Flannery KuhnObservation Assignment Site Location: “Dexter”

Assignment OneSite Location: Dexter

Summary of Conventions and Rules:

The figured world that I am observing is from a television series called Dexter. I chose this because I recently started watching the series after it was recommended to me by one of my friends. It takes place in present day Miami and the main character, Dexter, is a forensic blood spatter analysis and has a secret he has to hide from the world; he is also a serial killer. The episodes I chose are from the first season. Each episode involves a crime scene and ties into the rest of the season to figure out the mystery of the season. In the first season, Dexter follows an investigation of “The Ice Truck Killer” who’s crimes involve severed bodies body is cut up into pieces but the blood (which is Dexter’s specialty and almost a fetish) is drained from the body. This catches Dexter’s attention and he takes this crime as a game someone is playing with him and he has to find out whom the killer is. Some rules and conventions for appropriate behavior would be catching the bad guys. However, to Dexter, it is acceptable to kill the bad guys that got away with their crimes and still wander the city. In a way Dexter is helping out Miami by riding it of the crime that could potentially reoccur. Before Dexter kills his victims, he confronts them about their crime and then uses a scalpel to collect a blood sample, which he does for all of his victims. Types of communication that you find in the show is the casual tone in the crime scene investigators voices when they are explaining to the other cops or scientists what happened at the scene. When they are talking about the crime scene you would expect them to be a little sympathetic yet they talk about the crimes as a “work of art” to an extent. Dexter also is blissful whenever they come across a scene with a lot of blood because it fascinates him that much. To a normal person, the sight of blood would not surface feelings of excitement or joy and that is a behavior we would find inappropriate. It is inappropriate that Dexter is a serial killer and working at a police department. As far as discourse communities go, there are groups of serial killers and then the regular civilians who do not roam the city committing crimes. There are also the forensic scientists and cops.

Note: These observations takes place in a television series on Netflix so each episode involves more than 24 hours in the actual show even though each episode is only 53 minutes long. My observation starts at the beginning of each episode which would be at 0 minutes. The times I point out are parts of the show I thought were important to the overall observation.

Description of Location: These episodes take place in Miami, Florida. In this large city, many crimes are committed. Some other locations brought up in the show are at the Metro Police Department where most of the characters meet through ought the show. Dexter’s own crime scenes are in specially prepared rooms with plastic wrap all over the walls and floor, sometimes even in the victim’s own homes. Other crime scenes take

Kuhn 1

Flannery KuhnObservation Assignment Site Location: “Dexter”place in several locations in Miami. They may be in a house, an apartment, and the middle of street at night, or in garage in someone’s backyard.

Figured World: A figured world is a community that shares the same ideas. Characters evolve throughout the figured world.

Actors: Actors are the people or characters that fill roles in their figured world.

Dexter Morgan is the main character of the show. However there is something special about him. He fakes most of his human interactions. He is a blood spatter pattern analyst and also has a sort of fetish for blood. He is also secretly a serial killer. He targets criminals that have evaded the justice system. He follows a code of ethics his adoptive father.

Debra Morgan: “Deb” is Dexter’s sister and the only person Dexter actually cares about. She is spunky and works as an undercover cop who is trying to become a detective and work with her brother. She has a foul mouth and a big heart.

Harry Morgan is Dexter’s adoptive father and Deb’s biological father. He is introduced to the viewers through flashbacks because he is not longer alive. He taught Dexter everything he knows.

Rita Bennett is Dexter’s girlfriend. They have a different kind of relationship though. She is quiet and has two kids from a previous marriage ending with her husband going to jail.

James Doakes is a detective in the show that shows conflict against Dexter. He suspects something is up with the strange man but he cannot figure it out. Something about Dexter just bothers Doakes.

Kuhn 2

Flannery KuhnObservation Assignment Site Location: “Dexter”

Paul: Paul is Rita’s abusive and manipulative husband and father of her two children Astor and Cody. After his release from prison, he tries to become a good father for his kids. Rita wants nothing to do with him and Dexter makes sure that they are always safe.

Maria LaGuerta: She is the lieutenant in command of the homicide division. She has a very sincere dislike towards Deb and is mildly attracted to Dexter.

Angel Batista: Angel is a detective in Miami Police Department and is also with the homicide division. He is a god-natured character and divorced.

