caliarch.net

Shockingly, the most emailed article in the NY Times today.  And super interesting.

Sasha & Malia Obama are now beanie babies.  With boobs.

“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” ~General George S. Patton

Don’t forget that.

Lately I’ve become addicted.  This is, without a doubt, one of the absolute best TV series I’ve seen (read: better than Alias, Lost, & Heroes, & potentially on the same level with House & Battlestar).  Blood splatter analyst by day, meticulous, detail-obsessed serial killer by night, Dexter uses the knowledge and resources afforded him by his job to track down, torment, dismember, and dispose of murderers who manage to evade justice in Miami.  Not out of some deep-seeded desire for universal justice, but because, hey, he’s a serial killer; he needs to ritualistically take lives the way the rest of us need to eat, and the code instilled in him by his late police detective father requires that he only kill people who have taken innocent lives.  And that he doesn’t get caught.

Not sure what you look for in a series you can follow for more than a few episodes, but my criteria include…

Good acting?  Check.

Good writing?  Check.

Interesting, complex, unique premise?  Check.

Interesting, complex, unique characters?  Check.

Smart, tight, unpredictable (yet believable as TV goes) plot?  Check.

Just enough comedy to be entertaining?  Check.

I never thought I’d find myself in the position of rooting for a serial killer, but somehow you kind of feel sorry for loyal, lovable (yes, lovable) Dexter when a kill doesn’t work out or he finds himself on the horns of a moral dilemma.  There are even a few ritualistic killing scenes that are somehow downright comedic.  Adding to the drama, comedy, and tragedy are Dexter’s messed up, foul-mouthed, yet equally lovable detective sister Debra, his doe-eyed, domestic abuse survivor girlfriend Rita, and a host of quirky, yet complex and believable coworkers.

N.B. — It’s about a ritualistic serial killer; there’s a bit of blood & gore, & the occasional moderately disturbing image, but I gotta give Showtime props for hitting the sweet spot in terms of showing enough to get the point across (violence, sex, boobies, etc.) without crossing the line into gratuity.  That said, probably not a series for the squeamish.  But really, really fantastic.  If you need a new TV habit, check it out.  If not, well…I warned you.