Dogma's Demise
New Member
So I've noticed that Dexter (the fictional vigilante serial killer) has become quite popular among certain people who watch the show. People who, disillusioned with the, often inefficient, justice system almost wish a real life Dexter existed. Some have even tried to copy him in real life (although very poorly, totally n00bish even).
Now don't get me wrong, I love the show, but it does seem to me like a lot of people have missed the bigger picture here.
1. Dexter is SICK in the head and his "code" is nothing more than an excuse to carry out his homicidal urges while minimizing his chances to get caught (most of his victims are known to be criminals and few people would miss them). It has nothing to do with justice, he's simply been conditioned to go after criminals, and if you were to put him in an isolated peaceful village with no criminals, who knows what would happen given that his urges wouldn't stop.
2. It is simply false that Dexter always goes after people who evade justice. Often it's Dexter who either withholds information/evidence or deliberately sabotages an investigation, so he can carry out the "punishment" himself. Is that really justice?
3. Dexter is a 1 in a billion case. Let's consider a few things: he's trained in martial arts, he has a career in forensics etc. And despite all his precautions and professionalism, there's collateral damage and I won't give names here due to spoilers, but those who've watched the show know that several innocent people died as an indirect consequence of his "hobby". Now what do you suppose would happen if some amateur with a knife decided to take justice in his own hands. I guess somewhere down the line some witness or detective would inevitably have to die since rule #1 is "don't get caught" or maybe someone who really was innocent.
It's interesting to note that in a couple of cases where IRL Dexters claimed to have been inspired by the show, both of them severely deviated from his "code": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexter_Morgan#Connections_to_actual_crimes I really find it strange how these people claim to "identity with Dexter" when they have little in common with him. And no, I'm not blaming the show, these people are sick and would have found another excuse to kill anyway.
4. Society has rules. We tolerate one vigilante, we have to tolerate all.
This show is NOT meant to glorify vigilantism. It also shows the dark side of it, the complications that can arise from taking the law into your own hands no matter how well prepared or how "justified" you may be. Don't get me wrong, some people are so obviously scum they don't deserve to live (although again that's not why Dexter kills), but without a system it slowly sinks into chaos. And if you really really want to play Batman with a knife, don't expect the court's mercy when they catch you.
Now don't get me wrong, I love the show, but it does seem to me like a lot of people have missed the bigger picture here.
1. Dexter is SICK in the head and his "code" is nothing more than an excuse to carry out his homicidal urges while minimizing his chances to get caught (most of his victims are known to be criminals and few people would miss them). It has nothing to do with justice, he's simply been conditioned to go after criminals, and if you were to put him in an isolated peaceful village with no criminals, who knows what would happen given that his urges wouldn't stop.
2. It is simply false that Dexter always goes after people who evade justice. Often it's Dexter who either withholds information/evidence or deliberately sabotages an investigation, so he can carry out the "punishment" himself. Is that really justice?
3. Dexter is a 1 in a billion case. Let's consider a few things: he's trained in martial arts, he has a career in forensics etc. And despite all his precautions and professionalism, there's collateral damage and I won't give names here due to spoilers, but those who've watched the show know that several innocent people died as an indirect consequence of his "hobby". Now what do you suppose would happen if some amateur with a knife decided to take justice in his own hands. I guess somewhere down the line some witness or detective would inevitably have to die since rule #1 is "don't get caught" or maybe someone who really was innocent.
It's interesting to note that in a couple of cases where IRL Dexters claimed to have been inspired by the show, both of them severely deviated from his "code": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexter_Morgan#Connections_to_actual_crimes I really find it strange how these people claim to "identity with Dexter" when they have little in common with him. And no, I'm not blaming the show, these people are sick and would have found another excuse to kill anyway.
4. Society has rules. We tolerate one vigilante, we have to tolerate all.
This show is NOT meant to glorify vigilantism. It also shows the dark side of it, the complications that can arise from taking the law into your own hands no matter how well prepared or how "justified" you may be. Don't get me wrong, some people are so obviously scum they don't deserve to live (although again that's not why Dexter kills), but without a system it slowly sinks into chaos. And if you really really want to play Batman with a knife, don't expect the court's mercy when they catch you.
