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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Cornucopia (talk | contribs) at 01:36, 7 February 2009 (→Plot: add some stuff, will fix later). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Hi, the following are projects of mine that are to big to just fit in my to-do list, if you're interested in joining any of the projects, feel free to do so. --Music26/11 18:49, 17 September 2008 (UTC)

Cast Member Class Main Contributor(s) Date of pass Check?
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Start no user ☒N
Naveen Andrews Start no user ☒N
Henry Ian Cusick Start Gran2 ☒N
Jeremy Davies Start no user ☒N
Emilie de Ravin GA Music2611/Cornucopia September 15, 2008 checkY
Michael Emerson Start no user ☒N
Matthew Fox Start Wiki Roxor ☒N
Jorge Garcia Start no user ☒N
Maggie Grace Start 97198 January 13, 2009 checkY
Josh Holloway Start no user ☒N
Malcolm David Kelley Stub no user ☒N
Daniel Dae Kim Start no user ☒N
Yunjin Kim Start no user ☒N
Ken Leung Start no user ☒N
Evangeline Lilly C no user ☒N
Rebecca Mader Stub no user ☒N
Elizabeth Mitchell Stub no user ☒N
Dominic Monaghan Start no user ☒N
Terry O'Quinn Start no user ☒N
Harold Perrineau Start no user ☒N
Michelle Rodriguez C no user ☒N
Kiele Sanchez Stub no user ☒N
Rodrigo Santoro Start no user ☒N
Ian Somerhalder Start no user ☒N
Cynthia Watros Start no user ☒N


"Music2611/Projects and Sandbox"

Dexter is the pilot episode of the Showtime television drama series Dexter.

Plot

Dexter Morgan, Miami Metro Police Department blood spatter analyst, has a double life. When he's not helping the Homicide division solve murders, he spends his time hunting and killing bad guys who slip through the justice system. His sister, Deborah, a vice squad officer, pulls Dexter into her world when a series of hookers are being murdered around Miami. With his help, she sees a chance to get on the good side of her boss, Lt. LaGuerta. Meanwhile, Dexter's girlfriend, Rita Bennet, a single mother of two whose abusive ex-husband is in jail, wants to take their relationship to the next level.

The pilot begins with a narration by Dexter, who explains he is going to kill that night. Dexter kidnaps Mike Donovan, a child-killer, and explains that he has standards, and could never kill a child. Dexter drugs Donovan, who wakes to find himself taped to a table. Dexter collects some of his blood and explains to Donovan how he is going to kill him. After the murder, Dexter narrates that he is not sure why he is a murderer, and talks about his adoptive parents, Harry and Doris Morgan, both of whom are dead. A flashback to Dexter as a youth shows Harry discovering that Dexter has killed several dogs. Dexter arrives at his apartment, where he stores Donovan's blood in a case containing the blood of Dexter's other victims. Dexter explains about Harry's code, who, as a Miami police officer, taught Dexter how to avoid being caught, and to only kill those who deserve it. Dexter also talks about his foster sister Debra, whom he believes is the only person to love him.

Dexter, a blood splatter expert, arrives at a crime scene, but is shocked to learn that there is no blood. At the police station, Dexter acts casually with the staff, and talks to a woman in the file room who provides him with case files. While discussing another murder with Sgt. Doakes, Dexter suggests that it was a crime of passion, rather than a bad drug deal. Dexter leaves the station and spies on Jamie Jerworski, a murderer who escaped justice on a technicality. To ensure that Jerworski is guilty, Dexter breaks into his home and finds the proof that he needs. While searching, a flashback is shown of Dexter where he explains to harry that he has a desire to kill things other than animals. In the present day, Dexter meets with his girlfriend Rita, a domestic violence victim.

Due to her violent past with her husband, she has no interest in sex and that works very well for Dexter. She has two small children who seem to love Dexter very much and it is strange watching him interact with them all, knowing he absolutely feels nothing toward any of them.

Ironically on his date, he finds himself at the edge of another, no-blood crime scene. The body, as before, carved up into smaller pieces, but not one drop of blood. This body is unique in that the killer has apparently taken the head with him.

