Dexter Morgan | Mental Health & Personality | Is Dexter a Psychopath? 

I always felt that Harry's "training" of Dexter was a combination of trying to do right by Dexter's mom and, more importantly, fulfilling his own urge to go vigilante when he was frustrated by due process. Dexter became his tool and was sort of the submissive partner of the duo carrying out the wishes of the dominant Harry.

“I guess ‘The Ted Bundy School for the Homicidally Inclined’ was not taking new applications.” So when does your Netflix standup special drop, Doc? 😂

Dexter was a victim of severe PTSD from what happened to him as a child. He (and his father) were gaslighted into believing that he was a psychopath by Dr. Vogel. She should have been the main villain of the final season. Dexter discovers that he and Brian were not born psychopaths, but were guinea pigs in an experiment to knowingly turn two children, suffering only from PTSD, into serial killers- one with a code and one without. In making Vogel a straightforward what-you-see-is-what-you-get character the writers really dropped the ball.

As someone who was diagnosed with Autism, I could relate a lot to the character of Dexter. I could relate to Dexter’s struggle with being social and lack of connection to other people. I could relate to Dexter wanting to live in his fantasy world, though nothing like my fantasy world but a fantasy world none the less. And I could relate a lot to Dexter’s wanting of connecting with others and to be normal, I just wish I was normal sometimes and be able to connect with others.

Dexter is well written because one ends up liking him, rooting for him., and not recoiling at his crimes

Video idea: Jesse Pinkman (breaking bad) analysis! Thanks for all you do Dr. Grande

I agree that Dexter doesn’t fit into what we know about psychopaths and serial killers. That said, it’s still a fun fantasy that there could be a serial killer who only hunts serial killers.

When he stopped having flashbacks of when he was being raised by Harry and started to actually see Harry in the world he was in, I always thought he was developing schizophrenia

i think that with harry, it was less about being understanding and accepting of dexter, and more harry molding and creating what dexter would eventually become

Omg thank you so much for bringing out that a TRUE depiction of a serial killer would be difficult to watch!!!!! Dark entertainment is entertaining because of an amount of unreality in it.

I've been watching this show and have been very frustrated throughout the whole series. One of the main points they bring up as evidence for Dexter's psychopathy is his lack of empathy. However, as the viewer you very clearly see him exhibiting empathy throughout the show towards Rita, towards Hannah, towards his step-children and Harrison, towards Deb. I think that Dexter was severely traumatized and that had he been given proper therapeutic treatment this whole business of being a serial killer could have been entirely avoided. Of course then we wouldn't have had a TV show to watch at all. I also wonder as to diagnosis of possible autism and OCD due to his fixation with blood and ritual and exquisite attention to detail in crime scenes. And although Dexter technically fits the criteria for anti-social personality disorder, I believe there are other diagnoses that could better explain Dexter's behavior than the show's continued insistence on him being a psychopath. Thanks for the video! It articulated a lot of what I have been thinking.

I found your analysis to be very interesting . Dexter is one of my favorite shows & Michael C Hall a favorite actor. I always thought when Dexter said " if I could feel" in different situations ironic since he had stronger feelings towards those he cared about than some "normal" people did. This is one of the most complex, interesting characters that has ever been on TV.

Anosognosia: the lack of insight. Thank you for this new word today!!!!! I think I had this until I was in my mid-30s..... Some of us are unable to learn vicariously.

I would recommend you watch the shows “You” and “Mindhunter” on Netflix. Would love to hear your commentary on those!

I think the intent of the series is to reveal to the audience their own thought patterns. Dexter embodies the antihero character and as he asks himself philosophical questions, the audience answers them in their own context. It's a brilliant means to engage the audience in the storytelling.

Dr Grande, being a psychologist do you ever find yourself questioning yourself or being critical of your own behavior and thought patterns? Obviously nobody is perfect, I just want to know what it’s like having so much insight into human behavior whilst being a human yourself.

