Zombies Ruin Everything

Yeeep, so as of now, I’m done with Dexter. It’s actually the reason I don’t get into most TV series and much of this came from the headline of an article I just read. They start off strong, go in and out of the good times, then twist and turn so much that it doesn’t go anywhere and I feel like I’ve wasted a lot of time. I’m much more comfortable knowing a show is going to end rather than it be dragged out until it shows little signs of life.

“Dexter season 9 still possible” the headline read. Good Lord, give it up.

That being said, we still had a good run with much of the show and came across some pretty interesting characters and we’ll always have that. *SIGH…*

For Dexter and Deb, click on the names.

You better enjoy this one. Took me forever.

Rita Bennett- ISFJ

A pretty clear example, Rita was the victim of domestic abuse fro her previous relationship and gave the “broken bird” vibe that many fictional, as well as real, ISFJs give off. Her main goal seemed to be the introduction and maintaining of a “normal” family life with Dexter and her kids. Throughout the seasons, she went through the pleasant evolution of “wounded” to “confident.” But for an ISFJ, “confident” doesn’t mean to be loud and dominating, but to stand firm in their requests and make sure to be as resolute in getting the things they want.

She showed this, particularly in season 3 when the writer’s strike was going on, which resulted in much of the show dealing with Dexter’s relationship with Rita. After getting pregnant, Rita makes the decision to keep the baby whether Dexter wants to be a dad or not.  Rita became more and more of the supportive girlfriend to wife, up until…pow, death.

Such is the lives of those close to Dexter. Parting is such sweet sorrow or something like that. But not for Rita, who died in a bathtub thanks to the Trinity Killer.

James Doakes- ESTP

One of those characters you hated until it was too late…then we wanted him back. Doakes definitely has the “conqueror” attitude going for him, resulting in some of the funniest moments Dexter ever produced. He wasn’t shy about letting Dexter know how much he hated him, and if Dexter is ISTJ and Doakes is ESTP, the inverse of functions give the user a keen insight into the actions of their Shadow twin, which sounds much more dramatic than I meant for it to.

ESTPs are known to run their mouth with little regard for what those around them think about it.

Great at his job, but with a personal life in shambles due to his persistence at work and his hot-headed personality, Doakes begins to suspect that Dexter is more sinister than he claims and begins following him around up until the point that he actually does figure out what Dexter is. ESTPs are generally thought to be good at reading people for what they want which is why they often make good salesmen and agents. In this case, Doakes was the only one to see Dexter for what he was.

Maria LaGuerta- ENTJ

“Shaggy! Scoob! Get over here!”

An opportunist above all, Maria is introduced as a back-stabbing, attention lover. Her reputation continues throughout the series with so many of her sub-plots involve her not only lying and manipulating events around her, but using flat-out blackmail to get what she wants- usually power and authority. She’ll take the credit when someone else deserves it and just went you think you can trust her, she screws somebody over again to get what she wants.

This kind of behavior could be attributed to many types but seeing as how LaGuerta “loves the press” and being in power, it really boils her down to ENTJ and ESTJ, ENTJ being the more likely choice due to her tactics. ESTJ is more likely to deal with their enemies by blunt force until their problem/opponent is worn down. ENTJs can be a bit more sneaky, going for long-term results are more Intuitive dominated types are prone to do. Sleeping with the lieutenant’s husband to drive her into a breakdown so she can get her job back? Pretty sneaky, sis!

Harry Morgan- ENFJ

“Son- do you even lift?”

There’s a reason their Keirsey name is “The Teacher.” While throughout the seasons, Harry is usually shown as a representative of Dexter’s conscience, thoughts, and possibly even his “dark passenger,” Harry’s also been shown as having more to his story than Dexter and Debra ever thought when he was alive.

Still, even with his secrets, Harry took it upon himself to not only teach Dexter “the Code,” but to instill everyday principles as well, something ENFJs are known to do. It was clear that Harry was in over in his head though, as actually seeing what Dexter had done to a human body drove Harry to suicide over what he’d taught his adoptive son to do. Teaching their kids long-range ideas and principles are key to ENFJs and their relationship with the people around them; only dealing with the day-to-day isn’t enough for the humanity-minded Idealists.

