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Is that footage of the horse falling from Reeve's actual accident? I always assumed video footage of that either didn't exist or else it was actively suppressed out of sensitivity.

It has nothing to do with feeling uncomfortable, there is so much more to be freaked out by this show than siblings boffing, it's just that that the salesman isn't good at selling and I'm not buying.

I assumed that was at least partly your objection. If I'm wrong, then that's on me.

I didn't have a big problem with Remember The Monsters. But it was definitely divisive. Still, the last few minutes of the episode play for me the same way as the conclusion of TDKRises, where different characters have their moment of daydreaming that Batman somehow survived the explosion. Same thing here. What I thought we were seeing in the final minutes of the finale was Hannah's wish that Dexter somehow survived the hurricane.

Obviously, that interpretation had to go straight out the window the instant New Blood was announced.

I'm very interested in your views on New Blood. There are definitely moments where the Phillips influence comes out in full force and it feels like the show's glory days. Clancy Brown is a great addition to the cast as well.

Hope you're enjoying the ride.

And so we have season seven, a cataclysmic (sorry Colors) disaster

Based on your criticisms, it seems that some elaboration is in order.

Basically, I like the Isaac Sirko aspects of season 07. He's a good villain and for once, a season's villain has a personal grudge against Dexter. Historically, that hasn't been the case on the show. Plus, the viewer is expect some sort of pitched battle between Sirko and Dexter. Instead, Dexter is forced to team up with Sirko to rescue Hannah. Considering that previous seasons usually end with the villain splayed out on Dexter's table, this subversion of expectations is pretty welcome in my book. Because ultimately, Dexter isn't the one who wipes Sirko out.

I like that precisely because of what it says about Dexter. He willingly spared Hannah (who deserved what Dexter was about to do to her) and he was unable to take Isaac out. For me, that says a lot about how much Dexter has lost his way. Turns out, Harry was kind of right when he said that personal relationships would be a distraction for Dexter. His relationships with Rita, Lumen and, ultimately, Hannah took him off his game.

Now, yes, the show never truly addresses that implicit subplot. Or at least, it doesn't entirely resolve it. But the subplot still exists. And for me, that stuff is a big reason why season 07 plays like gangbusters. Because Dexter in season 01 would've taken Sirko out pretty swiftly. But by season 07, he was more than a match for Dexter even tho he shouldn't have been.

I wont even justify the incest plot with an analysis except to say that the story began as an obvious plant late in season six trying to sell you early on the nonsense that was coming.

Apparently, that isn't the case. When I was watching the pilot episode for the first time, I even wondered about Deb. She seemed pretty affectionate toward Dexter considering their adopted sibling relationship. So, I wondered if something was going to happen there.

Jennifer Carpenter claims that she was told literally from day one that Deb was subconsciously in love with Dexter. Because of that, she knowingly incorporated that aspect of Deb's character into her performance. And... I think it adds up. I mean, yes, it's very strange. Adopted or not, they grew up together as kind of siblings. That's not an easy foundation to change.

But I can kind of see it. Deb interpreted Harry's treatment of Dexter as favoritism. It wasn't, obviously, but that's still how Deb saw it. More than anything, she wanted Harry's approval. And she never quite got it to the level that she wanted. So, I think she would be capable of clinging to Dexter as sort of the next best thing. Combine that with losing both her parents when she was barely old enough to drink, and I think it makes a lot of sense that Deb would fall for her "brother".

It also makes sense that she would lash out at first if someone ever questioned her about it. But she would mull all that over and take some time with it. And... in a horrifying moment of self-realization, yeah, she'd realize that's exactly what happened.

Frankly, I buy that subplot. I also buy that discovering Dexter's true nature would put the kibosh on those feelings forever. She would love him as a brother, of course. But anything more than that would be impossible to her.

I mean, incest subplots are very uncomfortable to watch in media. Even if they're between adopted family members. Nobody (hopefully) enjoys that. I'm just saying that I think it makes a certain amount of sense for Deb to feel that way about Dexter. And it makes perfect sense that Dexter would NEVER be able to see Deb that way.

[64%]

Nurse 3D Official Trailer #1 (2014)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEtzKmfDTU4

This barely qualifies as a recommendation. Truly a photo finish.

But I'm recommending it because it's an exploitation flick and if you like Dexter, there's a chance you'll like Abby, the protagonist/serial killer of Nurse.

The premise is that Abby spends her days nursing patients back to health and her nights hunting down philandering men. Unlike Dexter, Abby usually arranges for her victims' deaths to be ruled suicides or accidents.

Things take a turn in Abby's life when a new nurse, Danni, begins working in the hospital. From there, attraction turns into obsession turns into revenge turns into bloody revenge by the time credits roll.

The reason I barely recommend this movie is because the premise is so rich but the execution is kind of lackluster. For a supposed exploitation movie, there aren't very many bodies (either in a sexual way or in a serial killer way). The viewer is left with the impression that Abby has been actively murdering people for years, if not decades. And yet, her success rate is inconsistent. There are times when Abby is cool and calculating, knowing exactly how to get the job done. But other times, she comes off slightly amateurish.

Nurse's RT score is 64%. And in this specific case, that honestly sounds pretty much right to me. It's worth watching. But I wouldn't say it's worth prioritizing. If you want an "erotic thriller" or if you like how Dexter Morgan rolls, then there's a chance you might get a kick out of this movie. But there's also a chance you'll come away a bit disappointed.

The films ends in such a way as to not forestall the possibility of a sequel. Frankly, I can't imagine there being overwhelming consumer demand for a sequel. But if a sequel ever gets made, here's hoping the filmmakers learn from Nurse's mistakes.

