DEXTER opening sequence analysis

From DEXTER's opening sequence, there are some connotations that lead to deeper denotations, playfully summarizing the series' theme and tone in a quite interesting way.

The overall mood and one of the sequence is quite gory and unpleasant to watch. This final denotation is supported by some of the evidences listed as shown below.

Firstly, although the sequence shows the daily morning routine of a man, the use of shapes and colors enforce a distasteful feeling to the viewers. The color of the ketchup is bloody red with yellowy oil feeling to it. The way it was splashed in the sequence was not the way ketchup it is usually poured (splashing in lines like a knife slash), and therefore, represents blood - more likely a result of a violence like murder, due to the ketchup being ended up staining Dexter's knife. 

The way the triangular knife was used to cut meat makes viewers think of flesh being cut. The sharp edge of the knife against the orange also shows how a more jolly, innocent-like looking shape could be mercilessly slain by a triangular villain. 

The objects that were being cut and grind are mostly representing the human flesh, as in this case, the insides of an orange looks reddish and gory, unlike the brighter palette we usually see of an orange. This sets the tone and mood of the story that it is not going to be buoyant and jolly like a comedy movie morning routine.

Not only that, the part where blood slowly creeps through the napkin furthermore reinforces the idea of violence and how it slowly become more and more of an issue. It's not just wiping up a small accidental cut clean, because the way the editing work zooms into the tissue paper shows the importance of the blood, and thus, shows that Dexter's regular morning routine hides a violent secret.

In addition, the way he did his morning duties are represented as different methods of murder. The earlier sequences show Dexter touching his neck before shaving. The way his hands travel along his skin looks as if he was trying to find someone's windpipe or the main blood stream. In the next sequence, we see him with the shaver, but now with what we have seen earlier, the scene looks more like he's splitting someone's throat.

The scene where he ties his shoe laces reinforces the idea of strangling. The camera zooms into a close up of his shoe lace hole and how he professionally slipped the rope through it. Dexter's grip was so tight when he pulled the laces to tightened up his shoe. Regular people just doesn't grip that hard when trying to tie one's shoelaces. 

(Compared to other movies with a laces tying scene, the routine of putting on a shoe does not require that much of energy and attention - i.e. reference --> Scott Pilgrim vs. the World)

When Dexter puts on his shirt, the close up shows how his facial features - especially his nose - was seen through the white fabric. The mise-on-scene of his white shirt looks a lot like plastic bag in this case. Therefore, with a representative of a plastic bag over a person's nose, the idea behind this act is likely the murder method of suffocation.

In the last scene, we see Dexter locking up his apartment door and walks casually outside. The non-diegetic sound fades away at this time too. The color and lighting outside his room are both lighter and more peaceful. Therefore, we can infer that the moment Dexter stepped out of his room, his violent secrets were kept behind from view.