Oh, Dexter--
*sigh* I love Dexter, I really do. So much so that I watched the first season avidly, sometimes catching the episodes two and three times, counted time by how close we were to the DVD release, bought and devoured all three novels, bought and thrust the first two on savageseraph, and pined for the second season to just start already.
But then I found out that unlike the first season, which stuck fairly close to the first novel with few changes -- and those changes they did make were actually smart decisions that enhanced the story -- the second season was going to completely diverge from the second novel, apparently because the main plot arc in Dearly Devoted Dexter is far too violent and/or hard core for television. Disappointing news, because the second novel is fascinating (while the third is lacking and serves only to bring up some interesting concepts and questions while delivering a lackluster plot arc; it better be a bridge novel), but I was willing to give it a shot. Sadly, it seems to be suffering from Writing By Committee, where all the really edgy stuff is wiped out in service to making Dexter seem more human(!!!) and allows them to put him in ironic or amusing situations. -_-
And yeah, this is mainly a rant, but I need to put this down here because nobody I know besides my dad (who hasn't read the books) watches the series, not even savageseraph, because she doesn't get Showtime.
Seven things about Dexter that are getting up my nose this season:
1. Cody and Astor simply aren't creepy in the TV series. They aren't little budding psychopaths, which strikes me as lowering Dexter's motivation to stay with Rita, thus making his relationship with her less believable. Sure, she's a good cover, but there's no reason for him to get upset at the prospect of losing her.
2. The TV writers seem to have forgotten that Dexter doesn't feel. (At least, not until the third book and, well, there's reasons for that that go beyond, "Aww, I like my girlfriend.") While in the first season, they preserve Dexter's awkwardness around sex and sexuality, they've dropped the ball this time. Dexter's gone surprisingly willingly into intimate encounters with Rita, and he spent far too much time in tonight's episode watching an attractive woman in AA. (AA!!! WTF, people.)
3. AA! Like I said, WTF, people. All the heart-to-heart stuff was eyeroll-inducing. The therapist last season was entertaining and amusing and in service to The Dark Passenger, but if his sponsor doesn't turn out to be a fucking psychopathic killer, I'm going to throw something very hard and solid at the TV.
4. The Doakes brush off tonight was terrible, just terrible. I can't imagine that the character would be so easily fooled as to believe Dexter's main issue is that he's an addict. This is not the Doakes from the books OR last season. Bah.
5. Dexter is a neat monster. He does not leave loose ends. Which makes the overarching plotline for this season incredibly stupid. Dexter dumps all his bodies in the same place every time, and they're discovered by treasure hunters? No. Just no. As Jeff Lindsay himself has pointed out, there are plenty of ways to cleanly dispose of a body in Miami. Lindsay knows this; so does Dexter.
6. In fact, I'm especially disappointed that Dr. Danco, the Psycho Who Plays Hangman With People's Body Parts (book 2), has been replaced by Will Dexter Be Found Out? (season 2). That smacks of a lack of imagination. I might have believed it as something other than laziness if it was third or fourth season, but to play those cards this early on says that it was a decision based in committee thinking.
7. And finally, Dexter's lack of confidence is reasonable, but oh my god, he's become a terrible killer. What happened to the sense of plotting and planning? Where's the grace in his kills? What is UP with the chatty conversations with his victims and the passionate stabbity-stab at the end?
Argh. It's just... I like Dexter so much, and after such a brilliant first season, I feel like I'm watching the foundations erode because they're too wimpy to take cues from the novel, bring Lindsay on as a consultant, and/or do anything edgy. Phooey. *kicks stuff* *woe*
But then I found out that unlike the first season, which stuck fairly close to the first novel with few changes -- and those changes they did make were actually smart decisions that enhanced the story -- the second season was going to completely diverge from the second novel, apparently because the main plot arc in Dearly Devoted Dexter is far too violent and/or hard core for television. Disappointing news, because the second novel is fascinating (while the third is lacking and serves only to bring up some interesting concepts and questions while delivering a lackluster plot arc; it better be a bridge novel), but I was willing to give it a shot. Sadly, it seems to be suffering from Writing By Committee, where all the really edgy stuff is wiped out in service to making Dexter seem more human(!!!) and allows them to put him in ironic or amusing situations. -_-
And yeah, this is mainly a rant, but I need to put this down here because nobody I know besides my dad (who hasn't read the books) watches the series, not even savageseraph, because she doesn't get Showtime.
Seven things about Dexter that are getting up my nose this season:
1. Cody and Astor simply aren't creepy in the TV series. They aren't little budding psychopaths, which strikes me as lowering Dexter's motivation to stay with Rita, thus making his relationship with her less believable. Sure, she's a good cover, but there's no reason for him to get upset at the prospect of losing her.
2. The TV writers seem to have forgotten that Dexter doesn't feel. (At least, not until the third book and, well, there's reasons for that that go beyond, "Aww, I like my girlfriend.") While in the first season, they preserve Dexter's awkwardness around sex and sexuality, they've dropped the ball this time. Dexter's gone surprisingly willingly into intimate encounters with Rita, and he spent far too much time in tonight's episode watching an attractive woman in AA. (AA!!! WTF, people.)
3. AA! Like I said, WTF, people. All the heart-to-heart stuff was eyeroll-inducing. The therapist last season was entertaining and amusing and in service to The Dark Passenger, but if his sponsor doesn't turn out to be a fucking psychopathic killer, I'm going to throw something very hard and solid at the TV.
4. The Doakes brush off tonight was terrible, just terrible. I can't imagine that the character would be so easily fooled as to believe Dexter's main issue is that he's an addict. This is not the Doakes from the books OR last season. Bah.
5. Dexter is a neat monster. He does not leave loose ends. Which makes the overarching plotline for this season incredibly stupid. Dexter dumps all his bodies in the same place every time, and they're discovered by treasure hunters? No. Just no. As Jeff Lindsay himself has pointed out, there are plenty of ways to cleanly dispose of a body in Miami. Lindsay knows this; so does Dexter.
6. In fact, I'm especially disappointed that Dr. Danco, the Psycho Who Plays Hangman With People's Body Parts (book 2), has been replaced by Will Dexter Be Found Out? (season 2). That smacks of a lack of imagination. I might have believed it as something other than laziness if it was third or fourth season, but to play those cards this early on says that it was a decision based in committee thinking.
7. And finally, Dexter's lack of confidence is reasonable, but oh my god, he's become a terrible killer. What happened to the sense of plotting and planning? Where's the grace in his kills? What is UP with the chatty conversations with his victims and the passionate stabbity-stab at the end?
Argh. It's just... I like Dexter so much, and after such a brilliant first season, I feel like I'm watching the foundations erode because they're too wimpy to take cues from the novel, bring Lindsay on as a consultant, and/or do anything edgy. Phooey. *kicks stuff* *woe*