Vince Masuka: He is a forensics investigator and works with Dexter in the lab and at the crime scenes. He jokes around a lot and uses plenty of innuendos. He also is somewhat crass with his attraction to Deb.

Artifacts: Artifacts can be objects or ideas that actors use in the figured world they live in. They show some importance in the actors community.

Plastic Wrap: In all of Dexter’s murders he wraps them up in plastic wrap and even covers the walls and floor with it so he leaves no trace of a mess behind. He then puts the bloody wrappings and also the cut up body parts into garbage bags to dispose of.

Animal Tranquilizer: Dexter uses animal tranquilizer to sedate the criminals he intends to kill.

Glass Slides: Dexter uses glass slides to display a small amount of blood from all of his victims. He keeps these glass slides in a wooden box inside his air conditioning vent.

Scalpel: The scalpel is used to cut the cheek of Dexter’s victim and collect a small droplet of blood to place in his collection of glass slides.

Broken Barbie Pieces: The broken Barbie pieces resemble the serial killer’s victims and how he cuts them into pieces and drains their blood.

Kuhn 3

Flannery KuhnObservation Assignment Site Location: “Dexter”

Boat: Dexter’s boat is his escape to make him feel normal. At night, he takes his boat out to a location where he dumps his victim’s bodies into the ocean where they sink to the bottom because they were weighed down with rocks.

Trash Bags: Dexter collects the remaining body pieces in large black trash bags that he dumps into the ocean in an underwater grave.

“The Code”: The code is the guidelines that Harry gave Dexter when he was young once they realized Dexter’s “special quality”. Rule 1 is to never be caught; Rule 2 is to only kill those whom he knows without a doubt are killers.

Discourse Communities: Discourse communities are groups of individuals that all share common ideals or interests found in figured worlds.

Dexter’s victims: The people in this group are all victims of Dexter. In this episode there are too. They also all have something in common and that is that fact that they have cheated the justice system.

Detectives: The people in this group are all detectives in the show. They work together to stop crimes.

Hookers: This group of individuals is seen on the streets and they end up helping with one of the investigations.

Literary Practices: Literary practices are ways in which the actors communicate to one another. It doesn’t just have to be verbal communication; it can involve artifacts or physical ways of communicating.

Face-to-Face Conversation: This is one of the main ways people in the show communicate. This type of communication is used when serious situations occur or if there is a group of people discussing.

Phones: This is also a main way of communication on the show. Phones allow the characters to get ahold of each other quicker if something important has come up.

Observation One:Monday January 27, 2014

Season 1, Episode 1 “Dexter”Time: 0 min. – 52 min.

0-5 minutes in: Dexter, stalking his victim all night, finally attacks him and threatens him. We do not know what he is about to do to him, yet he tells the victim to drive and do as he says. By this point, Dexter has made it clear that he is not messing around and harm will come to the man he has hostage. In this scene he kills the man. This is the first time we realize how serious Dexter’s murdering is.

5-10 minutes in: Dexter comes across the first crime scene and speaks with his sister, Deb about what happened. She is undercover as a hooker to catch the serial killer they have been tracking. Deb also asks Dexter for help to become a detective. The crime

Kuhn 4

Flannery KuhnObservation Assignment Site Location: “Dexter”scene, to Dexter’s surprise has no blood. What are left are pieces of dry, dead, body parts. This attracts Dexter’s inner killer and he begins to obsess over the bloodless body.

10-15 minutes in: Dexter has brought a box of donuts to the staff at the police to seem like a normal, nice man. He also brings one specifically to a woman who works in the filing room and lets him borrow files with blood spatters that fascinate Dexter. While staring at the empty donut box he says it is just like him, “empty inside”.

15-20 minutes in: Another crime scene and Dexter is giving in depth descriptions of how the killer committed the crime. He claims how the killer knew how to use a blade because the splatters were so unique and precise. We also are introduced to Dexter’s second victim.

20-25 minutes in: Rita Bennett has now come into the picture. Dexter’s says how Deb saved her life from a domestic dispute call. Dexter is fond of her children and they enjoy his company. When he is around them he acts like a normal, real man. We learn about Rita’s history and how her previous husband repeatedly abused and raped her. She is uninterested in any physical relationship, which is good for Dexter because he has no real feelings. Dexter is called to another crime scene while on his date with Rita and it is the same type of crime scene as the first one with the cut up body parts.