In a longer flashback with Harry, we see that no one, not even Dexter knows what causes him to have his urge to kill. Harry understands that while they can’t stop it, they can maybe channel it, use it for good. Harry tells him to “remember this forever, you are my son, you are not alone, and you are loved.”

While discussing with Deb the crime scene from the night before, Dexter stumbles on his first solid lead about the other killer in the show. This one is using some sort of access to extreme cold to conduct his killings, which is aiding in there being no blood. Dexter seems almost in awe of the beauty and simplicity of the plan. He quickly recovers to theorize that a refrigerated truck (probably stolen) is being used for the murders.

Dexter lets Deb pitch the theory to a briefing of the Metro Miami Police about the truck, but it does not go over very well. We see some of the tension between Sgt. Doakes and Dexter in Lt LaGuerta’s office as the debate continues over whether the case Doakes is working was drug related or a crime of passion.

Meanwhile Dexter moves on to capture and restrain Jamie the valet, who admits his guilt to Dexter and also explains he has no remorse. Dexter is interrupted in his work with disposing of Jamie by a phone call by Rita who wants him to come over to visit. He calmly explains he is “finishing up a project” but he will be by later.

After completing the job, Dexter begins to drive to see her, but is confronted by a refrigerated truck which leads him to follow the truck. Coming to a dead end on a closed bridge, the truck turns back on Dexter and the driver hurls a severed head onto Dexter’s car. While discussing the details of how he came to find himself in the situation he is in, the Lt. confirms that the case of Sgt. Doakes was closed when the arrested the boyfriend. It was a crime of passion.

Dexter finally heads to Rita’s where she has apparently grown more comfortable and is interested in maybe taking their relationship to more intimate level. Dexter is anything but comfortable with the idea and is “saved by the bell” when a call comes from Rita’s son, Cody (sleeping over next door) saying he is throwing up and she has to go get him.

Arriving home, Dexter finds a chilling item on his refrigerator door. The head of a doll and it was not there before. Inside the freezer there are the parts of the doll, cut up just like the dead bodies of the women killed by the other killer. Dexter views this as an invitation, describing it like an offer to come out and play. Dexter reveals that he does, saying “Yes, I wanna play, I really, really do.”

Production

The premise of the episode followes the same storyline of Jeff Lindsay's novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter, the first in the series of novels on which the television show is based, albeit with many additional elements and altered characters.[1]

Casting

"I took a couple of weeks to consider the role, read the book as I knew the first series would be based on the book and wrap my mind around making an open-ended commitment to playing a character who thankfully is phenomenally complex and interesting. [...] It was a commitment I didn’t want to make lightly."

Michael C. Hall (Dexter) received the script for Dexter in July 2005, after just having finished the fifth and final season of HBO's Six Feet Under.[3][4] Hall was thinking of returning to theatre work, and had no intention of returning to television so quickly.[4][5] However, he changed his mind after reading the script, because he was "intrigued by the macabre mix of dark humor, chilling violence, and a unique central character".[2][4] Lindsay was initially against casting Hall, based on seeing him on Six Feet Under, but after he saw Hall speak one line of the script, Lindsay changed his mind,[6] describing Hall as "absolutely perfect" to portray Dexter.[7] To prepare for the part, Hall interviewed serial killers and read books on the pschycology of serial killers.[5] He also interviewed the head blood-spatter analist at the Miami police department.[5]

Julie Benz was given a copy of the script in 2005, and was asked to audition for the part of Rita Bennett.[8] She was surprised she was asked to audition, because the script was "one of the best pilot scripts [she] ever read".[8] She also read for the part of Debra, and joked that she would have auditioned for Dexter's role had she been able to.[9] The script was also presented to James Remar, who auditioned for the part of Henry Morgan, because it was a character he "really related to" and had waited for most of his life to play.[10] Remar said that it was "challenging to play a specter in somebody’s current existence".[10] As a former police officer, actor David Zayas was inmediately interested in the role of Sgt. Angel Batista.[11] South Korean actor C.S. Lee, who has a recurring role on the show as forensics specialist Vince Masuka, was asked for the part after Dexter producers recognized him in guest parts on Spin City, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and The Sopranos.[12] Lee accepted the part, because of the "fantastic" writing.[12]