OMG Dexter my fave tv show + prison break ... couldn’t believe it when I saw the notification I was like “ What Dexter😮!!!!!” Thanx Dr. Grande we really enjoy ur amazing videos💕

Being both a true crime and Dexter fan the ending just KILLED ME 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I like the Dexter's series a lot - I like the story and the actors, all of them. But, yes, Dexter is NOT a realistic serial killer. Dexter has been "designed" and was portrayed as someone we'd like to have as a friend. Possibly a neighbour who keeps the bad guys away! :-D

I'm writing a feature on a psychopath and this is very helpful for character development. Thank you Dr. Grande for sharing your insight. I never bought into Dexter as being a true psychopath. Mainly because he was married and he cared about what happened to his sister, wife, son and wife's kids. He was written to connect to the audience, but he's not a real example.

Thank you for bringing out the fact that Dr. V's direction was instrumental in Dexter's extreme murderer conscientiousness.

Dexter is my favorite tv show of all time. Seasons 4 with the Trinity Killer and Season 5 with The barrel girls case were absolutely brilliant. Very interesting break down.

Hi Dr Grande, I‘ve just been watching “Mindhunter”, & I was wondering about the psychology (profile, -ironically) of Agent Holden Ford. It’s certainly an interesting show, & he is a driven & perplexing character (he just wants to know “why?”). I love how you offer insight into fictional (but rich) characters (although Holden is based on a real man). Thank you -& it’s impressive how quickly you cover characters & situations so current in the news!

I liked listening to this video, in particular to your analogy and drawing compressions between Dexter's traits and the shared traits of Sherlock Holmes, Hannibal Lector, Darth Vader and The Terminator. Dexter is the sum of the traits audiences find most entertaining, enticing of these established characters.

"A journey of both murder and exploration....!!!" And LOL yes, he'd do well to go live his life as a lumberjack! ( "I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok: I kill all night and I sleep all day.....")

ROFL TED BUNDY SCHOOL FOR THE HOMICIDE INCLINED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LAUGHING MY HEAD OFF!!!!!!

You should definitely do a deep analysis on the show You from Netflix, he’s similar to dexter in that he truly believes the murders he commits are justified. His reasoning is just so much more sociopathic and in a way makes me appreciate dexters character so much more. Loved the video keep up the great work!

It might have been interesting if you talked more about the hallucinations that Dexter experiences, and how accurate they are. that he regularly hallucinates his dead father and has conversations with him. How realistic is that portrayal of someone who has regularly audio/visual hallucinations, and how might that factor into his diagnosis. There are times when Dexter acts impulsively, usually under times of great stress. It might have been interesting to review the episode where he meet's his childhood idol the Tooth Fairy killer, and how accurate a portrayal that was to what a real serial killer is/would be. While you mention that Dexter doesn't have a sex drive, while it is true that his killings are not sexual in nature, he can and does have sex, but he doesn't seek it out. This might have to do with his aversion to messy fluids, and in sex there is quite a bit of messy fluids. Also, he seemed to fear sex because of the intimacy involved and the fact that he can't produce the intimacy that his partners would expect since he doesn't view himself as human (or at least fully human).

Hey, I would LOVE to see an analysis of some of the former world leaders in the world that we learn about in History class. Stalin, for instance. Or even someone like Otto Von Bismarck who seemed to be a really interesting character. It'd be interesting to see what traits they had possibly influenced them to obtain their positions of power, and also also what drove them to do some of the deeds they did once they got there.

I wasn't expecting this one. Ain't gonna complain 😂

Hilarious ending! I always suspected him as being aspergers with anger issues ptsd/severe trauma. Never did I think he was a sociopath/psychopath. Maybe Shizoid with trauma?

I'd love to see an analysis of House. Love your dry humor. I enjoyed this one 😄

Dexter is one of my favorite shows of all time. I appreciate that you brought up the fact that’s he was more than likely made into a killer. I feel as though if he had had treatment as a young boy he wouldn’t have ended up the way he did. The ending of this video gave me life btw.

I love the reference to animals' not caring for Dexter. There is a saying, " If my dog doesn't like you, I'm not going to."

I think deep down, there's a little "Dexter" in us all. We just don't act on it. Ooooorrrr, I am just a little "off".

Really intereresting, when you mentioned that if a television series ever did come out with a realistic depiction of a serial killer that it would be hard to watch, that immediately made me think of American Psycho. While I thought the book was fantastically written I found it unbearable but I loved the movie. I wonder what your thoughts on the character of Patrick Bateman would be!

*”kind of surprising for a police officer not to be judgmental of somebody...”* OUCH!!! 🤣🤣🤣

I think the show was trying to create a perfect hunter and monster, as you pointed out with all the various characters that influenced his creation.

