Bored to Death

Bored to Death centers around a yuppie novelist (Jason Schwartzman) and his unofficial night job as a really bad private detective.

Somehow his run-ins with the Russian mob, among other things, make up for his mediocre life.

In his adventures, he reluctantly takes with him his editor (Ted Danson for the win) and his comic book illustrator friend played by Zach Galifianakis of The Hangover fame.

Galifanakis is a pleasant surprise; there's more to his boneheaded friend typecast.

The show does a good job of parodying detective stories and sit-coms. Down to playing with gadgets and undercover work. It also deals with how adults act like moronic kids because they've grown up to be mediocre.

The cinematography, at times, looks like a video cam that a friend used to record your moronic deeds, which is just as well.

I'm worried about the smallness of the locale. I've only seen a few episodes and they've all revolved around the suburbs and the three characters getting stoned while staking out a house. It may not be as exciting if you're into lots and lots of action.

I think if the writers can apply their dialogue wit onto utilizing the suburbs to the fullest, then the show is set.

So, yeah, so far, so far, Bored to Death gets an 8/10.

Dearly Devoted Dexter

This is the second book in the Dexter series, but admittedly, the story is quite lame compared to the first one.

The main plot concerns, of course, a serial killer, and Dexter Morgan finds himself once more confronted with worthy competition. Dr. Danco, as the serial killer is called, is actually connected with Sgt. Doakes, in his stint during the Civil War in El Salvador. The Doctor's slice-and-dice method is pretty gruesome, but where it fails is the characterization of the Doctor. There was no shortage in characterization with the other characters, but the main antagonist himself was not fully fleshed out (pun not intended).

Jeff Lindsay, on the other hand, still entertains me with his writing style, which is comparable to a male version of Helen Fielding, author of Bridget Jones's Diary. Dexter Morgan's humor is, strangely, quite a contrast from his murderous personality, and what Lindsay does is to actually blend humor and murder into one solid believable character. The Jekyll-and-Hyde angle between Dexter and his Dark Passenger (which is what he calls his bloodthirsty inner voice) was fully realized in the book, yet this angle was not even attempted in the TV series.

This is not a book about serial killers. This is a detective story, in the same line as Sherlock Holmes, but the detective just happens to be a serial killer. And like any detective book, you'd have to read it for yourself, because the surprise is everything.


Rating: Three and a half stars.