Filming, editing and cinematography

Filming of the episode took place in Miami and Los Angeles.[13] The crew originally wanted to shoot the entire pilot in Miami,[14] but during the first two weeks of filming,[15] three hurricanes went by: Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.[16] Since further filming was to take place during the hurricane season, and it was not possible to get insurance, the crew was forced to move to elsewhere.[16][17] The state of Florida offered a $450,000 subsidy to shoot the pilot in Los Angeles, which was accepted by the Dexter crew.[18] Executive producer Sara Colleton explained that the filming crew tried to create a different version of Miami in Los Angeles, that differed from the "glossy look" Miami has in CSI: Miami and Miami Vice.[16] "Dexter" was shot in HD, cinematographer Romeo Tirone said he experienced some difficulties because HD "sees everything".[15] As oppose to Dexter's "disturbing" enviroment, Tirone tried to give Rita's enviroment a more "warmer, safer, happier place" with "a dark side to it".[15] Tirone did this by letting a lot of light come through the windows.[15] Editor Elena Maganini was contacted by episode director Michael Cuesta, after he saw her previous work with director John McNaughton, Maganini had previously worked on a serial killer movie entitled Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.[19] Veteran television editor Scott K. Wallace was hired later, on Maganini's advice.[19] Wallace and Maganini worked on the flashback sequences in the episode, which they tried to make "very dreamlike", with Dexter being identified as "the dark passenger", which was very much inspired by Lindsay's novels.[19] After the pilot was filmed, the footage filmed in Miami, was mixed with the footage of Los Angeles.[17]

Reception

The pilot premiered on October 1, 2006, when it was watched by over one million viewers, giving Showtime its highest ratings in nearly two years.[20] An edited version of the pilot episode was broadcast on CBS on February 17, 2008,[21] making Dexter the first show in 20 years to air on a broadcast network after it had been shown on a premium cable channel.[22] The episode was watched by 8.1 million viewers, finishing third in its timeslot and giving CBS its best ratings in the 10 o'clock timeslot since December.[23] Elena Maganini, the pilot's editor, won the 2007 Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series.[24]

Reviews of the pilot were generally positive.[25] David Hinckley of the New York Daily News called it "bold, different and exciting, with a central character and performance that take your breath away". Hinckley praised Hall's dynamic Emmy-worthy performance, and the "indispensable and haunting" narration.[26] Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune claimed "to deny yourself the engrossing Dexter based on its subject matter would be to miss out on one of television's most fiendishly intelligent new dramas." Ryan enjoyed the series' black comedy aspects, which she thought were "infused with the most pitch-dark irony on television".[27] Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe was impressed by Hall's grand performance, especially in his ability to made Dexter likable. Gilbert praised the set designers, comparing the crime scenes to a Vanity Fair photo spread.[28] IGN declared the show as "Best New Psycho Drama of 2006".[29] Critics reacted positively to the character of Dexter.[30] Entertainment Weekly's Josh Wolk called him "the hippest-looking killer since American Psycho's Patrick Bateman".[4] The San Francisco Chronicle's Tim Goodman described Dexter as "alluring, in a strange way",[31] while Ryan found him to be "among the more compelling characters on the small screen".[27] Gilbert described Dexter as a cross between Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling, calling him a vigilante obsessive murderer with a slippery personality, but "also a hero of sorts".[28]

However, not all reviews were as positive. Robert Abele of LA Weekly thought the pilot was average, containing "fashionable gore, occasionally witty dialogue, serviceable suspense and boilerplate police-department politics." Abele felt that the series was a superhero tale, rather than the dark comedy, police thriller and brooding drama that it was promoted to be.[32] Brian Lowry of Variety did not think that Dexter would impress critics, and noted, "antics of the deranged... aren't really all that pleasant to watch".[13] Nancy DeWolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal felt that the "grotesqueries of Dexter are not something that can easily be dismissed with the old 'you don't have to watch' line. We don't have to watch. We do have to live among the viewers who will be desensitized, or aroused, by this show."[33]

