What fresh hell is this?

It's Sunday night on Showtime, home of deeply disturbed yet loving parents. In the spring and summer, I followed the downward trajectory of mothers who sought to protect their children from the havoc they wreak in Weeds and United States of Tara. Now that the seasons have turned it's the boys' turn.

Dexter and Californication's Hank are devoted to their children but certainly have funny ways of expressing their love. Awoken again by the cries of the adorable 4-month old insomniac, Harrison Dexter confides in his son that "Daddy kills people." I guess we should be reassured that he clarifies to little Harrison that he kills bad people. Sleep-deprived Dexter spends his days like many of us struggling to maintain balance between work,home and hobby. The only slight difference is that his passion is serial murder. In spite of some missteps like falling asleep in front of a bar while stalking his prey, Dexter's love for his son keeps him rolling around.

Although Hank may not be a serial killer, he possesses an uncanny knack for inflicting damage on anyone with whom he comes into contact. Within a 24-hour period, his daughter and her best friends get high on his stash. He injures the father of the best friend and, best of all, helps lead a raging alcoholic right back to the bottle

It's funny but after years of watching shows like The Sopranos, Deadwood, Band of Brothers, and Rome on Sunday nights, I confess that last week's double feature of HBO comedy felt strange and oddly dissatisfying.