25-30 minutes in: Dexter does some research on his next victim and finds reason to murder him. A flashback occurs and we find out that Dexter, even as a young teenager, had urges to kill. His adoptive father, Harry, tells young Dexter that what happened to him as a child changed something in him and made him the way he is.

30-35 minutes in: Dexter and Deb are out to lunch and are speaking about crime scene, dissecting what the killer’s ways actually mean. Deb brings up transferring to homicide so she can be more involved in cases. She tells Dexter that the body parts at the crime scene were cold which puts a thought into his head that the killer has some sort of refrigerated truck in which he kills his victims.

35-40 minutes in: Dexter finds his second victim at an abandoned building and sets up his next murder. Once the victim is strapped down, Dexter does what he does best and kills the guilty man. He is interrupted from cleaning up by a phone call from a distressed Rita. She asks him to stop by later because she needs to see him.

40-45 minutes in: While waiting in traffic, Dexter spots an ice cream truck and begins to follow it in expectation it could be the murderer from the past bloodless crime scenes.

45-52 minutes in: Dexter arrives at Rita’s house the next morning to apologize for not coming over. Rita says that she does not want to lose Dexter and she cares about him. There is a bit of an awkward moment when Rita tries to seduce Dexter and he tries to slyly avoid it and is saved by the house phone ringing. Once Dexter comes home he notices a dolls head on his refrigerator. He opens his freezer and finds Barbie doll pieces cut up in the same pattern as the bloodless victims.

Kuhn 5

Flannery KuhnObservation Assignment Site Location: “Dexter”

Observation Two:Season 1, Episode 10 “Seeing Red”

Time: 0 min. – 53 mins.

Actors (NEW): Rudy: Rudy is Deb’s new boyfriend. He is an amputee doctor and worked with

one of the victims of Deb’s cases. They began dating shortly after meeting. He seems like a normal guy but is not who he seems to be. He is the ice truck killer and his style of crime is dismemberment and also draining the blood of his victims into large containers which he keeps in a refrigerated room in his apartment.

Artifacts (NEW): Blood Soaked Crime Scene: I chose this to be an artifact because it resembled

the same crime scene that Dexter was found at as a child. It too had blood everywhere and brought up memories of that day when Harry saved Dexter.

Prosthetic Hand: The prosthetic hand is a major artifact throughout the series. In the beginning of the season the team comes across a frozen hand with painted fingernails each a different color and they have no leads on what the reason behind it is. While Angel is at the club he finds a woman with the same colored fingernails and her hand is also prosthetic.

Previously on Dexter…Dexter has begun seeing a therapist after multiple visions of a small child sitting in blood and he is even covered in it. Dexter also has found out who his biological father was and that he passed a while ago. Dexter meets Deb’s new boyfriend Rudy and the viewers are reminded that he is very suspicious and may have something to do with the ice truck murders. Dexter has taken care of Paul (Rita’s husband) and managed to send him back to jail.

0-5 minutes in: Upon arriving at the office, Dexter is handed a strange jelly jar that is full of blood. A clue is shown to Dexter, it is a key from a hotel. Dexter thinks it is the ice cream truck killer playing another game with him; another piece to the puzzle. Dexter arrives at the crime scene and falls to the floor at the amount of blood that the room is covered in.

5-10 minutes in: Dexter, having issues with all the blood is reminded of the crime scene Harry found him at as a child. There are no bodies in the room but the amount of blood could be from 6 or more bodies. Samples are taken of the blood and Dexter still cannot go back into the room. They notice that the blood is not clotting.

Kuhn 6

Flannery KuhnObservation Assignment Site Location: “Dexter”10-15 minutes in: While Deb and Dexter are waiting for the elevator she tries to ask Dexter about what happened to him at the crime scene. He shuts her out and tries not to think about what happened. At Rita’s house an attorney speaks with her about her ex husband assaulting her. She explains how she tried to protect herself but it seems that he is pressing charges against her. We then see Den and her boyfriend Rudy talking about the reaction Dexter had at the scene and Rudy seems more interested in Dexter than Deb. She feels rejected and gets upset with him.

15-20 minutes in: Dexter’s past seems to be keeping him up and he can’t get the image of the little boy in the bloody room out of his head. The next morning, the forensics team dissects the bodiless crime scene and tries to come up with answers for the ice cream truck killer.

