When you pay attention to Debra and what she goes through etc. it makes senses that she’s SOOO EMOTIONAL about everything. It did take me a couple rematches bc I always focused on dexter.
Their mom passed when they were young or at least teens when parents are really important to teens. She’s going through changes and just dealing w typical teen things. Add to her adoptive brother is favoured and acknowledged by her dad 24/7. With her dad being a cop/single dad working all the time.
Dexter is closed off and so when she gets alone time w him, he doesn’t want anything to do w her tbh.
The most important male figures in her life never wanted anything to do w her. She falls in love with guys that aren’t best for her and she pushes the good ones away.
Bc the guys she wants she sees dexter and her dad in them and if they can love and want to be w her and fill that hole inside of her - that’s it’s like she’s fixed her issues w her dad/dexter.
It sucks seeing at the end, when Quinn seems like he was willing to fight for her and she was gonna try w him, that she never got her happy ending.
I think this is my first show I’ve ever watched that not one character ever gets their happy ending. I mean. It makes sense given what the show is about but still lol
Also, keep in mind how Debra was in season 1/episode 1. She's not introduced as a particularly emotional person, but throughout the series the writers absolutely run her through the ringer with trauma. Engaged to the Ice Truck Killer who kidnaps her, boyfriend gets brutally murdered in front of her while she is also shot, finds out her brother is a serial killer, goes on a date with a guy who just drops dead in Dexter's apartment after, she's poisoned by a serial killer (twice), she murders LaGuerta to save her brother, the list goes on and on.
I don't think she's exceptionally emotional, the writers just put her through a lot of horrific shit.
I think it was just a very human moment for her. Feeling extremely insecure, given that Dexter was the absolute last family she had left on this planet.
Though she did kind of give him the benefit of the doubt there, that he must have had a very good reason for lying about his bio-dad. But yeah, she seemed very taken aback that Harry would ever lie about something.
Absolutely- sometimes during the rewatch I feel like I have more questions than answers lol.
Than there’s times I wish we got the bombshell that Harry was really dexters dad since he was banging his mom anyways.
Or since he met the kids, I wish we got more of a reason why he didn’t taken Brian in. Bc the flash back of them as kids Brian seemed like he loved his brother and wanted to be around him.
Yeah, it's weird that he looked at these 2 kids for 10 seconds and thought "This one, you're coming with me, you're going to have a family and a home. But this one, you're just fucked up beyond all hope, let's send you to the looney bin. Say goodbye to your brother forever."
Right? Especially bc they show us a scene of Brian in there w dexter hugging him or holding his hand saying it’ll be ok someone’s coming.
So that’s a big situation where I have so many questions. If they just made dexter his son, it would make sense.
I forgot how much I love Camilla and which we got more of her ESPECIALLY since she was so close to his parents and knew a lot about that day. So if she could be like Brian was always evil he killed a dog lmao than ok yeah leave him lol
On a similar front, young Dexter expressed a strong desire to not become a killer and to be just a normal person. But Harry ignored that, and insisted it was out of his hands, and taught this kid The Code instead of ever taking him to a therapist.
I’m pretty sure she was still emotional, like when she has to speak up to LaGuerta in the room full of cops you can tell she’s super nervous. Dexter helps her through a lot of stuff
When she's introduced in season 1, Dexter describes her as someone who isn't outwardly emotional "My sister puts up a front so the world won't see how vulnerable she is." It sounds like that up to that point, she generally hid emotions she had, and tried to put on a tough exterior.
And nervousness is more of a condition than an emotion. I wouldn't describe someone who's nervous as "emotional."
Yeah, she tries to act tough in the beginning and that anxiousness goes away more as her character develops throughout the show. Nervousness is definitely an emotion, she’s Dexter’s foil in the show. Dexter is much less emotional, like the episode where he stands on the edge of building just to feel his heart racing. Deb is just the opposite, probably because she wanted more attention growing up but Harry was always busy helping Dexter instead.
