“Serial killers are everywhere!
Well, perhaps not in our neighborhood, but on our television screens,
at the movie theatres, and in rows and rows of books at our local Borders or Barnes.”
- Pat Brown.[1]
Who cannot help but be reminded of Hannibal Lecter’s culinary preferences when eyeing liver at the local butcher shop, whilst sipping a nice Chianti or preparing some fava beans? Who has not, at some stage, dragged their hand along a foggy shower curtain in imitation of the renowned murder scene within Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho? Fictional serial killers have undoubtedly become a significant part of popular culture and “the phenomenon of common knowledge.”[2] This is undeniably reflective of the enduring, widespread appeal currently held by many contemporary responders for fictional compositions that explore murderous individuals. Novels, films, television series, songs and video games are just a selection of textual forms in which composers have capitalised upon this continuing collective allure. This capitalisation has undoubtedly resulted in an extensive, and exponentially increasing, repertoire of serial killer representations within contemporary texts. But why, and in what ways, are responders so captivated by compositions which explore the notion of anindividual who, by basic definition, “murders more than three victims?”[3] How do composers effectively generate such a mass responder fascination with their constructed serial killers through their respective forms? In specifically analysing one of the most modern and indisputably popular serial killer depictions, how has award-winning director, writer and producer James Manos Jr generated such an enormous, continuing cultural fascination for his homicidal protagonist in the renowned television series, Dexter?
Action figures, posters, bobble-heads, clothing, greeting cards, calendars, drink coasters, mugs, g-strings, bumper stickers, board games, iPod applications, baby bibs and bodysuits as well as outfits for dogs. This is not only just an inventory of some of the available Dexter merchandise and memorabilia, but it is a manifestation of the substantial popularity that is behind the critically and publicly acclaimed television series. Closely based on the novels by Jeff Lindsay, the“darkly funny”[4]serial drama Dexter – directed by James Manos Jr – has accumulated an immense following of aficionados and fanatics, as well as just basic admirers, since its original air date in October 2006. This is evident in the aforementioned merchandise, the multitudes of fan sites, forums, devoted webpages and videos dedicated to Dexter on the internet as well as its record-breaking ratings[5] which show no visible end.
But what is it all about? As one of the most contemporary explorations of serial killers within fictional literature, the eponymously titled series Dexter revolves around the daily life of protagonist, Dexter Morgan - a forensics blood splatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department’s homicide division who moonlights as a vigilante serial killer of other serial murderers. Differentiating itself from the facile ‘slice and dice’ melodramas of the genre’s predecessors, Dexter presents a subjective, first person perspective depiction of a serial killer which predominantly focuses upon Dexter Morgan’s background, his opinions, his emotions as well as his relationships with others.
As one protagonist, Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta, stated, the “fascination with serial killers is an American pastime.”[6]Irrefutably, the Dexter series and its “smart, wittily self-aware homicidal”[7]protagonist are no exception to this significantly documented social observation. Evidently, the manner in which James Manos Jr has effectively created the mass, accumulative appeal and approbation for this serial drama is both conventional and idiosyncratic in nature in juxtaposition to the achievement of such intrigue, fascination and engagement by other composers who fictitiously illustrate the notion of serial murder. Through his ‘dexterous’ manipulation and utilisation of literary techniques, characterisation and thematic concerns, James Manos Jr has cemented his composition as a captivating, admirable and, ultimately, popular television series with a continuing “cult viewership.”[8]
“The more things are forbidden, the more popular they become.”
- Mark Twain.
Who can resist human nature? The proverbial cookie jar. The apple of Adam’s eye. The curiously captivating car crash. “There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.” [9]Subsequently, for modern responders, it is undoubtedly challenging not to crave and become addicted to thatliterary drug – the exploration of the taboo- which is injected into texts by contemporary composers.
This avant-garde examination of subject matter unexplored by literary predecessors – subject matter that was once considered sacrilegious, impertinent or exceedingly sensitive for discussion and therefore socially deemed forbidden – has become a defining characteristic of modern fictional compositions, especially those which explore the notion of a serial killer. It has also simultaneously become one of the fundamental attributes that has contributed to the crime fiction sub-genre’s popularity and appeal.“If people weren’t interested in serial killers…wouldn’t everybody just be watching Look Who’s Talking Now? You need variation in culture. You need to have the sickness.”[10]Thomas Harris’ Silence of the Lambs which thematically explores notions of cannibalism and transsexuality, James Wan’s Saw which delves into indirect slaughter, torture and terminal illness as well as Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho which examines prostitution, necrophilia and mutilation are just a few notable examples of serial killer literature which are publicly and critically distinguished for their exploration of the taboo.
This continuing exploration of the socially prohibited is epitomised in substantial quality and quantity within James Manos Jr’s masterpiece, Dexter, with its extensive thematic exploration of death, sex, adultery, sexual and physical abuse, suicide but most prominently – murder.
