Doomsday Tableaus
Doomsday Tableaus were brutal crimes scenes investigated by Miami Metro Homicide in Season Six of Showtime's series DEXTER.
They were inspired by the Book of Revelation.
Joey Quinn: "I'm sorry, Tab-lows?"
Mike Anderson: "It's a theatrical term referring to a picturesque group of people or objects."
Joey Quinn: "All this time I just thought they were called Crime Scenes."
Dexter Morgan: "It's more than just a crime scene. Everything he's showing us has meaning, the positioning of the bodies to the clothes he puts on the victims. Nothing's by accident."
Mike Anderson: "Exactly."
The Doomsday Killer[]
The man responsible for the Doomsday Tableaus was Travis Marshall, a psychologically disturbed man with violent tendencies. While as a student of Professor James Gellar, a professor of religious studies, Travis developed a deep belief in Revelation and began to view himself as one of the Two Witnesses. To prove this, he stabbed the "second witness" (Professor James Gellar) with the Sword of John the Revelator to show that Gellar was invincible. However, Gellar died. Travis then hid his body inside a freezer in an old church, and shut out this memory. Travis began to interact with hallucinations of Professor Gellar, while also experiencing brief periods of amnesia. Travis dedicated himself to completing all of the tableaus in order to bring on the End of Days.
Concepts in the Tableaus[]
A list of individuals, objects, and concepts used in creation of the Tableaus
- The Tableaus (each with a sacrifice) were committed as steps in a process that, when completed, would trigger the End of Days.
- Book of Revelation - The prime source of information regarding the End of Days, this text was deciphered into a Code that could bring about the End of the World by enacting seven signs or sacrifices.
- John the Revelator (aka John of Patmos) - The author of the Book of Revelation, exiled to a Greek Island.
- Sword of John the Revelator - An ancient sword that belonged to John the Revelator and is used in several of the Tableaus to kill the victims.
- Two Witnesses - Two individuals, represented as Travis Marshall and Professor Gellar who are meant to commit each Tableau in preparation of the End of Days. Ultimately, there is only one man, as the other was killed in an attempt at proving "inability of death."
- The False Prophet - An individual, represented as Dexter Morgan, who is said to mislead the Witnesses, but is ultimately cast into The Lake of Fire with The Beast.
- The Beast - The antichrist, whose minion The False Prophet aides in the End of Days. After Dexter creates his own personal "Tableau," Travis Marshall decides that Dexter is The Beast, rather than The False Prophet.
Seven Major Tableaus[]
The Seven-Headed Serpent[]
Main article: The Seven Headed Serpent
- The Seven Headed Serpent (second Tableau shown, but the first shown victim) The body of Omar Rivera was found washed ashore. His intestines had been removed and replaced with seven baby snakes, which emerged when Dexter Morgan cut open stitching on his body. The snakes were captured and taken to the lab.
The Seven Headed Serpent by Dave Lebow
The Four Horsemen[]
Main article: The Four Horsemen
- The Four Horsemen (third Tableau shown, but the second shown victim) Nathan Roberts was caught and killed, his body dismembered into six parts (head, torso, legs and arms), and then sewn onto mannequin bodies. The mannequins were set astride four horses which rode into town, dressed in ceremonial garb.
The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse by Dave Lebow
The Angel of Death[]
Main article: The Angel of Death
- The Angel of Death (fourth Tableau shown, but the third shown victim) Erin Baer, unfortunately, became the third victim after Travis Marshall slept with her and then set her up (gagged, with angel wings) in a trap inside a greenhouse. Ensuring that he didn't kill her by her own hand, a tripwire was set in place, which a police officer triggered and led to her dying by a spiked collar piercing her throat. A swarm of locusts was then released from a nearby cupboard.
Angel Of Death by Dave Lebow
the Whore of Babylon[]
Main article: The Whore of Babylon
- The Whore of Babylon (fifth Tableau shown, but the fourth shown victim) Originally, Holly Benson was the targeted "whore" and forced to drink the blood of the "Saints" aka the Two Witnesses. Travis Marshall released her after feeling sympathy. Following this decision, Travis chose his own sister, Lisa Marshall, unconsciously as "Professor Gellar." After ending her life, he left Lisa displayed among alligator skulls with unknown writing carved into her forehead.
The Whore of Babylon by Dave Lebow
The Bowls of Wrath[]
Main article: The Bowls of Wrath
- The Bowls of Wrath (sixth Tableau shown, but the fifth shown victim) Trent Casey became the targeted victim due to his views on religion as an atheist. He was thus killed, having his insides cut out while one of his hands was also removed. Seven bowls of blood were set up around the top of the stage where he was found. They were tripped when his arm was moved, forcing the blood to pour down on those at the scene.
