Re: Random Thoughts about TV, Film and Media

ireactions wrote:

I desperately need to know what Slider_Quinn21 thinks of how NEW BLOOD has been undone.

So I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that I watched the first episode of RESURRECTION.  The ending to New Blood (which was fine) was undone, but they haven't retconned a ton.  Instead of dying, Dexter survives because blood loss was slowed by the snow.  Other than that, it's a fairly faithful follow-up to New Blood.

Not only that, it's a much more direct follow-up to the original Dexter than New Blood was.  In a lot of ways, Resurrection has made it so that New Blood is the equivalent of a prequel comic to a Marvel or Star Trek movie.  There's a couple of items that are relevant (but also explained in Resurrection) that you might need to know, but I think most people could jump straight to Resurrection.  It not only picks up from New Blood but picks up a plotline straight from the Dexter finale.

There are also cameos, and they've gone back to using Harry as the avatar for the Dark Passenger.

Re: Random Thoughts about TV, Film and Media

So...

How do you feel about it?

Did RESURRECTION overturn a story that you cared about or are you pleased to see your anti-hero back in business?

Was Dexter's revival plausible and acceptable or ridiculous and unbelievable?

Is RESURRECTION doing something new and worthwhile with Dexter that's relevant for 2025 or is it just getting more product on the air?

Did you like it?

Re: Random Thoughts about TV, Film and Media

My relationship with Dexter is a bit complicated.  While I might be one of only a handful of people on this Earth who didn't hate the finale, that isn't to say that I loved it.  Dexter did have a steady decline in quality after the brilliant season 4.  I do think that I have a better ending for Dexter in my mind (Dexter is captured and has a season where he's a Hannibal Lecter type advisor to his sister), but I think the story they told is a fine one.

I think New Blood was an appropriate next chapter for Dexter.  He's always wanted a normal life and stripped of all of his ties to Miami, he was able to live a fairly normal life.

What's strange about New Blood is that it doesn't do much of the things that Resurrection does.  Resurrection is a parade of returning characters and cameos to take Dexter through the journey of his life.  Resurrection forces Dexter to face the consequences of eight seasons in Miami.  New Blood, in a lot of ways, allowed Dexter to start fresh.  Resurrection doesn't really appear to let him do that.

The question with Dexter is always: "Is he a good person?"  Yes, he's a killer.  But can killing be used for good?  I don't know if New Blood really tried to answer that (or if it did, I forgot).  Resurrection comes out and says it - Dexter kills bad guys which saves good guys.  But he also involves himself with bad guys, bringing bad guys close enough to him that good people in Dexter's life are killed.  There's good and bad, and it would be almost impossible to settle Dexter's accounts to know if he's saving more people than he's getting killed.

I think I like the version of Dexter where he knows he's a bad person and he's just doing the best he can with that.  Where he acknowledges that he likes killing, and if he's going to kill, he might as well kill bad guys.  I don't really like the version of Dexter where he's some kind of victim.  He's not Batman - he's the Punisher.  The Punisher knows he's a bad guy who does good by doing bad things.  I don't know if the Punisher has ever had a sidekick or an apprentice, but I would assume he wouldn't want to raise anyone else to be like him.  Dexter has a son, but he's gone back and forth with whether or not Harrison even has a dark passenger.

I don't think Resurrection overturned anything I cared about.  If the original Dexter was the end, I would've been fine.  If New Blood was the end, I would've been fine.  I don't think we *need* Dexter stories, but the character is so compelling that I'm happy to get new stories.  I haven't had a ton of interest in the Dexter prequel because I think Michael C Hall's performance is 99% of the fun.

Is the revival plausible?  I'm not nearly educated enough on stuff like that.  Dexter was shot in the chest (I'm not even sure if where he was shot is a place you can survive), and from my memory of New Blood, the show was pretty clear that he was going to die in the wilderness.  But he was shot in the snow, and Resurrection says that the show slowed down his heart enough to keep the blood loss from being too severe.  Is that a thing that happens?  I don't know.  But it's plausible enough for this silly show in my opinion.

And yeah I did like it.  I liked that it gave us the parade of former villains.  I like that Batista is back and still looking into LaGuerta's death (one of the few deaths that paints Dexter as a truly bad guy).  And if Hall is going to keep playing this character, I'll watch.

Re: Random Thoughts about TV, Film and Media

I may have asked this before but are there any Resident Alien fans on here?  It's production style reminds me a bit of Sliders s1 & 2.  I can't say I keep up with the show. But I watched the first season (mostly) and sometimes here and there will check out later season episodes.  It's remarkable in this day and age for SyFy to have a original that is sustainable.  But it's managed to squeak by.