20-25 minutes in: Back at Rita’s house, her ex husband comes over to visit with the children; it is a supervised visit Dexter breaks into Rita’s ex husband’s hotel room where he is staying and tries to find evidence that could have him taken away for good, but he is constantly reminded of the little boy left alone, screaming for his dead mother. Deb and Doakes come across interesting clues that all involve the number 103. Rudy goes to Dexter’s apartment to drink beer and eat diner. Rudy talks about the fight he and Deb got into. 25-30 minutes in: At a club, fellow policeman Angelo, spots a woman with a fake hand and different colored fingernails. They were the same colors that were found on a dead body with a missing hand. Rudy leaves Dexter’s apartment and encourages Dexter that he can always talk to him.

30-35 minutes in: A sketch of the ice cream truck killer is drawn but it is no help. Meanwhile, Dexter attempts to recreate the bloodstain patterns by using power tools and Rudy has a surprise visit. Deb spots Dexter and Rudy speaking just outside the work office and she confronts Dexter about how he always manages to make her feel insignificant around people she cares about.

35-40 minutes in: Upset about Rudy showing up at Dexter’s apartment, Deb continues to share with Dexter how hurt she is that he will talk to Rudy but not her. Angelo, previously meeting with the amputee at the club, goes to Rudy’s place of work and asks him a few questions about his work. Rudy makes prosthetic body parts for people and acts suspicious when Angelo asks him if he could get him a list of all the people that would have prosthetic hands.

40-45 minutes in: During Rita’s case about her husband abusing her, Dexter is there to support her. They return to Rita’s home and she puts her children to bed while Dexter and Rita’s ex husband talk in the kitchen. He threatens Dexter about sleeping with his wife and being around. A comment is made that sets Dexter off and he lashed out and hits the ex husband on the side of the head. Dexter then carries him to his car and drives him home. He does not tell Rita what happened.

Kuhn 7

Flannery KuhnObservation Assignment Site Location: “Dexter”45-53 minutes in: We find out the next day that Paul was arrested and taken back to jail because police found him using again. As Angelo is walking to his car someone from behind stabs him and he loses a lot of blood. Rudy and Deb make up and the show ends in Dexter visiting the bloody room 103 and hallucinates about the small child again.

Observation Three:Season 1, Episode 12 “Born Free”

Time: 0 min. – 55 mins.

Artifacts (NEW): Shipyard Container: This is the same container that Dexter’s mom was killed in.

It is a dead end but still brings back the memories for Dexter. Killing Table: Dexter kills Rudy on the table that Rudy has killed his previous

victims on. In a way this is ironic because he dies where all his victims have.

Previously on Dexter… Rudy has proposed to Deb but he turns out to be the ice truck killer and his next victim is Deb. Dexter calls Deb and leaves a voicemail saying to stay away from Rudy, but she is already unconscious on his boat on her way to her own death…

0-5 minutes in: Dexter is on his way to save Deb. Rudy explains to Deb once she is awake that he will kill her. She begs him to let her live but he does not listen. Back at Dexter’s apartment, he looks for clues that would take him to wherever Rudy has kidnapped his sister. He then figures out where to go, his mother’s crime scene.

5-10 minutes in: Doakes and the Lieutenant go to Dexter’s and ask him where his sister is. They all believe that Rudy is behind the ice cream truck killer. Meanwhile, Paul calls Rita from jail and asks her to help him figure out how he got from her house one minute to his apartment the next. He believes that Dexter has set him up but Rita refuses to believe it. 10-15 minutes in: Dexter goes to the scene of his mother’s crime only to find a dead end. Doakes has followed him and the get in a tiff in the shipyard. 15-20 minutes in: An investigation team goes to Rudy’s apartment and finds evidence that Rudy had been killing the women and draining their blood from their bodies. They look for clues to find out where he went and were he took Deb. On behalf of Paul, his narcotics sponsor approaches Rita and explains that he too believes someone set up Paul. Rita does not believe him.

20-25 minutes in: Dexter figures out that he needs to go to his childhood home and has a surprise visit from Rita at work. Dexter is too preoccupied and somewhat ignores Rita. At the hospital Angelo is recovering in, Rudy’s mug shot is all over the television and Angelo has an idea to find out Rudy’s real name. Dexter arrives at his old home and remembers his childhood self, playing in the front yard with his mother and brother.