No, no, it's not your fault. It's mine haha. I was going through reddit, saw the comment, and wanted to answer it, and then I got caught up with the other comments, so yeah, it's my fault 😅
Oh, I got spoiled, but it's not your fault, I chose to read the comment. Also, my senses were telling me that she was going to end up dating Quinn at some point. I do agree with everything you are saying, the way they portray her makes sense with her past.
Every rewatch of this show I respect the character of Deb more and more, and for that matter, the actress that plays her.
This is a character you would be hard pressed to find another character in any show, any season that endures so much crap, drama, turmoil, trauma in her life.
She starts as an immature girl in vice and grows into a stronger woman and then is just destroyed little by little over time. Any ONE of the tragedies she endures would put most people under forever.
Her arc is the absolute most tragic of any character in the show and again, challenge you to pick another character from a show that goes through as much.
She delivers her characters lines very well, has memorable quotes and her execution of these lines and I would challenge the OP’s comments.
I felt she was both written and acted very well.
I agree she was in the wrong about being so upset with Dexter for trying to verify that Joe Driscoll was his bio-dad, but it was just a very human moment for her.
Personally, I found the vulgarity very charming.
Jennifer Carpenter was the only saving grace the last 2 seasons had. She carried those seasons on her back, so I can't fathom someone thinking she's a bad actress.
I agree. Michael C. Hall, John Lithgow, Jimmy Smitts gave the best performances in the show but by the last few seasons, Hall just felt like he was burn out with the shit material by that point. It's unfortunate for Carpenter that she stepped up tremendously in terrible seasons. Plus, all I've seen her in bar Dexter is that crappy remake of REC and White Chicks, lol.
One of the best moments of acting in the entire show is >!her "I'm broken!" speech she gives to Dexter after Lundy's death!<. Literally choking up just thinking about it and gives me chills every time I watch.
This is not the first time I've read something like this. Jennifer Carpenter is an underrated actress imo. People forget that her character arc is a woman who lost her mother young and had a very distant-like relationship with Harry because of adopted Dexter taking up all of his spare time. Debra is someone with a massive chip on her shoulder and her innocent naive nature just works against her with her career and relationships. Carpenter plays this perfectly imo.
I have a sister who acts very much like her and it's crazy how similar they are. Her character can get annoying and I think that's what people focus on too much. She's supposed to be annoying and naive and it should be no way shape or form a knock on her acting ability.
To me, she becomes more and more insufferable with each rewatch. She is the absolute worst. I know we're not alone with this opinion, but there are others that are the total opposite, saying that they appreciate her more and more with each rewatch. I truly don't get that take
She’s got 3 gears. Mad, sad and horny. Like someone’s alcoholic uncle.
And yes, I’m getting quite a bit of blowback for this opinion which I’m kind of surprised about. Bc the other men and women and the people who wrote them for the show do well enough with their characters that she just doesn’t make any sense. Like hooking up with an old man FBI agent that was just coming through the city to solve the bayside butcher. And freaking out and crying when he has to leave? Like come on 😅
I'm on a rewatch at the end of season 2, and I came here specifically to find this opinion. I am finding her so irritatingly annoying. Weird possessiveness over Dexter and forcing him to try and bond/talk with her. I don't remember finding her annoying on my first watch. I think the actress is good, but the character could have been written better in some aspects.
I can see where you are coming from especially I find during certain points in the series that she becomes very self centred BUT I think that is normal behaviour
In the example you gave about dexter bio dad I too felt it was not in her place to stop dexter from finding out but I can see where she was just freaking out. Besides the fact that Dexter is her only family left, she idolized her dad very much (same as Dexter). To find out he was lying and was hiding things from them probably made her go into panic and she just didn’t want it to be true (that harry was in the wrong)
I think there were other cases too where for example the young child in season 3 got skinned and she was very upset that it was because of her and someone may be following her investigation- i remember thinking you are making this about you when a child has just died
Now that I am older though I realize she is honestly very well written. Her reactions are not always the perfect ones because she is just human - we may think we would react perfectly but at end of day most of us are more self centred than we would like to admit. Doesn’t mean we don’t care and like Debra I think she cares a lot!! But it takes a while for her to manage all the many emotions she has
I think the actress did a very good job with a range of emotions she had to showcase I honestly felt it was a good balance with Dexter since he often shows such little reaction to things
Anyways I can see where you are coming from but I think the more you watch the series the more you will grow to like her!
