Dexter Analysis: Opening Credits

This show is so money it is redonkulous! The opening is really a unique mixing of everyday objects, shot in a startling array of colors, angles and lighting. The first scene is of a mosquito landing on Dexter’s arm, symbolizing immediately his thirst for blood. He swats it and splatters the mosquito full of blood on his arm, and watches with a morbid fascination. The title than appears as splattering blood, evoking more of this blood thirsty imagery. He then looks in the mirror, but the image is very blurry, helping to establish his skewed sense of self. He then prepares his neard, neck beard, to be shaved and then he cuts himself the blood running down his throat splattering in the sink. I believe that this is representative of his almost self inflicted sense of pain, emotional and physical. It is very self masochistic, he has hurt and cut himself due to this insatiable appetite for blood.

Slicing in to the pork chop is the next scene and it represents that preparation for the hunger about to be temporarily filled. He then rams the chop in to his mouth taking great pleasure in each large bite. You get the feeling of his relishing the fleshy texture of the pork, as he thinks of his next victim. Very raw and animalistic. The egg cracks open, similar to a human skull, and they are cooked in a searing pan, maybe representing the heat of hell, and then it is consumed with Tabasco sauce dripped on like blood with identical splattering occurring. Coffee is grinded and the close-up shot gives it such a violent feel, like a drill is being pressed in to someone’s temple. As he cuts in to a blood orange, representing both a human heart and possibly his own, juice squirts everywhere, really playing on this violent theme. As he juices the orange, I cant help but think of his own heart/feelings being drained of all their juices/emotions leaving an empty rind/shell that is Dexter. As he flosses and ties his shoes and puts on his shirt you really get a sense of how meticulous he is in preparation for the day and his killing. As he leaves his apartment he smiles and you get a feel for his sick derivation of happiness.