This video couldn't have come out at a better time! I literally just finished rewatching this show and was thinking about nature vs nurture. Did Dr. Vogel and Harry come up with twisted ideas about who Dexter should be or was he always destined to become a serial killer due to his nature? Dexter saw his mother brutally massacred when he was two and even though he didn't remember it until his brother reminded him, that memory was still there hidden in his subconscious. I would imagine that taking a huge toll on a child's psyche even if it was suppressed for such a long time. I am not really an expert on child psychology but would it be possible that he was suffering from that trauma and acting out because of it? Could this have been helped in a different way? What if he got an appropriate Dr. and worked through the trauma, would he have still been a "psychopath"? I have a huge problem with Harry, Dexter uses his memory of him as his moral compass without much contemplation. People, including Harry, are not perfect and I believe that Harry might have done more harm than good raising Dex. He always set Dexter apart from everyone else and say "you can't do this, do that instead" which caused Dexter to see himself as an alien around other people. He drilled a code into young Dexter's mind that maybe he didn't even have to be done. I think all of this could be a result of all of the remorse Harry felt when his informant (dexter's mother) was sawed into pieces while she was supposed to be safe and under his watch. I think Harry could have experienced PTSD among other psychological issues after witnessing something as brutal as that. In order to compensate for the situation, I think he got overly involved in "saving Dexter" and molded him into a serial killer. Harry had good intentions but I think that was a form of child abuse instead of love for his son. Dexter never learned anything apart from the code, I think if anybody was raised that way they also would be isolated, socially awkward, and believe that the code was their only way of surviving in the world. I can discuss this topic forever but I think it's pointless to write anything on here since no one will read it. So in conclusion, I think Dexter suffered from a shit show of mental disorders but they were made worse while he was being raised in Harry's home. A serial killer was created through his exposure to extreme violence as a child and could have possibly been avoided with a more appropriate treatment plan. PS. I think Dr. Vogel was super sketchy and Harry should have never gotten involved with her.

Oh, the quips! The dry quips! All of them, excellent. I try so hard to describe to my husband why I'm laughing when I'm watching your videos. It's hard to get the cadence and tone of the delivery that make your humor so, well, humorous!

"Therefore he decides to fake his own death and go live as a... lumberjack." 🤣 that cracked me up, but it's true.

“Ted Bundy School for the Homicidially Inclined” had me on the floor laughing! You have such a great sense of humor and awesome delivery.

Love the style of presentation of these videos. Straight to the point and stating the facts. I'm so tired of all these "wacky" youtube personalities trying to take a topics like this and exaggerate them to make them more creepy or spooky purely for the views. Well done.

I often go back to your older videos, I can almost always type in “Dr Grande _ (literally almost any topic or case that I’m wondering about)” and there it is! Sometimes I REALLY need that grounded, logical analysis. It really is always appreciated.

Dexter was a great series. People who liked it always say they wish there was a real Dexter to get rid of really bad people. Thanks.

As a big fan of you Dr. Grande & the show Dexter this video is the perfect match. Thank you Dr. Grande for always surprising us with your in depth analysis & choice of content. Even if this sounds cheesy you are such a huge addition to YT & you make it a better place, content & personality wise + you keep up so quickly with your uploads. It's stunning. As always it's a pleasure Dr. Grande - thank you! Stay safe & well everybody. P.S.: I miss the old intro a bit but I love the new added "outtakes" on the end.

Nice analysis. Dexter is one of my favorite tv characters. It is true that Dexter exists in kind of parallel universe that follows a logic that only serves Dexter. I wonder however: how unrealistic is it to have a analytical, clean serial killer like this? Its possible some of those do exist. While Serial killers tend to take more and more risks and get caught, maybe there are some out there that never do get caught and therefore never discovered. I do wonder.

