Happy Birthday to Michael C. Hall!

The Flaming Nose wishes a very Happy 39th Birthday today to one of our favorite performers, the talented Michael C. Hall. We send our greatest hopes for continued health and happiness to Mr. Hall, the star of two of our favorites series, Showtime's Dexter and his previous success HBO's incredible Six Feet Under.

Mr. Hall is seen in the above photo with his Dexter co-star and wife, the equally gifted Jennifer Carpenter. If you're as much of a MCH fan as we are, you'll want to check out the Michael C. Hall Online webpage, and this article about his recent win at the Golden Globes, including some info on his ongoing successful battle against cancer.

Happy Birthday, Michael C. Hall! You make television worth watching!

Dexter and Deb Got Married!!!

We are not usually given to gossip on the Nose. Passionate commentary and salamanders are much more our cup of tea. However this story is so delicious, I just had to give it a quick mention. Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter who play brother and sister on one of our favorite shows, "Dexter", have actually tied the knot in real life. Yes, the affection we saw between siblings within the program actually had some significant sizzle in real life. Mr. and Mrs. Hall were married in Big Sur, California on New Year's Eve.

Now THAT's going to make the next season of Dexter really interesting!

Dexter Goes a Little Crazy -- A Great Moment from Last Week's "Dexter" Episode

About Last Night -- Wherein Dexter discovers that Miguel has been playing him, but good.



With HBO's TrueBlood finished until new episodes appear next summer, we can now concentrate fully on the last three episodes of Showtime's Dexter. This season has a been a good one for our serial killer, with a bravura and chilling performance by Jimmy Smits as Dex's confidante and co-conspirator. We've learned that Smits' Miguel Prado has gone rogue, throwing off Dexter's Code to murder his professional enemy, defense lawyer Ellen Wolfe, played with great verve by Anne Ramsay. Seeing her dead at the bottom of the open grave was a grim moment, and especially so for Lt. LaGuerta who had become Ellen's close friend (and though I think they were both supposed to be straight, I felt they might have tumbled into bed at some point, or was I just reading too much into their girl talk?). LaGuerta also took it on the chin last season when her good friend and ex-partner/lover Doakes was murdered by the evil Lila. Lauren Velez as LaGuerta has been especially superb in these last few episodes.

As we've said before, we're not so wild about the whiny wedding planning obsession of Dexter's girlfriend Rita, but we were on the edge of our seat as Deborah and Quinn (Desmond Harrington) raced to save her new boyfriend/informant Anton (David Ramsey) from more torture at the hands of The Skinner. We love that Angel finally has a girlfriend, too, the tough but appealing Lt. Gianna played by Kristin Dattilo. Is she going to be too street-wise for Angel? I don't think he was too thrilled to discover that she hit it off with Masuka, sharing bizarre sex practice information with the enthusiastically pervy forensic investigator.

Considering that we're only three episodes away from the conclusion of this season, it doesn't feel like Dexter's been quite as viscerally involving or richly-plotted as the first and second years of the show, but there have been other pleasures. This season has been more domestic, more emotional, very different but still very compelling and getting more so, thanks so much to Smits' excellent work and his excellent chemistry with Michael C. Hall. Were Smits not so much fun to watch as he sinks further into his mania, with Dexter desperately trying to keep him in check, this season might have been a bit of a let-down. But it's not, not even close.

Don't miss tomorrow night's Dexter episode on Showtime!

Golden Globe Noms -- Michael C. Hall, at least...

Flaming Nose readers will be happy to hear that FN favorite Michael C. Hall, who is so amazingly good in the title role of Dexter, has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor, Drama Series. Oddly, the show wasn't nominated as Best Drama, which is a bit of a drag. Oh well...we all know what the Best Drama is already, don't we?

We will all be rooting for our favorite serial killer!

Congratulations on the nomination, Michael C. Hall! And also congrats to one of our other favorites 30 Rock which received nominations for Best Comedy, Best Actress in a Comedy for Tina Fey, and Best Actor in a Comedy for Alec Baldwin. Also to Ricky Gervais and Extras (what a sublime series that is...), which received noms for Best Comedy and Ricky G. for Best Actor in a Comedy. And another Flaming Nose favorite, Kevin Dillon for Best Supporting Actor for Entourage.

