It may have gone out with a whimper rather than a bang, but Dexter won't be remembered for its finale. It'll be remembered for fully committing to its bonkers premise of a serial killer who channels his violent urges into only dispatching other serial killers; for a truly great ensemble cast; and for that meme of Doakes saying variations on "surprise, motherf*cker." The show, which starred Michael C. Hall in the eponymous role, actually had a good line in making the main character seem sympathetic, whilst at the same time pitting him against some truly heinous adversaries. The Following hasn't got anything on the number of depraved, nasty pieces of work Dexter Morgan wrapped in cling film, all to the delight of the legions of fans the show earned over eight seasons. But it also angered an entire city, racked up as high a body count as it did number of expletives used (it might even give Scarface a run for its money) and possibly inspired some true-life tragedies. It was undoubtedly one of the most popular shows on telly, but also the most controversial - and most mysterious. Here are twenty mind-blowing facts about Dexter.
20. Angel Was Often Played By The Actor's Son
David Zayas should have counted his lucky stars that he managed to survive through all eight seasons of Dexter. His character, the charming-if-troubled Lieutenant Angelo Juan Marcos Batista (better known as Angel), had all the hallmarks of a victim to one of the show's many killers: beloved by fans, friends with Dexter, generally a good person. He had to go, surely? It's a miracle he never got killed off. Especially when he kept insisting on calling Dexter socio, a friendly term in Spanish which means partner but in English could be taken as being the first half of the word sociopath. Apparently eight seasons in the main cast was difficult for Zayas to keep up with, and he often didn't turn up for work. Sort of. Stand-ins are standard Hollywood practice, with reverse shots, or angles where a character's face can't be seen, allowing the use of body doubles instead of the actual actors. They're also used to set up shots so the talent aren't standing around doing nothing. When he wasn't about, Zayas employed his son, David Zayas Jr, as his stand-in often because they look identical.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
