Compare & Contrast: Original Dexter vs. Dexter: Origins

[Meredith Quill]

Compare & Contrast Here!

[Elizzikra]

Quote

But her lack of impulse control just trashed all of that.  I was really hoping the writers would allow her to go, and if there was a next season, she'd just be an occasional drop-in visitor.  For me she adds nothing but annoyance.  It's DEXTER'S story, not hers. 

I have always liked Deb and I have a lot of sympathy for teenaged Deb. I don't think we know if she knows it but she was a replacement baby for junior. Then her mom got sick and died and her father barely has time for her. On top of all that, she is a teenaged girl. No offense to teenaged girls - I was one and I mothered one - but impulse control and emotional regulation are not part of the stereotype. Despite Harry's neglect, she clearly loves him and Dexter and she does a lot to care for them as best she can.

I think she is a key part of Dexter's story and is an important character. One of the few lines I remember from OG Dexter - the pilot, I think, is Dexter saying "if I could love anyone, I would love Deb." He doesn't mean that in the sleeve way that the final season tried to make the Dexter/Deb relationship. He means it as Deb being a good and loving sister to him, albeit in her own potty mouthed sort of way. She tries to bring good things into his life (a girlfriend in this series and Rita in the OG) but it never really goes well because she doesn't know that he isn't capable of romantic love. 

[leighdear]

Deb became a police officer in 2001, at the age of 22 according to Dexter-Wiki.  I use that as a reference as I haven't committed every fact of every character to memory. A legal adult, but still incredibly immature. 

But I still can't stand her and her "enrichment" of this show is less than minimal for me.  She bores me and I'm done wasting time with her. 

I prefer to focus on his co-workers, Harry and the victims.  THEY are why I'm still watching. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 1/31/2025 at 2:08 PM, Elizzikra said:

He doesn't mean that in the sleeve way that the final season tried to make the Dexter/Deb relationship. He means it as Deb being a good and loving sister to him, albeit in her own potty mouthed sort of way. She tries to bring good things into his life (a girlfriend in this series and Rita in the OG) but it never really goes well because she doesn't know that he isn't capable of romantic love. 

It's probably a debate for another time/place, but I would say that despite his narration, through his actions Dexter showed that he actually loved Rita and was not just faking it, and there's also the argument that he did actually love in a romantic/sexual way Deb. 

I think faking romantic and sexual stuff would be fairly easy -- there are a ton of cheesy rom-coms and advice books and what not to pattern one's self after. And he has Deb to be a wingwoman. It's unclear what sort of version of "The Talk" Harry may have given. But I suspect that Harry's failings as a parent (as with many of Dexter's problems) may be at the root of things.

I think a lot of his issues stem from his fear of being found out as a monster and that if he lets himself go his partner will find the void. Once he got over that with Rita, he could love her in return.

To circle back to this series, Dexter had enough common sense/role modeling to know that given that Sofia gave him head, she considered him special, wanted her to be a boyfriend, had certain expectations of him as such, like calling her regularly, whispering sweet nothings, etc.

The show hasn't really gone into detail about whether he was purely ignorant about those things, knew about the things but just couldn't be bothered to keep them up for the prospect of more sex, was afraid of the relationship with Sofia deepening, really was only interested in Deb, or what was going on. 

 

[Elizzikra]

3 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

It's probably a debate for another time/place, but I would say that despite his narration, through his actions Dexter showed that he actually loved Rita and was not just faking it, and there's also the argument that he did actually love in a romantic/sexual way Deb. 

 

  Reveal spoiler

I think faking romantic and sexual stuff would be fairly easy -- there are a ton of cheesy rom-coms and advice books and what not to pattern one's self after. And he has Deb to be a wingwoman. It's unclear what sort of version of "The Talk" Harry may have given. But I suspect that Harry's failings as a parent (as with many of Dexter's problems) may be at the root of things.

I think a lot of his issues stem from his fear of being found out as a monster and that if he lets himself go his partner will find the void. Once he got over that with Rita, he could love her in return.

To circle back to this series, Dexter had enough common sense/role modeling to know that given that Sofia gave him head, she considered him special, wanted her to be a boyfriend, had certain expectations of him as such, like calling her regularly, whispering sweet nothings, etc.

The show hasn't really gone into detail about whether he was purely ignorant about those things, knew about the things but just couldn't be bothered to keep them up for the prospect of more sex, was afraid of the relationship with Sofia deepening, really was only interested in Deb, or what was going on. 

 

I think Dexter did love Rita and Harrison. I also think he loved Deb but never in a romantic or sexual way. I’m not sure Dexter realized he loved them or gave himself any credit for finding a way to love them but he did.

[Affogato]

I think it is hard for a normally wired person to understand a psychopath.