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So here we are, a new season, a new villain or two, and we start again from scratch, with only a new challenge to Harry’s code to meddle with the status quo. Thing is, there was a very real potential challenge to the code that, in my opinion, the show also played safe.

Dexter comes across a new type of killer for him, a reformed one. At first, Dexter doubts that Brother Sam has overcome his Dark Passenger, only to discover that the guy does seem to be on the up and up. So, he grants him a tentative reprieve, unless he should prove unworthy. What a wasted opportunity! Here’s what seems to be a loophole in the code. A man, an admitted killer, free on a technicality. He’s reformed, yes, but still guilty as can be. What if Dexter had gone ahead anyway? The ethical implications are fascinating.

No, instead Dexter, both show and character, play it safe and let Sam live. As a viewer, I’m more likely to think Sam deserves to live. But then, I’m not a serial killer. Dexter walks the fine line because of Harry’s conditioning, but in Sam’s case, the line grows blurry. How much does Dexter really care if his victims are guilty? A Dexter who kills Sam would be playing by the letter of the code, if not the intent. Respecting the intent softens him, makes him less of the monster he claims to be. The result is that he becomes even more palatable to the viewer.

What I liked in the first couple of seasons is that, despite the code, there was always the moral quandary hanging over the proceedings. As the show ages and becomes safer, Dexter becomes more and more loveable. We should identify with Dexter despite ourselves. I used to feel a little dirty when I saw a Dexter kill scene. Now, they’ve lost that double edge.

Of course, the inevitable desensitization will set in over time, but Brother Sam represents a possibility of sharpening the edge, making the ethics grow fuzzier, and the show takes the path of least resistance.

Look, we’re watching a program about a serial killer. Yes, he’s charming, yes, he kills baddies, but he’s still a killer. We should feel the weight of rooting him on. Yet as the seasons pile up, Dexter becomes cuddlier, safer. That’s it, that’s the word; safe. No show about a serial killer should be safe. We’re traveling in dark waters whenever we take on such subject matter. So let’s do away with the life preserver.

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