Don’t Date a Serial Killer

I’ve recently been re-watching Dexter. For those who have never seen the show, it’s about a serial killer who only kills murderers that slip through the cracks of the justice system. As the series progresses, however, he becomes less concerned with that nicety.

The reason I originally watched the show — I had read the Jeff Lindsay books that it’s based on. The titles of the books were all alliterative — Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter, etc.

I found the series (both the books and the show) strangely compelling.

There were also important “life lessons” imparted by the show.

For example: Lying to your partner never ends well.

Several relationships in the series end because one or both parties were lying to each other. In some cases, the offending party was a serial killer or other bad guy, but in many cases an otherwise decent person lied to his or her partner. The person always had a “good” reason for doing so, but the resulting betrayal of trust often tanked the relationship.

Another lesson: If you have a code, stick to it. There is a reason you chose the code. Breaking it could lead to bad consequences.

This mostly applies to later seasons of the show.

However, one lesson that we learn in the first season — don’t sleep with the person early in the relationship. Because your date could be a serial killer.

Obviously this is a reason to avoid one night stands. Also a reason not to indulge in bondage fetishes with someone you don’t completely trust. And that trust should only come after a reasonable period of time. Note: The third date is still too early, particularly if your instincts tell you he or she is hiding something.

There are other compelling lessons in the series — such as, if you’re going to try to get away with something, make sure there is no evidence. And — family is important. Loyalty to the people that matter is a key. And teenagers can be incredibly annoying.

One reason I loved the books — they are well written, with interesting characters and great word play.

One reason I watched the series the first time and now I’m rewatching — the plot lines and acting are great.

However, there were differences between the books and the show.

In the books, Dexter is much more of a ruthless killer, whereas in the series, particularly later on, he is more relatable as he forges real connections with people. The Debra in the books, on the other hand, actually has a life outside of her career.

There were other differences, but most of them seemed to be due to the medium — there are things film does better than the written word and vice versa. I do think it was good that I read the books first because I understood the motives of the characters better.

I am fighting stage IV cancer. If you can help with medical bills, I would really appreciate it. Or if you enjoy my writing and would like to buy me a cup of coffee, that’s great too. Maybe someday I can return the favor.

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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.

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From The Good Men Project on Medium

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