12 Most Epic Character Introductions In TV History

2. Dexter Morgan -€“ Dexter

Showtime

Buffy The Vampire Slayer may have played with convention, but was there was ever a show that introduced the premise and central character and then flipped it on its head better than Dexter? The opening of the pilot episode introduces two characters. Dexter Morgan, a serial killer trawling the streets of Miami, observing the nightlife and Pastor Mike Donovan, a family man and beloved figure; the man that Dexter has targeted.

Dexter's attack on Mike is vicious. Hiding in the back seat (like any good serial killer), he pulls a lead across Mike's throat and orders him to drive up to a remote cabin where graves appear to have been freshly dug. Not only is Dexter going to kill the pastor, he's going to bury him out in this remote location, miles from civilisation.

Then comes the ultimate twist. Dexter has dug up the corpses of three young boys Pastor Mike Donovan has raped and killed and Dexter has brought him here to exact justice and kill him. Everything we have been watching has flipped on its head and suddenly we are on the killer's side. Mike Donovan is evil and deserves to die. Morally it makes us question Dexter and ourselves, as did many of Dexter's best episodes. By making his first victim a child killer, we are bought into Dexter's journey and that is what made the show so successful.

Contributor
Contributor

A writer for Whatculture since May 2013, I also write for TheRichest.com and am the TV editor and writer for Thedigitalfix.com . I wrote two plays for the Greater Manchester Horror Fringe in 2013, the first an adaption of Simon Clark's 'Swallowing A Dirty Seed' and my own original sci-fi horror play 'Centurion', which had an 8/10* review from Starburst magazine! (http://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/eventsupcoming-genre-events/6960-event-review-centurion) I also wrote an episode for online comedy series Supermarket Matters in 2012. I aim to achieve my goal for writing for television (and get my novels published) but in the meantime I'll continue to write about those TV shows I love! Follow me on Twitter @BazGreenland and like my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BazGreenlandWriter