Vince Masuka- ENTP

We all knew this was coming. While Masuka could be mistaken for an ESTP due to his habit of telling dirty jokes, going to bars and strip clubs on a regular basis, Masuka is ultimately a huge nerd. His style, humor, and even the profession of lead forensics investigator are much more that of a Rational, aka geek. Masuka also displays characteristics similar to those recently discussed in the “Ed” article,where his role is generally meant to help push the main characters along after popping in with a couple witty jokes, only to go back to their own weird world when the main characters continue on with the main plot.

In the novels, Masuka has been described as “the closest thing Dexter has to a friend” as Dexter senses that they’re both just trying to pretend that they’re normal.

Angel Batista- ESFJ

“Decktha, tell me vuth vrong.”

From problem to problem, relationship to relationship, Batista has never been shy about hiding his emotions. Extraverted Feelers are known to do that; combining their work life and their personal life, never seeing a difference between the two. While some types attempt to compartmentalize things, Batista is best friends with his co-workers, has been married to one of them, and it’s pretty hard for him to keep anything bottled up when he’s feeling strongly about anything, for better or worse.

Still, he has a strong need take care of those around him, being the guy you’d want to go to if you ever had a problem you needed to keep a secret. While Masuka helps Dexter out with work-related issues, Batista is more unintended emotional support. While he’s clearly more involved in the friendship than Dexter is, Dexter has still had to turn to Batista on more than one occasion to help see a problem through, if nothing more than to provide cover while Dexter goes off to do what he does…usually kill someone. Oh, Dex!

Joey Quinn- ESTP

AKA, “Joey Bag-uh-Donuts”

Something of a “replacement” for Doakes, Quinn shares several similar traits with him, minus much of the competence. They both employed the “any means necessary” tactic at work, as they’re shown, on multiple occasions, to do under-the-table deals or to use lethal force when it wasn’t entirely necessary.

Quinn is also apt to sleeping with just about any woman he can, becoming involved with so many partners throughout his time on the show that the only other character that rivals him in terms of the number of partners they’ve had, is Debra. Heck, they were even together for a while.

Yet Debra is generally going for a committed relationship, Quinn has been fine getting it on with whatever reporter, witness, or stripper that comes his way. ESTPs lead with Extraverted Sensing, which has them going after whatever rush suits them at the time. Their “salesman” attitude also came into play when trying to win Dexter over after Dexter witnessed Quinn pocketing some cash that belonged to the deceased victim of a crime that was being investigated.

Didn’t work, but nice try Joey.

Tom Matthews- ESTJ

There’s only room for one current ESTJ on this show, no matter how many there are in real life. Matthews as a character is like an ESTJ in reality- old, always there, in charge, a jerk but he gets things done. A good comparison to be made between him and the ENTJ LaGuerta- she’s sneaky and forceful at the same time and Matthews is just forceful.

LaGuerta and Matthews have gone back and forth about who’s in charge, when and how, but it’s clear the difference between the two- LaGuerta loves the feel of control, the constant state of authority and Matthews just likes being charge because he makes money. LaGuerta came to ask Tom questions when she began to suspect Dexter’s involvement in a homocide and he complied. He then also let Dexter know what was going on because, like a good ESTJ, he’s blunt, to the point, and says it like he sees it.

———

Season 1

Brian “Ice Truck Killer” Moser- ENTP

Dexter’s brother, his outgoing, deceptive ways could be just about anyone but it’s the flair for his killing scenes that really set him apart from other types. Leaving clues in certain crime scenes for the detectives and his little brother also lead to ENTP as their love of the dramatic.

Laying out such a convincing plan as to how to recruit Dexter as a partner in crime tends to lean toward ENTP as well in that taking on ridiculous plans just for the heck of it to see if they can complete the task is an odd undertaking they enjoy. Did Brian have to get Dexter’s attention at all? Did he have to kill prostitutes, especially in such bizarre ways to call him out? Nope. But doing things the way they’ve always been done just ain’t the ENTP’s style.