As English crime fiction composer Dorothy L Sayers famously articulated, “Death in particular seems to provide the minds of the Anglo-Saxon race with a greater fund of innocent amusement than any other single subject.” [11] Correlatively, Dexter’s contemporarily graphic and realistic exploration of serial murder - the widely considered “ultimate transgression”[12] and the most extreme manifestation of death and the taboo – on an episode-to-episode basis is an enthralling, engaging component for numerous, idiosyncratic reasons.
In a significantly censored world, where news regarding murder is presented in an objective, sanitised and minimalistic manner, it is exceedingly difficult for us to adequately understand the desire, the drive and the will of homicidal individuals to kill other humans. Subsequently, for multitudes of responders, the allure and appeal behind Dexter, and essentially other serial killer-representative fiction, is that it provides comprehensive, uninhibited and accessible information for responders to utilise in their need to comprehend these incomprehensible actions. Through Dexter Morgan’s guileless, uninhibited confessions - conveyed to the responder through Dexter’s subjective, first-person internal monologue, - James Manos Jr effectively provides responders with an intimate insight into the inner thoughts and mental mechanisms of an organised,[13] mission-orientated[14] serial killer, which reveals the methodology of his killings, his murderous motives and his own judgment of his homicidal actions. “It’s going to happen again and again. It has to happen.” [15] “I’m a killer – now that’s something I can’t control.”[16] “I just know there’s something dark in me… it’s there, always. This Dark Passenger. When he’s driving I feel alive, half-sick with the thrill of wrongness. I don’t fight it. I don’t want to. He’s all I’ve got.”[17] Specifically, through this direct and straightforward vocal exhibition of Dexter Morgan’s psyche, the responder is uncomplicatedly able to discover and comprehend that the “dark urge”[18] to murder can be an irrepressible, innate, psychosomatic entity that can dominate and manipulate an individual’s heart and mind into submission in an unsolicited, mystifying manner. To continue his representation of the psychological motives of certain serial murderers, James Manos Jr potently utilises external analepsises to establish Dexter’s personal history as a casualty of psychological trauma. Referred to by Dexter Morgan as “the same images running through my head over and over… a buried memory,”[19] James Manos Jr flashbacks repetitively to an integral moment of Dexter’s childhood in which he witnessed his mother being brutally slaughtered and decapitated by a group of men within a shipping container in which he remained trapped, howling and lying in her blood, for numerous days. Through the analepsis’ recurring nature – which stresses the dominance of this event as a principal, lingering experience that has discernibly “climbed inside”[20] him and “been with [him] ever since,”[21]- and its graphic, poignant illustration, James Manos Jr effortlessly elicits empathy within the responder for his anguished protagonist as the responder visually and emotionally enduresDexter’s distressing memory in a compelling, convincing manner. This strategic elicitation of sympathy consequentially evokes complete understanding and comprehension of Dexter’s homicidal nature as the responder humanistically questions: ‘how could anyone, including myself, not be affected by an emotional disturbance of such calibre?’
As Philip L Simpson stated, fictional compositions which delve into the notion of serial killers“influence our social dialogue as we attempt to understand and curb violent criminal behaviour… to comprehend the damage these people have done.”[22]In the subsequent juxtaposition of fictional serial murderers to reality, such as contrasting the psychological characterisation and representation of Dexter Morgan with America’s David Berkowitz[23] or John Wayne Gacy, [24] contemporary responders are also able to temporarily satiate their intrinsic curiosity and need to understand the “phenomenon of serial killing.”[25]As literary critic, Alessandra Stanley, aptly deduced, “There is also a streak of vanity to this fascination, the fantasy of being the one person who can understand and tame the dangerous beast: a Clarice Starling in Silence Of The Lambs, Timothy Treadwell in Grizzly Man, or even the scores of women who propose marriage to the likes of Ted Bundy and Richard Ramirez.”[26]
Incontrovertibly, all responders fundamentally desire to be intellectually stimulated through the expansion and development of their general knowledge. This supplement of information, “the food of the soul”[27] to which “all wish to possess,”[28] is an underlying characteristic incorporated by all proficient composers for the calculated objective to create a mentally-engaging and deeply appealing composition. As previously discussed, contemporary responders reside in a civilization where the concept of murder continues to be a conversationally sensitive, societal taboo; this has consequentially resulted in a communal deficiency of an academic acquaintance with the notion of a serial killer. Subsequently, the cumulative repertoire of the serial killer sub-category of crime fiction has become an informal encyclopedia for modern responders to utilise in their inexorable pursuit for intellectual arousal andto, simultaneously, understand the forbidden act of murder. For instance, theScream franchise taught us never to repeat the condemning phrase, ‘I’ll be right back,’[29] that running upstairs in avoidance of a serial killer is futile and fatally foolish and that when a stranger on the phone says, “I want to play a game or he dies right now,”[30] you can aptly assume you are not conversing with a telemarketer. As in the film Red Dragon, director Brett Ratner educates the responder that when dining with a cannibalistic psychiatrist, if he declines to divulge the type of meat you are consuming as he is “afraid you won’t even try it,”[31] then it is not particularly astute to deduce that you are being served traditional pork, beef or chicken.In a more comprehensive, realistic and practical manner than his crime writing antecedents, James Manos Jr continues this characteristic distribution of intriguing information throughout Dexter through his selective manipulation of dialogue.
