The folks over at Showtime have released a new promo for Dexter season 6 called "Thank God" which shows what the theme of this year will be. Previously we have revealed details for season 6 which outlined some of the new characters and that the villain this year will have a religious focus and this promo goes one step further to emphasise this point.
In the promo Dexter (Michael C. Hall) is walking down a church aisle in his 'kill' outfit knife in hand. Lining the aisle of the church is a vast collection of religious statues which contain some of the most iconic images of the Christian faith such as Jesus on the cross and Mary holding the baby Jesus. There are several statues that could be considered to have darker undertones, particularly the demonic looking figure which he passes when he is pondering his "dark passenger" saying "I always thought that my dark passenger was a need I had to fill." This soliloquy continues as Dexter questions his reasons for killing; in this environment he poses the question of whether this 'calling' comes from a higher power and it is this existential questioning that will be such a key theme this season as it leads Dexter to this seasons villain.
The promo is rather tongue in cheek as the promotional material for Dexter often is. Campaigns such as the baby/jam/blood images have previously played with the dark humor of the show. There is a shot that in part suggests that Dexter is a winged figure, an angel of death perhaps that quickly cuts to the real world crime scene. Dexter is out of his 'kill' outfit and in his regular day clothes, Masuka (C.S. Lee) greets him saying "Thank God you're here.' The wry look that Dexter has on his face as he goes under the crime scene tape would suggest that he doesn't actually see religion as the reason for his dark passenger, though I look forward to how this will be explored this season.
Using Leonard Cohen's version of Hallelujah is a great move for this promo. It is after all Cohen's song and even though the Jeff Buckley's version is perhaps the definitive performance of this song it has been used endlessly. The tone of Cohen's vocal suits the world of Dexter much more than Buckley's fragile falsettos and works magnificently in this promo.
This is just one interpretation of this promo and when religion is thrown in to the mix there are many different ways to see something. Will some consider this season to be even more contentious with religion as a central theme? What do you think of the promo? Are you looking forward to the return of Dexter? Let us know in the comments below.
Dexter will return in the Fall on Showtime.
Tags:
tvnews