How Dexter Actor Erik King Feels About Those James Doakes Memes

All 11 seasons of "Dexter" have produced some memorable characters, but none of them are more meme-worthy than James Doakes (Erik King). The tightly-wound detective spends the show's first two seasons (rightfully) suspecting that Michael C. Hall's eponymous serial killer is the infamous Bay Harbor Butcher, leading to a confrontation where Doakes sneaks up behind him and says "surprise," followed by an expletive (that begins with the word "mother"), ultimately birthing a moment that has taken on a life of its own.

The scene in question (which can be found in the "Dexter" season 1 finale) led to King's character becoming a meme sensation, which caught the actor off guard at first. "It was weird," King recalled in an interview with Mental Floss. "I had never had a performance taken out of context before, so it took some getting used to. But I found it flattering."

Doakes' ultra-serious facial expressions on "Dexter" have also informed memes that are used to convey disapproval and/or questionable reactions to any given situation. Be that as it may, the aforementioned "surprise" moment is an island unto itself — and it's even appeared in recreated scenes from iconic movies and TV shows unrelated to "Dexter."

Erik King also recalled the exact moment he found out his "Dexter" character had transcended the Showtime crime drama. In the aforementioned interview with Mental Floss, the actor shared a story about a guy approaching him in a gym — where he was working out ahead of his return in the "Dexter" season 7 finale — and showing him a website where the infamous Doakes scene had been inserted into movies like "Ghost." That's when he knew the hard-nosed detective was a pop culture phenomenon.

"As an actor, it was arresting to me, and kind of weird that Doakes had taken on a life of his own," he told Mental Floss. "Now it's flattering. 'French fries, motherf***er,' all of that. I've seen it."

In hindsight, it's strange to think that Doakes was killed off on "Dexter" season 2, as the character's presence has never really left the franchise. This is partly due to his posthumous life as a meme sensation, but it can also be attributed to the show's creators bringing him back via flashbacks and dream sequences whenever the opportunity arises. Doakes is one of several deceased characters with cameos on "Dexter: Resurrection," where he can be found in a dream sequence while the eponymous antihero is in a coma. What's more, Doakes uses his famous line when he reintroduces himself to Dexter, but it was always going to happen.