Dr Grande. I needed a moment before posting because I was laughing so hard at your analysis of socially aware, and philosophical, child protecting, family loving serial killing psychopaths. Thanks for the giggle. I like the show Dexter, although it’s sometimes too dark for me. I haven’t really reflected on why until now. I believe one of the reasons this series is appealing to myself and maybe others is Dexter seems to target cold callous morally bankrupt killers engaging in repulsive crimes on other persons most of whom have slipped through the justice system while other families are left destroyed or close to it. In the show these people move along with wreckage in the past and a personality structure and behavior that seems to assure future wreckage at someone else’s expense. Dexter”s desire to join life and leave his dark passenger behind is probably something all can relate to although hopefully not anywhere near Dexter”s extreme extent. This serial killer wants to love and be loved, and that I think is a very human quality. Dexter also loved his sister, father, son and wife also making him relatable. There is a dramatic but weird sense of justice in Dexters actions, however unrealistic. I’m jumping off the preverbal soapbox!! 😂 It will be interesting to see what other people think about the reasons they enjoy or paradoxically dislike this series.

Already excited for this!!!!

Finally Dr Grande! You are the best Sir!👍🏽🙏🏽

I've never seen a video of yours that I didn't love, dr. Grande. This one was so thorough and interesting. I always knew that Dexter wasn't a realistic depiction of a psychopath, or else no one would like the character or feel empathy and care for it. But your analysis was extremely clarifying. Keep up the great work ♥️

Highly admire the fact that you actually read your comments and respond to interesting requests!

Oh I had to click this one! I'm rewatching Dexter now on Netflix. Love me some Michael C Hall.

I'm loving all of these character analyses! Do you think you could take a look at Will Graham from the Hannibal television series? I think he's a pretty interesting character with his high levels of empathy and would love to know your thoughts about him.

Hey Doc! I just started Dexter. The end of your commentary was hilarious since I have watched Documentaries on the serial killers you mentioned. Thanks, your humor is always appreciated!

You missed Dexter's schizophrenia. Lucid memories and dreams in the first couple seasons, to his dad becoming a voice in his head

As a Dexter's fan, I just found your analysis of him really brilliant!

"Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" is probably the most unwavering depiction of a serial killer, although he changes his methods and victims as a way to stay off of law enforcement's radar-- something established as atypical. Might be worth checking out.

Would love to see your analysis on Barry Berkman, a reluctant and depressed hitman, from the tv series, Barry!

I absolutely LOVE the end takes!!! Seriously, you need a stand up special!!!

I find myself so wrapped up in these analyses.

Oh Dr Grande, you are the best. I loved this TV show (and Michael C. Hall in general). Maybe you could analyze Adrian Monk soon?

Hey Doc you should do a video on Tony Soprano from The Sopranos. His crazy criminal lifestyle and the fact that he sees a psychiatrist should be right up your alley!

I love how you were deadpanned and funny as hell at the end. I enjoyed watching this.

Dr Grande even so smoothly told us your birthday!! 🎉 Thanks for bringing a much needed dose of humor, knowledge and elegance in pretty much every video! Love it!

Do you think you could cover Anton Chigurh? (No country for old men). I've heard his character referred to as "the most realistic psychopath in cinema history" and I'd love to hear your take on him! Realistic or not he's one of the most terrifying characters I've ever seen. He's devoid of any morality, kills efficiently and without remorse, plays mind games with his victims before he kills them, has extremely poor social skills, and it appears being a hitman isn't the only thing he knows (evidenced by his ability to patch up his wounds after getting into a gunfight with Moss).

It would be an absolute honor to have myself analyzed by the good Dr. Grande.

Dr Grande you are the best. And although I've been watching you for awhile, I hadn't caught all your dry often sarcastic comments that you sneak in. When I caught the first one I had a great burst of laughter. What makes your humor so very good, is that it is, for me anyway, unexpected. Love your authenticy, and passion. And always enjoy your take on things... even the few times I didn't agree, you helped me see a different perspective which is when I believe we can learn the most. I have much respect for the work you do and appreciate all the hard work you put into your content. I hear other creators such as Logan from Observe, recommend your channel to his followers as a excellent place to learn more. And I think that says a lot. Kudos to you for having such high esteem from other creators. Keep up the great work! Thanks again for all the work you do. 😁

I’d love an analysis of *any* of the main characters of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia but mostly Dennis Reynolds.

since we're entering the fictional character territory, i'd looove seeing one for Patrick Bateman!

Love the dead pan delivery of the " I guess. . . " reasons for Harry Morgan's homeschooling of Dexter ! Reminds me of CT's "I'll be back " RU-vid videos

A very insightful video! The ending had me cracking up. Thank you Dr.