If you're interested in the entire nomination list, check out this article from Zap2It.com.

Dexter, We Hardly Knew Ye

And, as the last days of Dexter (season two) draw near, we are left to wonder....who the Hell is Dexter anyway? Our hero's Code of honor is kaput, the Feds are closing in, and Sgt. Doakes (poor thing) is still in a cage...all with one episode left to go. Oy vey.

The ambivalent Dexter is very conflicted, and that leaves us all feeling the same way. His relief at deciding to turn himself in to the feds felt very real. His decision (after a good steak and a few beers with Deb) to keep being true to his righteous serial killer self felt...well...crazy. And isn't that the kicker right there? Dexter IS crazy! It is only through the amazing acting skills of Michael C. Hall and phenomenal loopy script writing, that we have been able to accept good old Dexter, as just that cute boy next door who has an unusual hobby. For me, the hobby crossed the line into big time creepy, when he hosted Rita and the kids on his boat for a little pre-prison R and R. This was the first time the little ones (who clearly adore Dexter) were brought into his physical world. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who found the thought of them running around the deck that once held mounds of chopped body parts, not just a little stomach churning.

Oh Dexter fans...where do we go from here? The teaser for next week's final episode hints at an apocalyptic explosion in the swamp. We know that our Dexter won't be caught in the flames (spoiler haters, go take a bathroom break) as Lisa has already assured us there will be a third season. We most fervently hope that Doakes won't be caught in the flames, as Erik King's brilliantly nuanced performance has made this caged Special Agent a hugely sympathetic and engaging character. I love Angel to death, but as they said over and over again in this episode, he was warned about Lila. All bets are off for Angel's survival.

Ah yes...Lila. Here's what I think Dexter-ites, and I don't care a bit if it's trite. I'm hoping there is an eleven foot Gator out there in the Everglades who likes lean meat.

One. More. Dexter. Episode. Left. We will all need a 12 step program to get us through Dexter withdrawal until Season # 3!

The Penultimate Dexter

Okay, guys, we're getting down to the wire now, only two more Dexter episodes on tap for this season. Oh, it's going to be hard to say goodbye for a while, and even harder to fathom as we sit, ten or so hours away from watching tonight's episode, what the hell's going to happen to wrap this season up.

Everybody's in a pickle -- Dexter with Doakes and Lila and Rita and Lundy, Batista with Lila, LaGuerta with Lundy and Debra, Debra with Lundy (sort of, though they did have a good talk about things last ep), Lundy with the new guy agent Adams (I'm surmising, per the scene previews on the Showtime website).

Dexter is feeling the pressure, my friends, and though as before the speculation is rampant all over the online Dexter community, there are no perfect solutions, as Dexter is doubtlessly finding out. Kudos to Michael C. Hall for continuing to make his portrayal of our favorite serial killer the best performance on television, and shout-outs to all the cast, who have been at the top of their game. Special mention to Erik King as Sgt. Doakes, who been able to believably maneuver Doakes over the line from belligerent asshole bugging Dexter (and we all hated him for it) to contemplative captive trying to figure out how to get out of his grim predicament (and we feel for him).

Wow. Can't wait until tonight! We will be having our Dexter follow-up posting here as soon as possible after the episode. Watch Dexter on Showtime tonight, with two showing back-to-back at 9p and 10p ET/PT. (I definitely recommend watching the Dexter eps several times; they only get better!)

Dexter -- Our Weekly Love Letter

(As a courtesy to new visitors to The Flaming Nose who may have come here from the Showtime link-- and great to see you here! -- we'll list our other Dexter posts here so you don't miss them: Original Post, Jane's amazing Second Post, Third Post -- the one you've you're about to read is our Fourth -- and a new Fifth Post. Jane's latest Post, our Sixth! More coming soon! Enjoy!)

We haven't posted our weekly paean to Dexter yet -- what's wrong with us, anyway?