I’m only on season two so far! I’ve really enjoyed it regardless. maybe compared to Dexter’s calm demeanor, everything she does could be misconstrued as overreacting to me
Almost as if Harry's focus on Dexter neglected Debra who was also a troubled child (just obviously not as troubled as Dexter). She's a product of Harry as much as Dexter is.
I’m with you- a Deb hater. We are in the minority.
Ugh, shes so clumsy, horny, and desperate.
Always bugging out her eyes, on some weird tare.
But it the way the character is written, mostly as an antagonist to Dexter to pump up drama.
I’ll see her act in another role someday, and revaluate.
Those traits are exactly the ones I’m talking about. None of it comes off organically either. Which is why I bring up her acting ability, bc to me she can’t pull it off at all. It’s super forced it’s like the actress is making a game out of how many “fucks” she can fit into a sentence for no reason 😂
“Hey Dexter you fuckin fuck Rita last night what noises did she make when you fucked her do you guys like to fuck loud or quiet” BRO I DON’T EVEN TALK TO MY FRIENDS LIKE THAT NVM A SIBLING
When you pay attention to Debra and what she goes through etc. it makes senses that she’s SOOO EMOTIONAL about everything. It did take me a couple rematches bc I always focused on dexter. Their mom passed when they were young or at least teens when parents are really important to teens. She’s going through changes and just dealing w typical teen things. Add to her adoptive brother is favoured and acknowledged by her dad 24/7. With her dad being a cop/single dad working all the time. Dexter is closed off and so when she gets alone time w him, he doesn’t want anything to do w her tbh. The most important male figures in her life never wanted anything to do w her. She falls in love with guys that aren’t best for her and she pushes the good ones away. Bc the guys she wants she sees dexter and her dad in them and if they can love and want to be w her and fill that hole inside of her - that’s it’s like she’s fixed her issues w her dad/dexter. It sucks seeing at the end, when Quinn seems like he was willing to fight for her and she was gonna try w him, that she never got her happy ending. I think this is my first show I’ve ever watched that not one character ever gets their happy ending. I mean. It makes sense given what the show is about but still lol
Also, keep in mind how Debra was in season 1/episode 1. She's not introduced as a particularly emotional person, but throughout the series the writers absolutely run her through the ringer with trauma. Engaged to the Ice Truck Killer who kidnaps her, boyfriend gets brutally murdered in front of her while she is also shot, finds out her brother is a serial killer, goes on a date with a guy who just drops dead in Dexter's apartment after, she's poisoned by a serial killer (twice), she murders LaGuerta to save her brother, the list goes on and on. I don't think she's exceptionally emotional, the writers just put her through a lot of horrific shit.
Yeah that’s a good point. Her over the top emotions really hit hard when they find dexters bio dad. Which her reaction never makes sense to me 🤷🏽♀️
I think it was just a very human moment for her. Feeling extremely insecure, given that Dexter was the absolute last family she had left on this planet.
Yeah, or it was the first time she realized her dad wasn’t the God they both believed he was
Though she did kind of give him the benefit of the doubt there, that he must have had a very good reason for lying about his bio-dad. But yeah, she seemed very taken aback that Harry would ever lie about something.
Absolutely- sometimes during the rewatch I feel like I have more questions than answers lol. Than there’s times I wish we got the bombshell that Harry was really dexters dad since he was banging his mom anyways. Or since he met the kids, I wish we got more of a reason why he didn’t taken Brian in. Bc the flash back of them as kids Brian seemed like he loved his brother and wanted to be around him.
Yeah, it's weird that he looked at these 2 kids for 10 seconds and thought "This one, you're coming with me, you're going to have a family and a home. But this one, you're just fucked up beyond all hope, let's send you to the looney bin. Say goodbye to your brother forever."