Love the outtakes at the end!!! 😂 Great analysis, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I've been excited for this one!! Thank you for this amazing content!

Last twenty seconds was the most entertaining thing I've seen in at least a year. Well played Doc, well played.

Your correct use and pronunciation of anosognosia, as well as your assessment of one of my favorite television characters, just vaulted you to the pinnacle of my "Best Evidence-Based YT Content Provider" list.

I’ve been waiting for this one!! One of my favorite characters of all time

I loved that show! His sister Deb was a serious firebrand.

Dexter is basically Batman if Alfred decided the kid would grow up a psychopath. No? Edit: Blimey, how many jokes did you have saved up for this video 😅

I was laughing and it was out loud at the wrap up. You have a great sense of humor, dry and dark. I love it.

I love your analogy to Data from Star Trek. It is perfect for Dexter's struggles to understand the nature of his existence and emotions that don't come naturally to him. I actually think Data is a more convincing real life character than Dexter. We would never think of Data as a psychopath though!

Dr. Grande, I appreciate your selection of Personalities! I’ve never seen Dexter, but gotta watch it NOW! Mostly because, how he went from Serial Killer to Lumberjack? 😂

Good analysis. One of the elements of Dexter’s personality I find interesting is that he seems to try to convince himself that he doesn’t have emotions and doesn’t have feelings, when in fact he does to some extent, especially with the people he is close to. He parented Harrison and was always concerned for his well being. He loved Rita and was devastated when she was killed. I think in his mind, surprising human emotions made him a better killer, but it doesn’t seem as though he had a lack of emotions or a lack of a moral compass. The end of the series was terrible, but just the idea that he faked his death to prevent himself from causing more harm shows that he does have human feelings. I can’t wait to see the series reboot and see how he is now.

The riff at the end is priceless! You just get better and better Doctor G.

YAS...I’ve been waiting for this!

That last "I guess the...." string was hilarious! I kept replaying it lol

Please do Joe Goldberg from “You”! Would love to see your analysis.

THANK. YOU. The glamorization of mental illness bothers me to no end, and Dexter is one of those shows.

yessss so happy about this video :D

The ending of Dexter was worse than Game of Thrones. I believe Dexter's killing would have slowed down but he would never hang up the plastic wrap for good and ever. Thank you Dr. Grande!

I Have Very Recently Subscribed To Dr Grande Because He’s a Highly “ Matter of Fact “ Clinician Basing His “ Opinions On Long Study and Practice With His Own Judgement and Not Emotion or Public Perceptual Views ! I Especially Enjoy The Well Thought Out Approach To The Different Aspects of The Various Psychological Behavior! Plus The Sharing Of The Clinical Basis is a Public Service and Helps Others Understand How it Affects and Translates practically ! Thankyou i Enjoy Your High Level Professionalism ! 🙏🏻

Hi, Dr. Grande!! And everyone, anyone! I'm watching this analysis again in anticipation of this weekend's Dexter: New Blood finale. I wonder if Dr. Grande will devote a few moments to that show. IDEA: Might be fun to have a 1 million follower "follow up" on prior videos, you know, as new events have occured, and or new shows based on prior analyzed characters, or celebrites already analyzed. 15 mins to follow up on 3 to 5 cases.

You should do a mental health analysis on all the killers Dexter killed that were the main focus for a season. Also the jokes you tell are really funny!

Fascinating analysis! I love Dexter, but couldn’t bring myself to watch the last season. I was always rooting for the “good side” of Dexter to win, but that was an unrealistic hope. Thanks for the hilarious outtakes!

I absolutely adore Dr. Grande fans! You guys rock!

I'm glad the doctor points out the many differences between a fictional vs. factual psychopath. An actual serial killer psycopath just wouldn't be near as entertaining as Dexter is, but that's the point: he is written by a fiction writer, to sell books.

Dexter YES! Thank you Dr. Grande!

OH MY GOSH YAS! THANK YOU DR. GRANDE FOR DOING THIS! Lol, I am beyond ecstatic! :D

Haha, I really enjoyed seeing your outtakes. I've seen a number of your videos but don't recall seeing any of those before. Great work, as always!

loved this analysis! as always! Thank you Dr. Grande for taking the time, you are a lovely man and an excellent professional!