WithinDexter, James Manos Jr postmodernistically amalgamates both a ‘criminal composition’[32] style, which focuses upon the daily life of a homicidal individual, and the police procedural sub-genre of crime fiction to provide the responder with both subjective and objective dialogue – in other words, facts and figures - relating to the conventional characteristics of a serial killer. In a significant example, the dialogue of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Special Agent Frank Lundy presents the responder with straightforward, legitimate informationon a serial killer’s raison d'être – “One doesn’t kill this many peoplein this careful, methodical way without a reason... the worst killers in history are usually the ones who think the murders were somehow just, even deserved,”[33] - and the “twisted set of principles”[34] most retain. Comparatively, Dexter Morgan articulates a more intimate, associative comprehension of the psychological profile of typical murderous individuals through both his internal and external dialogue; this communication includes that “The wilful taking of life represents the ultimate disconnect from humanity, it leaves you an outsider forever looking in,”[35] and that “If you read the books, you know psychopaths like me have a low tolerance for frustration.”[36]In a proverbial ‘keep your friends close, but your enemies closer’ situation, undoubtedly, a considerable amount of the appeal and attraction widely held for the Dexter series can be accredited to the conjured sense of protection, power, security and defensive understanding that emanates from the responder’s comprehension of this detailed vocalization of informationrelevant to their adversaries - serial killers. The actuality that this information, - trends, motives, rationale and general data,- is considerably more pragmatic, pertinent and constructive for the responder to utilise in reality than that provided by James Manos Jr’s literary predecessors further contributes to the specific success and appeal of Dexter.

“The sentiment of justice is so natural, and so universally acquired by all mankind, that it
seems to be independent of all law, all party, all religion.”
– Voltaire.
As Socrates comparatively declared, “Nothing is to be preferred before justice.” As human beings, we demand retribution. It is an innate need within us to see those who have committed unlawful and immoral deeds to be exposed and punished for their actions. ‘Ripperology,’[37] the enduring investigation, study and analysis by both amateurs and professionals of the ‘Jack the Ripper’ slaughterings,[38] is a prime illustration of this communal, perpetual need for justice and, inherently, closure. In reality, unfortunately, justice is not always neatly packaged and successfully delivered to its recipient – delays, incorrect addresses and becoming ‘lost in transit’
are just a few tribulations which can occur in the delivery, or otherwise the absence, of justice.Subsequently, with our need and desire for justice frequently ‘returned to sender,’ we are left in frustration imploring for a world where these murderous atrocities are persistently solved and where apt punishment is assigned and distributed to the perpetrator. It is therefore evident that the victorious enactment of justice within fictional literature, represented ad infinitum by composers of the crime genre, is a significantly appealing literary component for the temporary satisfaction, consolation and gratification it instills within responders.
It is hard not to become engrossed with an all-consuming sense of justice, and subsequent satisfaction, as Lieutenant David Mills unloads his gun into Seven’s unrepentant serial killer antagonist, John Doe – a man who ritualistically tortured and murdered five individuals in a sadistic, unspeakable manner in his intent to embody the seven deadly sins. Hearing homicidal protagonist Aileen Wournos being convicted and sentenced to execution, in the biographical-thriller, Monster, for the progressively more brutal murders of seven males is also an intensely fulfilling experience. It is undoubtedly that same fulfillment communally felt by millions of responders every week when a murderous individual is systematically uncovered, apprehended and sentenced for their inhumane conduct in one of the hundreds of televised serial crime dramas.
How and why then is it comprehensible at all that Dexter’s responders have such a connection with a man who finds “solace”[39]in his“blade and several rolls of plastic wrap”[40]and who has killed a minimum of forty-six people?[41] How is it possible that Dexter’s responders are alluringly pleased by hishomicidal intentions and actions? Why is it that Dexter Morgan is accurate when he states “everyone else would probably thank me… in fact, I think they’d appreciate a lot of my work”[42] as he visually romanticises people celebrating his actions with ‘I love Dexter’ signs and banners, as well as compliments and praises, at a congratulatory procession engrossed with confetti and applauds?