———

Season 2

Lila West- ENFP

This is a tough one. I’ve thought Introvert since the beginning but the more you look at her character, the more her upbeat (albeit twisted) nature sticks out. She goes to support groups so as to “feel emotions she is otherwise incapable of feeling” according to her wiki.

While this would promote the idea that she’s a dominant Thinker that almost doesn’t feel, a dominant Thinker in her position wouldn’t care about feelings in the first place and if anything, would have feelings creep up on them. Heck, look at Dexter.

She didn’t mind prancing around naked in front of Deb either, who I’ve also typed as ENFP. It could easily be seen as Deb seeing all the things in Lila that she would hate for people to think about her.

Lila sought out Dexter in a class full of strangers, introducing him to ideas and concepts he never would have thought of on his own. While Introverts can be dramatic, they hardly hold a candle to Extraverts, something Lila excelled in; any way she could, she was going to dig her claws into Dexter, and have what she thought to be the perfect relationship. ENFPs are known to idealize romantic partnerships to the point of acting out in a variety of ways when things fail to live up to standard. In Lila’s case, trying to kill Astor and Cody. Hehe…

Frank Lundy- INTJ

“I may be old but my memory is….is….”

Concise, intelligent, frank, and practical. The serial killer killer showed up in Miami even though retired to find the “Bay Harbor Butcher” aka Dexter. His ways and routines appeared strange to everyone around him but seeing as how his results were unquestionable, nobody argued. INTJs are often put in a similar light. Weird though they may be, nobody denies their intellect and it looked as though Dexter may actually have been caught in the second season.

At a certain point in the day, Lundy made it clear to Deb that to sit down and eat his favorite sandwich was a way of clearing the mess out of his head and thinking clearly. INTJs are also fond of sticking to a habit through and through as “Js” often do. Organization if a must for them.

A major difference in the ISTJ/INTJ thinking pattern can be seen in Dexter and Lundy. While Dexter did everything he could in his life to pretend he wasn’t a psychotic freak, Lundy made no attempt to hide his weirdness. While Lundy had no body count to conceal, he still could have kept a more orthodox persona. Alas, the INTJ weirdness can’t be hidden.

——–

Season 3

Miguel Prado- ENFP

It seems a bit redundant to type three people in one show as ENFP, but Debra being the only constant, it works. It also falls in line with Dexter’s attraction to the opposite of himself as Miguel was Dexter’s first apprentice. Miguel’s hunger for not only power, “justice”, and most of all- attention- all lead to ENFP. While a healthy ENFP isn’t out for these things, especially not power, it stands to reason that the ENFP’s love for fame and glory could easily lead them down a road of politics and pandering.

ENFP’s can also be quite dishonest if their value system is as twisted as Miguel’s was, lying to Dexter, taking violent matters into his own hands for more personal reasons rather than practical ones. While Fi doesn’t make a person more likely to kill, it would make a person less sympathetic to another’s plight if they didn’t feel they could relate. And seeing as how Miguel saw himself above everyone else, who was there to relate to?

Jorje “The Skinner” Orozco- ISTJ

It may be a stretch with The Skinner seeing as how we’re shown very little of his actual personality, but going off of the fact that he was involved in manual labor (usually a sensor’s deal) and didn’t seem to have an unnatural ticks, past killing people, it’s not too far a cry from what he could of been. Not to mention that many real-life serial killers are products of a twisted form of Si. A habit is formed, and taken to a disgusting depth.

———

Season 4

Arthur “Trinity Killer” Mitchell- ESTJ

Where’s Arthur’s fan fiction? HUH? Not good enough for your PERVERT STORIES?!

Hopping back and forth between ecstatic and enraged, Arthur showed many of the same qualities as the ESTJ Two-Face, Killing multiple people over the years, yet showing signs of repulsion and fear when having put a deer out of its misery. Strong Si can lead many to repeat the same routines and patterns over and over throughout one’s life; be it what they eat for lunch down to who and why they kill.

