Dexter: Why The Number ‘103’ Reoccurs In The Show
Showtime’s Dexter reuses variations of the number ‘103’ throughout the series, which all go back to the serial killer’s origins. The primary conflict in Dexter sees the title killer grapple with his secret Dark Passenger, which describes his internal urge to kill and his sociopathic tendencies. While Dexter Morgan begins the series with little understanding of why he became the “monster” he calls himself, the killer’s origins of the moment he was “born in blood” become an ever-pervasive theme in his motivations for the remainder of the series.
Ever since Dexter season 1, the number ‘103’ has been a common Easter egg in the background of the series. From Dexter and Miguel meeting in courtroom 103 to the camera reading Zach Hamilton’s studio 301 backward or Dexter Morgan himself living in apartment 10B, the serial killer is always reminded of this number, subliminally or not. While the number is significant to the plot line in Dexter season 1 as the killer finally remembers his past, ‘103’ continues to return through season 8 before he fakes his death in a storm.
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The number ‘103’ recurs in Dexter as a constant reminder of why he is the way he is, serving as the hidden representation of Dexter Morgan being born in blood. Dexter season 1 first introduces the number when the Ice Truck Killer leaves clues specifically for Dexter about his past, with the vigilante killer finally realizing that October 3, 1973 was the day Miami discovered the brutal murder of his mother. Two-year-old Dexter and his brother Brian were found in a pool of his mother’s blood, having been trapped in a shipping container for hours after drug dealers had slaughtered Laura
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