"I agree with you on this.
I do not think Dexter gave his real mom mch thought until Brian found him, and told him all about it. Remember Dexter may have blocked a lot of that out until he wnt into that blood filled room, and than when Brian sarted messing with him more. He started to remember about his mom. He had blocked a lot of things out. This may be part of the syndrome he has, Meaning the Serial killer. I have asked before, what caused that, wasit heritary? or was it a traumatic event? or what causes this to happen, I started a thread about it a while back.
If this trauma blocked something in his mind to forget about his past, and take on the personality of a killer. Is his why he is what he is? and Brian too? or is it Heritary? It may be that the trauma of seeing his mother buchered caused him to shut down emottionally, and now that he is getting past this he will move past his addition. This may be the end of the series. That Dexter has moved past his affliction because he is moving past his repressed memory of his mothers death. Harrys Code did in fact save him. Who knows"

"Good posting, jwnelson11, although I still don't know if I can equate being a serial killer with an addiction, only because the people I've known with additions, even if they have moved past their afflictions, have unfortunately either screwed themselves up chemically and physically and emotionally that they are still ultimately doomed. I'm probably not making much sense, and, yeah, it is wonderful that emotions for Dexter seem to coming to the surfact. I think one reason, thought, that so many of us watch this show is that because of not having feelings, Dexter adhered to the Code when it came to choosing his victims. If he becomes "feeling" , knows love, hate, rage, what kind of killer would be become then? We see too many of those types of killer in the world...okay, I'll shut up!"

"I just watched "Mr. Brooks", and thought it was an excellent movie, one of Costner's best. We see in Dexter the same kind of struggles we see portrayed by Costner & Stacy. The difference betwen the two films is Costner knows who he is and Dexter is still trying to find out who he is. Bringing the addiction aspect into serial killing for me is a bit of a stretch. While having the urge or need to drink alcohol, take drugs, or even substitued any number of "addictions" for another, I have never met anyone in a twelve step program who felt the need to serial kill, or would admit that that was the real reason for them being there. It is after all, it is an Honest program.... In both of these dramas, relapse has occured ... why is that? The twelve step programs do work, for them that do work the program.... "

"jwnelson11, good summary. I think what I was tyring to say somewhat inarticulately before is that while someone in recovery from gambling, alcohol or other chemical, sex, etc. does live with consequences even after "amends" are made, etc., I couldn't put serial kiling in the same category. No amends can be made...we are all changed by our own addictions, habits, but how much damage is done to a person who kills other repeatedly? Anyway, that's what i'm (stil) having trouble expressing...

(So to equate this as an addiction I can see it. Because an addiction is something they have no controll over. We tend to think of it all as a substance use or over use problem. But believe it or not I have heard people say that they had one drink and they knew they had a problem, for them it was not an over use or abuse it was a knowlege that they had no controll over alcohol. That is what an addiction is something you have no controll over. Dexter / Mr Brooks have no controll over this thing that they do. So really, is it an addiction? Both of these characters are in a 12 step program, but they are not admitting to being a serial killer, these programs are based on honesty. If a person is not really Honestly there for the program Then??)
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