ESTJs often show signs of this “Hot-and-cold” mentality, almost giving off the impression that they may prefer feeling first.

But the signs of Te are all there, as their need for organization, planning, and doing overtake all else. It’s interesting that the only killer in the series to rival Dexter’s sprees is another Guardian. Specifically one that Socionics regards as having a competitive nature with the other. A loving family man one day, an insane, sadistic killer the next; ESTJs are also one of the more likely types show signs of sadism. Watch out ladies!

Lumen Pierce- INFJ

“What’s my story? Uhhh…Capricorn.”

It’s tough to say. INFJ seems the most likely choice here due to Lumen’s regular choice of listening over talking, she seems to listen well to Dexter’s instructions, and doesn’t seem to enjoy the violence but seems to see it as a necessity. But the difficult part is how we’re introduced to her character after she’s been raped by multiple men, multiple times and she really is just one giant mess of a person. Though her need to exact justice (more so than revenge) on the men that violated her seems to be a higher purpose for her than simply just her acting out of rage.

Lumen never really gave off the impression that she would’ve acted much different if she hadn’t been violated. Introspective and intuitive are things I would use to describe the character even without MBTI.

INFJs will generally dramatize things in their mind, no matter how big or small if an interest is taken in whatever the scenario may be, seeing themselves as being on a mission for the greater good, even if it’s simply talking to a friend about their bad behavior.

Jordan Chase- ENTJ

“TAKE ME! No, wait…Take THAT!…Hang on….Shazaam!”

Another difficult one, but what we do know about Chase are all things that can be traced to ENTJ- he’s loves being in charge, has minions, he’s successful and persuasive. An ENFJ may be a better motivational speaker, but an ENTJ motivational speaker is more likely to motivate their listeners with phrases like “TAKE IT!”

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Season 6

Travis “Doomsday Killer” Marshall- ESFJ

Give me your tithe…Or I’ll TAKE IT!

Scared, alone, and completely dependent on his “mentor,” Dr. Gellar, whom he’d actually killed a few years before. Unwilling to act independently, Travis uses “Dr. Gellar” as a way of justifying his kills. While this entire story is over-the-top, Travis being an ESFJ would be justified as a strong Introverted Sensor would lead him to kill based on what he’s known from the things he’s experienced, i.e., murdering based on a biblical prophecy that would allow him to believe everything he’s doing is right.

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Season 7

Hannah McKay- ISFP

Indecisive yet simultaneously in the moment, Hannah is difficult to read in that she’s lying in a good portion of the episodes you see her in. Lying about whether or not she enjoyed the killing with her former boyfriend, lying about who she’d currently tried to kill or did kill; it’s all a mystery for a while. What we do know is that Hannah is an romantic idealist and not in the sense that MBTI usually employs the term.

ISFPs are very much in the moment and it’s one of the reasons Hannah didn’t have too much of a problem killing, but past the initial indecisive phase, ISFPs can become highly committed partners, something Hannah showed signs of with her first boyfriend, with Dexter, and if only for a moment, her husband in season 8.

But being an ISFP, who are thought to be more in touch with the environment than any other type often lead them to be stereotyped as hippies. While Hannah’s choice of cut-up jean shorts and boots isn’t enough to type her, her method of killing through something as natural as poison and plants is an off-the-wall choice for most Intuitive killers in Dexter, but not a Sensor.

———

Consider this post that’s taken several hours to finish a last love letter to Dexter. I haven’t finished season 8 yet but I think I’m done. I’ve moved on to bigger and better things baby! Like Breaking Bad.

So long, Dex!

This entry was posted on 09/24/2013 at 1:02 am and is filed under MBTI Artisans, MBTI Guardians, MBTI Idealists, MBTI Rationals, MBTI Stuff with tags dexter characters, dexter mbti, enfp, entp, esfj, ESTP, intj, isfj, isfp, mbti in fiction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.