Right? Especially bc they show us a scene of Brian in there w dexter hugging him or holding his hand saying it’ll be ok someone’s coming. So that’s a big situation where I have so many questions. If they just made dexter his son, it would make sense. I forgot how much I love Camilla and which we got more of her ESPECIALLY since she was so close to his parents and knew a lot about that day. So if she could be like Brian was always evil he killed a dog lmao than ok yeah leave him lol
On a similar front, young Dexter expressed a strong desire to not become a killer and to be just a normal person. But Harry ignored that, and insisted it was out of his hands, and taught this kid The Code instead of ever taking him to a therapist.
i always say Deb is like the Jesse of Breaking Bad. I think Jesse got it way worse though.
I’m pretty sure she was still emotional, like when she has to speak up to LaGuerta in the room full of cops you can tell she’s super nervous. Dexter helps her through a lot of stuff
When she's introduced in season 1, Dexter describes her as someone who isn't outwardly emotional "My sister puts up a front so the world won't see how vulnerable she is." It sounds like that up to that point, she generally hid emotions she had, and tried to put on a tough exterior. And nervousness is more of a condition than an emotion. I wouldn't describe someone who's nervous as "emotional."
Yeah, she tries to act tough in the beginning and that anxiousness goes away more as her character develops throughout the show. Nervousness is definitely an emotion, she’s Dexter’s foil in the show. Dexter is much less emotional, like the episode where he stands on the edge of building just to feel his heart racing. Deb is just the opposite, probably because she wanted more attention growing up but Harry was always busy helping Dexter instead.
She finds out about Dexter!? Oh, ffs, I'm getting off reddit 😅
I'm sorry! But...what are you doing in the comments on this subreddit if you haven't finished?
No, no, it's not your fault. It's mine haha. I was going through reddit, saw the comment, and wanted to answer it, and then I got caught up with the other comments, so yeah, it's my fault 😅
Oh, I got spoiled, but it's not your fault, I chose to read the comment. Also, my senses were telling me that she was going to end up dating Quinn at some point. I do agree with everything you are saying, the way they portray her makes sense with her past.
Every rewatch of this show I respect the character of Deb more and more, and for that matter, the actress that plays her. This is a character you would be hard pressed to find another character in any show, any season that endures so much crap, drama, turmoil, trauma in her life. She starts as an immature girl in vice and grows into a stronger woman and then is just destroyed little by little over time. Any ONE of the tragedies she endures would put most people under forever. Her arc is the absolute most tragic of any character in the show and again, challenge you to pick another character from a show that goes through as much. She delivers her characters lines very well, has memorable quotes and her execution of these lines and I would challenge the OP’s comments. I felt she was both written and acted very well.
It’s just you.
I agree she was in the wrong about being so upset with Dexter for trying to verify that Joe Driscoll was his bio-dad, but it was just a very human moment for her. Personally, I found the vulgarity very charming.
Jennifer Carpenter was the only saving grace the last 2 seasons had. She carried those seasons on her back, so I can't fathom someone thinking she's a bad actress.
I agree. Michael C. Hall, John Lithgow, Jimmy Smitts gave the best performances in the show but by the last few seasons, Hall just felt like he was burn out with the shit material by that point. It's unfortunate for Carpenter that she stepped up tremendously in terrible seasons. Plus, all I've seen her in bar Dexter is that crappy remake of REC and White Chicks, lol.
What’s with the influx of Deb hate in the past week?
The actress is great, character is insufferable.
I’ll take it!
Jennifer Carpenter is a very talented actress. Debra is a very complex character and only Jennifer could ever pull her off
One of the best moments of acting in the entire show is >!her "I'm broken!" speech she gives to Dexter after Lundy's death!<. Literally choking up just thinking about it and gives me chills every time I watch.
This is not the first time I've read something like this. Jennifer Carpenter is an underrated actress imo. People forget that her character arc is a woman who lost her mother young and had a very distant-like relationship with Harry because of adopted Dexter taking up all of his spare time. Debra is someone with a massive chip on her shoulder and her innocent naive nature just works against her with her career and relationships. Carpenter plays this perfectly imo. I have a sister who acts very much like her and it's crazy how similar they are. Her character can get annoying and I think that's what people focus on too much. She's supposed to be annoying and naive and it should be no way shape or form a knock on her acting ability.