Kuhn 8

Flannery KuhnObservation Assignment Site Location: “Dexter” 25-30 minutes in: In Dexter’s memory, he is shocked to find out that Rudy is his older brother. Rudy (whose real name is Brian) shares with Dexter that he too has a secret. He too enjoys killing people. He tells Dexter that he never forgot the day they were “born” which is the day their mother was slaughtered in front of them. Back at the police department they continually search for clues that would help find the location of Deb.

30-35 minutes in: Rudy talks about what happened when they were little and at the scene of their mother’s death. He says that they took Dexter because he was younger and in shock and Rudy was put into mental institutions. Rudy is fascinated that he and his brother both have a common interest and how dark it is. Dexter is torn between the memories of him and his brother in the house they used to live in but that is not how his life is now. Rudy leads Dexter to the shed out back where Deb is plastic wrapped to the table just like one of Dexter’s victims. Dexter explains to Rudy about the code he lives by and uses to survive

35-40 minutes in: Rudy encourages Dexter to kill Deb but Dexter fights back and the police arrive before anyone is harmed. Rudy gets away and Doakes goes after him. Rudy has escaped down a hole. Deb is check on in an ambulance and breaks down into Dexter’s arms. She is in a state of shock and cannot be left alone now.

40-45 minutes in: Back at Dexter’s apartment he tucks Deb into his bed and sleeps on the couch. Rudy attempts to break into Dexter’s apartment and thinks that Deb is asleep in Dexter’s bed. He stabs what he thinks is Deb and it is only prosthetic body parts.

45-55 minutes in: Rudy wakes up from being knocked out by Dexter and he is held up in Rudy’s contraption for killing his victims. Dexter tells Rudy that they are not the same and Rudy only makes Dexter upset by telling him the Deb is not a sister to him. Unfortunately, Dexter slits Rudy’s throat and he dies. Dexter sets up the crime scene as a suicide and the forensics department believes it. The case is closed and the ice cream truck killer is caught, finally.

Throughout my observations I developed an opinion about Dexter. Because of the trauma he went through as a child he was left scarred and believed in one thing; killing people that did wrong. This is complicated to agree with because we are all taught to not hurt others and when we see Dexter on his killing sprees we don’t want to hate him for it because we become sympathetic to his lifestyle and his past. We feel sorry for the way he is and that creates conflicts with our morals.

Interview Questions:

These questions and answers are based off of my own knowledge of the show and are answered the way the character in the show would answer them.

Interview with Dexter Morgan:

Kuhn 9

Flannery KuhnObservation Assignment Site Location: “Dexter”1.Tell me about the crime scene that Harry found you at when you were a child. The scene that Harry found me at was very gruesome. I was in a room for two days covered in blood, as my dead mother’s body lay mangled on the floor next to me. The inside of the room was covered in blood and I can remember the feeling of warm, sticky liquid all over my legs. When Harry got there I was amazed that someone came for me. 2. How did you feel when Harry and his wife took you in and adopted you? I felt like someone was trying to help me. I was grateful that they were there for me. I had someone to look up to, and I felt safe with them. 3. How was your relationship with Debra while growing up? Deb and I have always been close. However, she doesn’t know about the secret I have and I hope she never finds out. Sometimes I felt like she hated having me around because Harry would spend more time with me and exclude her a little.4. Give an example of how you felt when you went hunting with your dad. I felt so free to be myself and I wish that I could have hunted more. It was so relieving to be able to do the one thing that made me happy in life. 5. Tell me about the struggle of hiding your true self from everyone. It’s difficult when everyone around you is so content with his or her life and you know that they are happy. I feel like there is an empty hole in my chest and it needs to be filled but no one can help me with it. I put on a different persona at work and cannot fully be myself. 6. How does working with the police department help you channel your inner serial killer? I love my job. It allows me to be close to blood and examine it in the most fascinating ways yet no one can tell how much it helps my case. 7. Tell me about how you felt when you came across the crime scene with the bloodless body. I was so fascinated with the scene that I just stopped and stared. I was so impressed that someone could drain the body and cut it up so cleanly. It was a game that the killer was playing with me and I wanted to figure out the puzzle.

Kuhn 10