The answerlies in Dexter’s personal modus operandi[43] and the characterisation of his victims as homicidal, unremorseful individuals.“Television and movies have offered all manner of thrillers about serial killers stalking innocent prey, but Dexter is a crime drama in which a stalker is the hero.”[44]In the first episode of the Dexter series, the responder is immediately presented with Dexter’s ‘mode of operation’as he “hunts”[45] his “prey”[46] - church choir master, Mike Donovan - with “the stalk and ambush approach.”[47]James Manos Jr establishes Mike Donovan’s character as a serial child rapist and murderer through graphic, distressing and provoking imagery of the decaying bodies of the three young boys whom he molested, killed and buried. Through this disturbing and shocking representation of what Mike Donovan did to those innocent, youthful boys, the prospect of Mike being “packed into a few neatly wrapped heftys”[48]by Dexter Morgan becomes an unexpectedly comforting and appealing notion for the responder with the thought that “the world will be a neater, happier place… a better place”[49] without him. Although Dexter’s killings are ironic and paradoxical, he himself articulates, “Too many people are affected when an innocent person dies.”[50] As human beings, it is inherent within us to experience more distress and exasperation for the deliberate murder of a chaste, amiable and benevolent person than that of an immoral, errant criminal; simply contrasting the distinctive media and community responses to the recent deaths of Sydney nurse, Michelle Beets,[51] and convicted murderer, Carl Williams,[52] demonstrates this intrinsic, differing sense of compassion. As Dexter’s adoptive father, Harry Morgan expressed, “Killing must serve a purpose. Otherwise it’s just plain murder.”[53] Subsequently, as Dexter resolutely “do[es] what it takes to keep the innocent people of Miami safe,”[54]responders begin to moralistically classify his murderous actions as beingappealingly “excusable, justifiable and praiseworthy,”[55]rather than purely “felonious,”[56]as Dexter’s “ritualistic capture, dismemberment and classification of his victims”[57]prevents the responder experiencing excessive emotional distress.Most individuals feel little to no empathy when a murderous individual dies in any manner; instead, a sense of righteousness and moral satisfaction predominates with their knowledge that the killer has been punished for their actions, that justice has been ‘signed, sealed and delivered,’ and that their actions have ultimately concluded. Consequently, having capitalised on this humanisticemotional nature by portraying a man who, in superhero style, saves and protects the innocent by only killing murderous, malicious people such as Mike Donovan, James Manos Jr effectively generates mass appeal and satisfaction for his serial drama and his serial killer protagonist as he instills the responderwith the feeling of moral fulfillment that stems from thedelivery of retributive justice.
“Put the Bay Harbour Butcher [Dexter] on the city payroll. Give him a corner office, a company car and all the ammunition he needs. At least somebody is doing something to clean up Miami which is more than I can say for those folks down at City Hall.”[58]Responders have always had a weakness for vigilantes; Batman, V,[59] ‘Dirty’ Harry Callahan, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Angus MacGyver and The A-Team are just a few examples of distinguished, widely-recognized and popular fictional vigilantes. In a fundamental synopsis, the commendation and partiality held for these executors of extralegal punishment stems from the fact that their motivation is to benefit society and its citizens, to “rebalance an unbalanced world,”[60] by delivering criminal punishment where the legal system is inadequate or absent.Comparative to the appealing characterisation of Robin Hood, James Manos Jr’s depiction of Dexter Morgan as ‘The Dark Defender,’[61] Miami’s “own personal Batman,”[62]is undoubtedly a reason for the mass appeal of his“rich, complex”[63]protagonist. As stated within Dexter Morgan’s narration,“Most normal people enjoy a sacred pact with society: live a good life and society will take care of you. But if society drops the ball, then someone else has to pick up the slack. That’s where I come in.”[64]As expressed in aeuphemistic mannerto mitigate the confronting and unpleasant nature of his actions and to ascertain them as being acceptable and constructive, Dexter’s personal modus operandi is that he “work[s] hard to keep the city clean”[65] by “taking out the garbage.”[66]In a more specific and less figurative expression, Dexter Morgan follows a personalised code in which he capitalises upon his homicidal nature by eradicating individualswho“have committed a senseless murder…just to watch the blood flow.”[67]Dexter Morgan guarantees and quenches our universally inherent desire for justice, closure and moral satisfaction though bringing “order to the chaos”[68]with “civic pride”[69]in a personally satisfying manner.As Timothy Mason articulated, “The desire for security comes well ahead of any wish to reform or cure – and this is understandable, particularly in the light of personal histories of a number of multiple killers.”[70]Subsequently, this manifestation of justice is undoubtedly appealing for contemporary responders as it temporarily removes them from reality - from the disconcerting world of the Zodiac Killer, the Southside Slayer, the Lin Family Murderer and the Ice Box Murderer[71]- to a fabricated, idealistic civilisation in which grief, irritation and disappointment are scarcely experienced by its inhabitants.