Everybody's Favorite Serial Killer - and more celebration of red!

Bloody Mary at Dexter's in Winter Park

While the husband and I were in the Orlando area dog-sitting the grand-dog, a beautiful red-hued golden retriever, we were looking for other stuff to do. With no regular cable TV available we scouted out some of the alternative streams available on our daughter's set through Roku, etc. One of the things we settled on was the series, Dexter which we had watched for a few seasons years ago, an original and popular Showtime series. We finished the final year, season eight, watching one episode per night. I will not divulge how it ends...

The first season of Dexter was based on a book series which features a serial killer with more of a "conscience" (an unusual moral code) than most. He only kills really bad people (like other serial killers) but was quite good to his son, his sister and others he came to care about.

Dexter, the anti-hero killer in this series not only mortifies you with his effective method of bloody slaughter and dismemberment, but also manages to have you rooting for him and his success--in his relentless pursuit of the bad guys, his ability to escape detection and in his somewhat normal personal life, which features an adorable child.

I first titled this post "A Sympathetic Serial Killer" but that was not the right word. I looked up synonyms for sympathetic and nothing seemed quite right. You don't forgive him, you don't really want to identify with him--at least not to the point of imitation or taking action! and you certainly don't bleed for him, which was one of the other choices!

I don't know what adjective to apply (some might choose lovable) and I cannot defend the appeal of this kind of "hero" figure. But watching the final season of the series and subsequently celebrating with a Bloody Mary does fit in with my recent delight with things that are red ... like that red map! The episodes are replete with red blood. (Dexter is a blood-spatter forensic specialist in his day job!) 

Anyway, I also scouted out some restaurants in the area that we might enjoy.  I noticed that a local restaurant, Dexter's, advertised a great Sunday brunch with a killer Bloody Mary. That intrigued me. I put it on the list!

Our attendance of a downtown Orlando church (FPCO) on Sunday and subsequent afternoon spent at Disney Springs resulted in our having brunch at an Irish Pub (Raglan Road) instead, where it seemed more appropriate to have a draught of Guinness Stout imported directly from Dublin.

So the next night, I asked the husband to take me out! We first visited one of the daughter's favorites spots, the Alfond Inn, where we sat outside in the courtyard by a gas fire. I sipped a glass of red wine on a pleasant Winter Park evening and later viewed the art work in this gorgeous hotel. Then we Google-mapped our way a few blocks down the street to Dexter's, where I had that Bloody, with happy hour pricing all Monday night, along with a delicious spinach and artichoke dip. I asked for the not-so-spicy version and it arrived with a cream cheese-stuffed olive and cucumber garnish. The drink was not actually all that red, but I attempted to add a little more red when I edited the photo!

I had never heard of this place, but daughter R. said oh yeah--her tennis team was having lunch there soon. I would return, but not on a night featuring a very loud live band, even with the good pricing.

Call me crazy, but I have had fun with all the red references since the election. I think I'm done now ... but you never know, now that it is December ... and Christmas is at hand. After all, what is Christmas without a little celebration of the red, along with the gold and silver and green.

Blood-red Malbec at Alfond Inn