Some of the issues still stand, like some characters (Doakes/Lila) feeling telegraphed (even the show notices and comments on it) and an overall feeling of contrived convenience that stretches credibility, but it doesn't effect my enjoyment nearly as much as it did and I can even say that I like both of those characters and the season very much.

I'm about to begin the second half of the series. Then, I'l move on to New Blood. I'll rejoin the conversation then. Until then how does everyone feel about the new spin offs?

Also MOD NOTE: I edited the topic title to cover all of the Dexter Series so this topic is Dexter Central.

I am rather curious about your reaction to season 07 when you get there. Without risking spoilers, I'll simply say that season 07 has quite a few interesting aspects to it which I think hold up really well. For my money, season 07 is easily the best of the second half of the original series.

That aside, my critique of Dexter (the show) is that either season 02 or 04 could've (should've?) been the show's final season. If either of those storylines had been saved for last, then I sincerely think the show would be MUCH more highly regarded than it is now.

As to your point about Dexter (the character) being evil, that's pretty true. Originally, I regarded Dexter as kind of like The Shadow. The ultimate case of fighting fire with fire. Or evil with evil. He does good by doing evil.

And while I think that interpretation is defensible, there's merit to the idea of Dexter as a sort of victim in his own right. He never asked to be made into what he is. If Harry had gotten him therapy and treatment, there's a strong possibility that Dexter could've lived a normal life. But as it stands, Dexter was first victimized in the container box and then he was victimized again by Harry, who turned him into a monster. This reading of the show presents Dexter's entire life as one big indictment of Harry Morgan. Not everyone buys into this interpretation. But it's still interesting to think about.

Either way, Dexter is a very rich character and the moral complexity of the series makes for good drama.

As to the various new shows in production... frankly, there's really no way for me to talk about Resurrection without giving spoilers from New Blood. But I've actually wanted something like Original Sin for a long time. Because I always got the idea that Dexter was virtually unstoppable in those years.

It's not clear (to me) if Dexter finished medical school or if he dropped out. But either way, he would've become active ~1992 or so. The original show picks up in 2006. That leaves ~fourteen years of Dexter essentially being literally the most dangerous and unrelenting serial killer to have ever lived. But I am a little dubious as to how dramatically interesting those years can possibly be since Dexter's life isn't said to have started going sideways (and thus dramatic/entertaining to watch) until he met Rita (circa 2005?).

Thus, my concern with Original Sin is how it might contradict the canon established (or at least implied) by the original show.

As to Resurrection, I joked with SN in some other thread about how few worthy media are ever subtitled Resurrection(s). I'm... not super hopeful about Dexter: Resurrection, frankly. I'll give it a shot. But I am not expecting gold in them thar hills.

I haven't seen another summary of the entire planned Snyderverse storyline laid out as clearly and succinctly as this. I also wasn't aware of a lot of the story details.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0maJXZ28yhI

One big takeaway is that it seems like the Snyder story grew (or was starting to grow) in the telling. It went from originally consisting of simply MOS, BVS, Suicide Squad and three JL films to eventually planned trilogies for Wonder Woman, Aquaman and probably The Atom too.

DBA trailer from D23.

https://x.com/strkcntrst/status/1822129698576691697

To revisit this subject a bit, I find it telling that the only stake any of us appear to have in DAW is Elektra's guest appearance. Hence, the apparent lack of a Deadpool thread.

Still, it seems as tho a change is in the air. Midnight's Edge keeps using the phrase "political reboot". Earlier today, the Critical Drinker put up a video about DAW where, among other things, he mentioned Chris Gore's report that Marvel Studios has quietly fired all of the activists. Presumably, this is part of a wider plan to get the MCU back on track.

Ordinarily, gossip like that isn't worth paying much attention to. The MCU Blade was rumored to be highly woke... and hasn't gotten any traction because the woke director and screenwriter were fired. Victoria Alonzo's termination was anything but quiet. It still happened tho. And the Captain America: Brave New World reshoots are becoming the stuff of legend.

All of this is to say that Gore's claim about Marvel (supposedly) cleaning house has some superficial merit to it. It sure looks like there's some fire behind all that smoke. Mind you, Gore also says that one of the catalysts behind this move of Marvel's is concern over Gunn's DCU prospects. If we're to believe the rumors, someone from Marvel is scared senseless over the warm and welcome reactions that Corenswet, Brosnahan, Fillion and others have gotten among fans. So, a grain of salt may be in order here.

Something to consider is that DAW has little or no politicking to it. And it is also a box office juggernaut. Maybe it's foolish to connect those two realities with each other. But they are there to be connected. Whatever the case, people who seem like they're smarter than me are estimating a $1.5 billion box office haul for DAW when all the dust clears. For that reason alone, analyzing DAW's success is worthwhile.

Don't have much of a point in typing all this. It's late and I'm getting punchy. But IF Hollywood is attempting to turn over a new leaf, people who have spent the last ten'ish years grinding their axes will have a choice to make. Either put the axe down or else admit that there was some other motive in their opposition.

Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers incoming.

I've got a big soft spot for this movie so Garner's appearance in the movie was right up my alley. To no surprise, Affleck was absent. Which makes sense, I suppose. I get the idea this is one of the films he regrets making. And that's before getting into the whole divorce aspect. I'd rather have this version of the character killed off than replaced with some cheap stand-in... which, as others have noted, is the case for quite a few roles.

I'm sort of curious about that too. Since it seems likely that Dania Ramirez could've freed up one day at least for close-ups of her character or something. Ditto Kelly Hu.

Anyway, the movie was enjoyable enough and I kind of liked how the cameos paid tribute to the Fox era of those characters. Maybe those films aren't perfect. But they deserve respect and I think the film does a good job of paying them that respect.

My friend said yesterday that this show is probably as tasteful as it can be in modern Hollywood. Sad but probably true.