Always on the verge of tears......
I'm very aware that i'm on the Jennifer Carpenter message board and there are a lot of her fans here but I just have to throw this out there (even though I may be chopped up, stuffed in six garbage bags and thrown in the ocean).
She has ability as an actress, but makes very poor choices when it comes to the portrayal of Debra.
I've just revisited Season Three and her approach to every other scene is to act like she's on the verge of tears. And when she's not nearly crying it's probably because she's actually crying.
In just one episode, she's talking to Dexter in the lab and is nearly crying. She then goes to interview Anton in the next room and she's still holding back those tears. Then she sees La Guerta in the office and does some more nearly crying but a little more defiant this time. Next she's goes to visit Anton at his apartment and she's..... you guessed it. On the verge of tears.
That constant portrayal of fragility really grates. It's exhausting to watch and quickly becomes very irritating. She's supposed to be a cop who's worked her way up the ranks on the streets of Miami. First a beat cop, then an undercover prostitute in vice, then two plus years in homicide!!
Emotion. Great. But a more experienced actress would be more judicious. It has more impact when you do finally decide to be overtly emotional in a scene. Reminds me of the episode of Seinfeld when Jerry's girlfriend is constantly crying over nothing issues like dropping her hot dog on the ground.
I've never read Jeff Lindsay's 'Dexter' novels and I don't know how the Debra character was envisioned so maybe Jennifer's nailing it and I just don't realise.
Anyway. I'm ready to face your fury. Take your best shot. Just nothing below the waist.