The show continues to amaze, and if you are following the excitement, you know that it looks as though Agent Lundy, the FBI guy, might have serious suspicions about Dexter, or at least Dexter thinks so. And of course Sgt. Doakes is convinced -- still -- that Dexter is up to something. Pictured are Dexter (Michael C. Hall) and Lt. LaGuerta (Lauren Velez), who managed to manipulate her way back into her position as division boss by essentially driving her office rival crazy jealous by secretly sleeping with her boyfriend. It was a fascinating reveal when it happened and a thoroughly reprehensible tactic, but you have to admit LaGuerta is really good at her job.

And speaking of Agent Lundy, is he requesting Dexter's forensic services because he really is disgusted with the pervy Masuka, or he is studying Dexter like a bug? It's pretty obvious now that Debra, Dexter's sister, has a crush on Lundy (and rightfully so, say Jane and I!), but is it reciprocated or is he just playing her to get more insight on her brother?

Just doing some math, Jennifer Carpenter who plays Debra was born in 1979, and Keith Carradine, who's Lundy, in 1949. Yeah, it's a thirty year difference, but such is the way of the world that it's perfectly plausible that they might hook up. (It's only kinda weird when you realize that Carradine's real-life daughter, actress Martha Plimpton, is nine years older than Carpenter.) It's hardly Lolita time, though....

So much for May-December crushes. Whether or not this one goes any further (I vote yes), on another sexual front Dexter himself has gotten entangled with his loopy Narcotics Anonymous sponsor Lila, putting his ongoing relationship with Rita on the skids. On the Showtime Dexter forums, the character of Lila is pretty much universally pegged as a bad thing for Dexter, and I guess we'll see whether she survives her liaison with our favorite serial killer.

I don't mean to make this show sound like a soap opera, which it certainly isn't. It's deeply intricate drama with fascinating characters, brilliantly executed. Watch it! Listen to it, too -- there's a soundtrack album out and on the Showtime website you can listen to it all. Here's my favorite bit from the score, the Blood theme.

To remind you again, Dexter airs on Showtime Sundays at 9pm.

Dexter's Back and It Bothers Us that We Love Him

Some drama series get you in the mood from the very first moments of the opening montage. The Sopranos was that way; Tony and his fat cigar driving through the Jersey wastelands with Alabama 3 wailing in the background. DEXTER is most certainly that way, and a more original opening sequence would be hard to imagine. While creepy, almost silly, haunted house music sets the tone, Dexter slices blood oranges, snacks on raw meat and cracks eggs into a frying pan...all in extreme close-up. It's like a food snuff film. I should be appalled, we all should be appalled. But I'm not, because I know that I'm about to experience one hell of a great hour of TV. Tonight's season premier (9-30-07, 9pm eastern on Showtime) lived (died?) up to all expectations.

When we last saw Dexter at the end of the first season, he had saved his step sister and dispatched, in the usual creative Dexter-like manner, his evil, irredeemable serial killer brother. As everyone surely knows by now, Dexter is a serial killer too, but none of his victims are innocent. In fact, Dexter, in a code enforced by his deceased adoptive cop father, only kills the worst of the worst.

But Dexter has a problem. He's trying to get back in the groove again, first with a blind voodoo murderer possessed by the Devil and then with a monstrous 6 foot 10 inch gang banger who's killed at least three people. Dexter is unable to finish the job in either case and he just can't figure out why. A curse? A conscience? What the heck is the matter with Dexter? What's worse, scuba diving treasure hunters discover the underwater graveyard where Dexter has been stashing his victims. Black plastic trash bags full of body parts, as far as the eyes can see.

I love everything about this series, and then hate myself for it. The sly humor, mixed with the darkest crimes. The Miami setting so authentic, you can practically smell the pressed pork sandwiches. The supporting cast is dynamite, and they look shiny and sweaty all the time, which is as it should be in the 110% humidity of South Florida. Best of all, there is Michael C. Hall, who is superb as the enigmatic, enormously attractive and oddly sympathetic Dexter. Pour yourself a tall Mojito, turn on the ceiling fan, and enjoy the rest of the season for one of the most fantastic crime dramas you will ever see.