Dexter's alignment (possible spoilers- discussing seasons 1&2)

[grimslade]

He makes a little nick, like a shaving cut. The amount of time he spends talking to them is varied, but it's generally apparent (to me anyway) that he's not being sadistic but rather is trying to understand what makes people like them--and him--tick.

He also dismembers them while they are alive. That is why there is so much plastic, he is not neat, he just cleans up well. If he didn't want to torture them, he would off them while they were nice and unconscious. Nope, Dexter is not just an executioner, he is a torturer as well.

He is also human, which means he is not infallible. I don't think a sociopath is the best person to decide what the burden of evidence is. The hunt for evidence is part of his ritual for now, but he is not above planting evidence to save his hide. What if he misinterprets evidence and kills an innocent man? I think it would make an interesting plot arc.

 

[Serendipity]

Lila struck me more as chaotic neutral to me - but then the genuinely insane tend to.
While I don't think Dexter would fit (easily) into a d20 style alignment system per se, if I had to call it, pro'lly Lawful (somethingsomething) - but it's that somethingsomething that makes the debate so interesting.

 

[Felon]

He also dismembers them while they are alive. That is why there is so much plastic, he is not neat, he just cleans up well. If he didn't want to torture them, he would off them while they were nice and unconscious. Nope, Dexter is not just an executioner, he is a torturer as well.

Dismembered alive? No, I'm pretty sure his preferred method is a quick, clean throat cut, with a tube to suction away the blood. He's as neat as he can reasonably be, given his time constraints. As to waking them up, I think he figures that while he has them captive, he may as well get some free therapy out of it. He certainly has no regard for their distress, but that's cold-blooded indifference, not sadism.

He is also human, which means he is not infallible. I don't think a sociopath is the best person to decide what the burden of evidence is. The hunt for evidence is part of his ritual for now, but he is not above planting evidence to save his hide. What if he misinterprets evidence and kills an innocent man? I think it would make an interesting plot arc.

Well, there is no "best person" to decide the value of a life, as it's a purely speculative matter. It would indeed be interesting to see him have to deal with mistakenly killing someone who doesn't deserve it. But it would take some pretty extraordinary circumstances, since Dexter always searches until he finds hard evidence.

 

[sckeener]

He makes a little nick, like a shaving cut. The amount of time he spends talking to them is varied, but it's generally apparent (to me anyway) that he's not being sadistic but rather is trying to understand what makes people like them--and him--tick.

I get that feeling too...it must have been a big loss for him when his dad died. His dad being the only person he could talk to about the 'feelings' he was having.

Whenever he is talking to his victims he usually is trying to understand his inner demons or expose theirs.

(I'd don't believe this but) one could say he is just trying to become a better serial killer...he asked the car sales man how he lies so easily....he asked the married couple how they stayed together (i.e. had relationships while being killers)

 

[Mort]

Dismembered alive? No, I'm pretty sure his preferred method is a quick, clean throat cut, with a tube to suction away the blood. He's as neat as he can reasonably be, given his time constraints. As to waking them up, I think he figures that while he has them captive, he may as well get some free therapy out of it. He certainly has no regard for their distress, but that's cold-blooded indifference, not sadism.

It's been a few weeks but I'm pretty sure dismembers and tortures is correct. In one of the final episodes of season 2 he has a witness to one of his "sessions." Doakes (the witness) is a seasoned soldier and has been shown to have no qualms about killing people - yet after witnessing what Dexter does (It is implied to take some time) he is shown distressed and retching on the floor (not just angry at the killing but actually disgusted and distressed). This is clearly not a quick, clean kill.

Well, there is no "best person" to decide the value of a life, as it's a purely speculative matter. It would indeed be interesting to see him have to deal with mistakenly killing someone who doesn't deserve it. But it would take some pretty extraordinary circumstances, since Dexter always searches until he finds hard evidence.

They actively duck this question in season two - it's clear that despite being a sociopathic killer they want dexter to remain likeable. Still when dealing with another killer (say the ice truck killer) he actively admires the work with no regret whatsoever (even though the victims are relatively innocent) - I'd say by D&D standards he is Neutral Evil - he just happens to be likeable.

 

[RigaMortus2]

I don't think that a personal code is enough to make a person lawful.

It is if we are using the D&D definitions of alignment.

 

[tlarham]

Dismembered alive? No, I'm pretty sure his preferred method is a quick, clean throat cut...*snip*

They shy away from it in the series with fades and camerawork as to his penchant for torture. In the novels he is most certainly tortures them -- often removing limbs while they are alive.

The best evidence that I can recall for the fact they he does torture is that when he kills the couple in season one, and his bro pulls the wife back to the surface -- she only has the one cut on her neck -- but the voiceover states that he wasn't able to do his usual work because of a time restraint. I take that as an implication that he normally does "more."

-- T.

 

[Felon]

They shy away from it in the series with fades and camerawork as to his penchant for torture. In the novels he is most certainly tortures them -- often removing limbs while they are alive.

Yes, from what I understand, the show is considerably tamer than the novels. I don't know if that's good or bad.

The best evidence that I can recall for the fact they he does torture is that when he kills the couple in season one, and his bro pulls the wife back to the surface -- she only has the one cut on her neck -- but the voiceover states that he wasn't able to do his usual work because of a time restraint. I take that as an implication that he normally does "more."

Even that requires some inference. He does typically go through some elaborate procedures, with all of the candles and victim photographs.

 

[Felon]

Check it out: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/856/856254p1.html

Darkly Gaming Dexter
Showtime's conflicted serial killer coming to a platform near you.
by Jeremy Dunham

March 3, 2008 - Tomorrow, Showtime Networks and Marc Ecko Entertainment will announce that they have partnered up to create an all-new videogame based on the popular award-winning show, Dexter. Though a specific development team has yet to be named, Ecko Entertainment has said that it will work closely with Showtime to keep the game as faithful to the television show as possible.

"Dexter is the extremely rare TV show with enough layers of action and tension to translate perfectly into a compelling videogame," said Marc Fernandez, Vice President of Marc Ecko Entertainment. "Our game designers, writers, and artists are going to give Dexter's morally complex world the kind of interactivity that gamers will love."

A favorite show among several editors at the IGN offices, and winner of our award for Best Television Show of 2007, Dexter tells the story of title character Dexter Morgan -- a blood spatter expert in the Miami police department who moonlights as a serial killer who hunts down and dispatches other murderers.

Admit it -- you're humming the theme song right now.
The series, which has also won Emmy and AFI awards, is based on author Jeff Lindsay's series of books that have seen three novels so far: Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter, and Dexter in the Dark.

Plot details, developer info (it isn't Human Head, which is working with Marc Ecko Entertainment on a separate project) and gameplay specifics are expected to appear over the next several months.

A release date and specific platforms have not yet been confirmed.

Now if only they announce that a mission involves Dexter taking down a Jack-Thompson-look-alike...or better yet, Chuck

 

[sckeener]

Check it out: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/856/856254p1.html

Dang...I might have a reason to get an xbox360. I guess it'll depend on the engine they use though.

I'm not sure they can do that game multi-player and that is all I play now. Though I guess there could be moments...such as at the police station...

and then there is the no playing it around the kids. I'm sure the game will get an M rating.