References

  1. ^ Ward, Kendra (September 29, 2008). "'Dexter' book series similar to TV". Washburn University. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  2. ^ a b Ganska, Helen (November 8, 2007). "Michael C. Hall stars in Dexter". TV Guide. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  3. ^ Sicha, Choire (September 28, 2008). "Michael C. Hall, Dexter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  4. ^ a b c d Wolk, Josh (October 6, 2006). "Blood Brother: Michael C. Hall Returns to TV in Dexter". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  5. ^ a b c Hooley, Danny (October 8, 2006). "Hall revels in a killer role". The News & Observer. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  6. ^ Deggans, Eric (September 17, 2007). "Author blooms in Dexter's wake". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  7. ^ Morrow, Fiona (June 24, 2007). "A way with all flesh". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  8. ^ a b Goldman, Eric (December 14, 2006). "IGN Interview: Dexter's Julie Benz". IGN. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  9. ^ Wieselman, Jarrett (August 19, 2008). "Julie Benz: "Dexter Broke My Heart". New York Post. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  10. ^ a b Ahlborn, Kate (November 14, 2008). "Q&A: Dexter's James Remar". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  11. ^ Ahlborn, Kate (October 31, 2008). "Q&A: Dexter's David Zayas". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  12. ^ a b Davila, Florangela (October 7, 2007). "Dexter's C.S. Lee gets to be "the naughty one"". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  13. ^ a b Lowry, Brian (September 27, 2006). "Dexter". Variety. Retrieved 2009-01-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ Valentine, Suzy (July 28, 2005). "CSI crew, Showtime film scouts find South Florida a stage". Miami Today. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  15. ^ a b c d Frazer, Bryant (October 18, 2006). "HD Cinematography on Showtime's Dexter". Studio Daily. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  16. ^ a b c Ahlborn, Kate (October 24, 2008). "Q&A: Dexter Executive Producer Sara Colleton". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  17. ^ a b Kit, Borys (March 2, 2007). "Hurricanes bad for Florida's film business". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  18. ^ Garvin, Glenn (October 2, 2006). "Mailbag: Nancy Grace, feminist icon". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  19. ^ a b c Kunkes, Michael (2007). "Serial Thrillers". Editors Guild Magazine. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  20. ^ Mitovich, Matt (October 4, 2006). "Short Cuts: Dexter Slays the Ratings, and More!". TV Guide. Retrieved 2009-01-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Staff (February 16, 2008). "Will Dexter be Killer in the Ratings for CBS?". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  22. ^ Stelter, Brian (February 20, 2008). "Dexter Gains a Wider Audience". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  23. ^ Kissell, Rick (February 18, 2008). "Knight rides back to success, Dexter kills in primetime ratings". Variety. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  24. ^ Mesger, Robin (September 8, 2007). "59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2009-01-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ "Dexter (Showtime)". Metacritic. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  26. ^ Hinckley, David (October 2006). "Dexter is dead on target. An avenger - and a serial killer". The New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-01-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ a b Ryan, Maureen (September 27, 2006). "Dexter: A serial killer drama worth checking out". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  28. ^ a b Gilbert, Matthew (September 30, 2006). "Stylishly graphic, Dexter pleases with a killer twist". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  29. ^ Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian (September 29, 2006). "The 10 Best New Fall Programs". IGN. Retrieved 2009-02-06.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ Gonzalez, Ed (October 28, 2006). "Dexter". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2009-01-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ Goodman, Tim (September 29, 2006). "Killer 'Dexter' slices and dices ethics, humor". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-01-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ Abele, Robert (October 12, 2006). "Killing Them Softly". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  33. ^ Smith, Nancy DeWolf (September 29, 2006). "The Good, the Ugly and the Bad". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
Reception
Promotion
Controversy
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