. It's been going a while and initially I didn't think it was my kind of show. But with time on my hands, no-one around to share it with and wanting to take my mind of the world I thought I'd give it a try. Whether filling that hole with a subversive and gory experience like Dexter was wise is another question.

I've reached the end of Season 3 and I have slightly mixed feelings about it. It's absolutely brilliant but also incredibly dark when you sit down and think about what's going on. Is it worrying that I identify with Dexter Morgan, a serial killer, or is it just good writing? I even felt weirdly sinister as I took my binbags out today having seen Dexter using them to dispose of his victims.

The writing is very, very clever. I really liked the exploration of addiction in season 2, surpassed by some great episodes in season 3. To watch Dexter use the words of an obsessive, deranged murderer, describing her 'love' for her victim, to propose to his girlfriend was quite something. It might be a cliche to suggest it, but Dexter does serve as an effective metaphor for the dark passenger in all of us and the writing so far has been more than up to the task of exploring that in fascinating ways. The acting is great, the humour works well. I'm very impressed, but the intellectual subtlety of the thing is worrying.