Brother Sam – the Believer

“I can’t prove that God exists. But you can’t prove He doesn’t.”

So a lot of people criticize Season 6 of Dexter, but I’m one of the few who actually liked it. It was something new, and it was something refreshing. For once, we had a good character who was genuinely looking out for Dexter. Brother Sam may not have known Dexter’s “secret” but he knew there was darkness in him and he wanted to help him; help Dexter find the light in himself. In essence, Brother Sam considered Dexter to be a part of his flock and wanted to make sure that he didn’t stray.

The entire theme of the season was religion. Brother Sam was the opposite of what Travis and Gellar stood for. The duo, known as Doomsday Killers (DDK) showed the viewers the negative aspects of religion – killing in the name of God, spreading fear, etc. On the other hand, Brother Sam, a reformed criminal who took up religion showed us the positive messages that come with religion – acceptance, forgiveness, second chances, etc. In a way, Brother Sam opened Dexter up to a whole new world. He never shoved religion down on Dexter but he did love talking about it; he taught Dexter to be open-minded and supported him in his time of need.

Murdered in cold blood by the very man he tried to save, Brother Sam was a reflection of Jesus himself, with Nick essentially being Judas. Even after getting shot thrice, all Brother Sam cared about was letting Nick know that he forgave him. Brother Sam was no mere human, and Dexter saw this. It was what saved Brother Sam from Dexter in the first place when Dexter planned on killing him because Brother Sam walked away from a murder. But when Dexter realizes that Brother Sam is in fact a reformed man who is repenting and redeeming himself for his sin, Dexter gets fascinated and cancels Brother Sam from his list.

Brother Sam worked on a strong code as well – that of accepting everyone and giving all a second chance because he believed that everyone had good inside them. He was one of the very few characters on Dexter who was inspiring and could be considered as a role model. Unfortunately, the show writers seem to have completely forgotten about the amazing character they created as there’s no mention of it, and Dexter seems to have forgotten the important lessons Brother Sam taught with his sad demise.

Here’s to hoping that the ghost of Brother Sam makes an appearance in the coming episodes or even next season with Dexter wrapping up. At this point, Brother Sam is what Dexter, perhaps, needs.