The Bowls of Wrath by Dave Lebow
The Wormwood[]
Main article: The Wormwood
- The Wormwood (seventh Tableau shown, but the sixth to contain a victim...although intended to contain multiple) It involved Wormwood (poison gas canister) carried by Beth Dorsey to the Miami Metro Police Department. Ultimately, only Beth's life was lost in the incident, thanks to interference by Dexter Morgan.
Wormwood by Dave Lebow
The Lake of Fire[]
Main article: The Lake of Fire
- The Lake of Fire (the last Tableau, but the intended victim escaped) It served as the place where the The False Prophet and The Beast himself were to be hurled into a flaming circle on water. The tableau was unsuccessful as Dexter Morgan managed to escape just before the explosion.
The Beast by Dave Lebow
Dexter as The Beast by Dave Lebow
Two Minor Tableaus[]
There are also two minor Tableaus that don't have portraits -- The Scales of Justice and The Lamb. The Scales of Justice and The Seven Headed Serpent shared the same victim. The Lamb was an early experiment of Professor James Gellar with Carissa Porter which was later utilized in Travis' last Tableau where he tried to sacrifice Dexter's son, Harrison.
The Scales of Justice[]
Main Article: The Scales of Justice
- The Scales of Justice was the very first Tableau, and contained one victim, but not the whole body. Omar Rivera was targeted for this Tableau for unknown reasons (although it's suggested that his fruit vendor job and drug history was part of it). The intestines of Omar Rivera were removed from his body and placed on a scale used to represent God's judgement of mankind.
The Lamb[]
Main article: The Lamb
- The Lamb (the true last Tableau, but the intended victim wasn't killed). A being of innocence was meant to be sacrificed in the last step to initiate the End of Days. The tableau was unsuccessful in ending the intended target's life, Harrison Morgan, as he was rescued by his father, Dexter, just before Travis was going to kill him. However, a policeman was murdered by Travis at the scene before Dexter arrived.
Dexter's Tableau[]
To attract Travis Marshall's attention, Dexter created his own tableau at the Miami Cultural Center. He attached the three-year-old hand of Professor James Gellar to an angel statue and painted the number "666" in blood on its forehead. This led to Travis viewing Dexter as The Beast. ("Talk to the Hand")
Victims of Tableaus[]
People who have died as a result of involvement in one form or another with the Tableaus:
- Professor James Gellar - Murdered by Travis Marshall, who thought he could survive being stabbed.
- Omar Rivera - Murdered by Travis Marshall, in order to create The Scales of Justice and for him to become The Seven Headed Serpent.
- Nathan Roberts - Murdered by Travis Marshall, in order to become The Four Horsemen.
- Erin Baer - Murdered by Travis Marshall, in order to become The Angel of Death.
- Lisa Marshall - Murdered by her brother, Travis Marshall, in order to become the new Whore of Babylon following the release of Holly Benson.
- Trent Casey - Murdered by Travis Marshall, in order to become The Bowls of Wrath.
- Holly Benson - Murdered by Travis Marshall and Steve Dorsey, intended to be The Whore of Babylon. Previously set free by Travis during a moment where he had control of himself, and later recaptured.
- Steve Dorsey - Killed by Dexter Morgan, who thought he was Travis Marshall.
- Beth Dorsey - Locked in a room by Dexter Morgan while trying to set off Wormwood.
- Uniform Cop (Transcorp) - Murdered by Travis Marshall when he interfered in his last Tableau - The Lamb.
Attempted Victims[]
- Unnamed woman - Failed to be abducted for The Whore of Babylon Tableau
- Dexter Morgan - Failed to be killed in The Lake of Fire Tableau
- Harrison Morgan - Failed to be killed in The Lamb Tableau
The Investigation[]
A list of the Detectives, Forensic Analysts, and Other Law Enforcement involved in the case:
- Dexter Morgan - Forensic Blood-Spatter Analyst
- Debra Morgan - Detective at start, Lieutenant preceding case during.
- Vince Masuka - Forensic Technician
- Angel Batista - Sergeant-Detective
- Mike Anderson - Detective
- Joey Quinn - Detective
- Michael Soderquist - Detective
- Israel Yale - Detective
- Peter Layton - Forensic Intern (dismissed)
- Ryan Chambers - Forensic Intern (dismissed)
- Louis Greene - Forensic Intern