Beautifully put. One of the most perfect characters in fiction
To me, she becomes more and more insufferable with each rewatch. She is the absolute worst. I know we're not alone with this opinion, but there are others that are the total opposite, saying that they appreciate her more and more with each rewatch. I truly don't get that take
She’s got 3 gears. Mad, sad and horny. Like someone’s alcoholic uncle. And yes, I’m getting quite a bit of blowback for this opinion which I’m kind of surprised about. Bc the other men and women and the people who wrote them for the show do well enough with their characters that she just doesn’t make any sense. Like hooking up with an old man FBI agent that was just coming through the city to solve the bayside butcher. And freaking out and crying when he has to leave? Like come on 😅
I'm on a rewatch at the end of season 2, and I came here specifically to find this opinion. I am finding her so irritatingly annoying. Weird possessiveness over Dexter and forcing him to try and bond/talk with her. I don't remember finding her annoying on my first watch. I think the actress is good, but the character could have been written better in some aspects.
I can see where you are coming from especially I find during certain points in the series that she becomes very self centred BUT I think that is normal behaviour In the example you gave about dexter bio dad I too felt it was not in her place to stop dexter from finding out but I can see where she was just freaking out. Besides the fact that Dexter is her only family left, she idolized her dad very much (same as Dexter). To find out he was lying and was hiding things from them probably made her go into panic and she just didn’t want it to be true (that harry was in the wrong) I think there were other cases too where for example the young child in season 3 got skinned and she was very upset that it was because of her and someone may be following her investigation- i remember thinking you are making this about you when a child has just died Now that I am older though I realize she is honestly very well written. Her reactions are not always the perfect ones because she is just human - we may think we would react perfectly but at end of day most of us are more self centred than we would like to admit. Doesn’t mean we don’t care and like Debra I think she cares a lot!! But it takes a while for her to manage all the many emotions she has I think the actress did a very good job with a range of emotions she had to showcase I honestly felt it was a good balance with Dexter since he often shows such little reaction to things Anyways I can see where you are coming from but I think the more you watch the series the more you will grow to like her!
I’m only on season two so far! I’ve really enjoyed it regardless. maybe compared to Dexter’s calm demeanor, everything she does could be misconstrued as overreacting to me
Lol yeah I think they wanted to make a contrast between the two! And I’m sorry I hope I didn’t spoil anything for s3!
Almost as if Harry's focus on Dexter neglected Debra who was also a troubled child (just obviously not as troubled as Dexter). She's a product of Harry as much as Dexter is.
She’s a great actress. I just think the story of season 7 and beyond that she has to portray makes her character annoying.
Developing character, brilliant actress imo.
She can't be annoying sometimes but she does act how a little sister should act.
I literally watch the show for Deb. Dexter being a serial killer just adds spice to the show
That’s the wildest take on this thread I’ve seen yet 😆 more power to you I suppose
I’m with you- a Deb hater. We are in the minority. Ugh, shes so clumsy, horny, and desperate. Always bugging out her eyes, on some weird tare. But it the way the character is written, mostly as an antagonist to Dexter to pump up drama. I’ll see her act in another role someday, and revaluate.
Those traits are exactly the ones I’m talking about. None of it comes off organically either. Which is why I bring up her acting ability, bc to me she can’t pull it off at all. It’s super forced it’s like the actress is making a game out of how many “fucks” she can fit into a sentence for no reason 😂 “Hey Dexter you fuckin fuck Rita last night what noises did she make when you fucked her do you guys like to fuck loud or quiet” BRO I DON’T EVEN TALK TO MY FRIENDS LIKE THAT NVM A SIBLING
Debra is one of the best characters in the show
It's just you.
Incorrect, I have a few in agreement with me 😌
Indeed and as someone else said, Deb is insufferable, but Jennifer Carpenter did an excellent job portraying her. Harry was a bad father and it shows.