There were some boo's in the audience when the CBS version was mentioned -- clearly some people wanted Dexter to remain their little secret, or else they missed the occasional swearing from the original version.
Michael C. Hall was there and he entered the room to rousing applause. & Here's the big thing I learned about Hall -- he likes Hershey's Kisses! & He kept eating them during the interview (kind of odd) and hoarding all of the chocolate on the table. & Hall is definitely articulate about his character. & I'm sure he gets asked all the time about how he manages to make a serial killer likable (see his thoughtful answer in the video above). But I also sensed that Hall wanted to make it clear (mischievously, at times) that Dexter is, at core, a serial killer who "chops people up and dumps them in the ocean." & He seemed quite invested in Dexter's dark side, probably to counterbalance the focus on his character's likability.
Also on the panel were executive producer Clyde Phillips , writer Melissa Rosenberg , and actress Julie Benz , who plays Dexter's girlfriend, Rita. They talked about the addition of Jimmy Smits to the cast next season, as a Miami district attorney and Dexter's first real male friend. & I'm glad there will be a new character but, for me, the other characters are just foils for Dexter's emotional growth. & Do they make him more human? & Do they challenge his "ethical" code or further entrench him in his mission/addiction? & It's all about Dexter for me -- and Hall's nuanced performance. &
Also, Showtime hired artist Shepherd Fairey to design a poster in honor of Dexter's first appearance at Comic-Con. & I saw a bus go by sporting Fairey's Dexter on its side just yesterday.
Season 3 of Dexter starts on September 28th on Showtime.
