The
location: Dexter takes Harrison to visit Santa
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The
location: Dexter takes Harrison to visit Santa |
Q. What is it actually in real life? A. A seaside shopping/dining center.
Q. Where can I find it in real life? A. This is good old Shoreline Village again, one of Dexter's favorite filming locations. Just two episodes earlier, they used this exact same spot in the Village for the scene of Matthews talking to LaGuerta at the Ocean Promenade boardwalk.
As
you stroll west along the boardwalk, towards the west end of the
Village, there's a small opening on your left between shops, a patio of
sorts, that leads through to the south parking lot -- and it's here that they
filmed this scene. There is a small stage here, some tables & chairs, restrooms, and of course the surrounding shops. That pink building seen behind Dex & Deb is an ice cream shop called "Ice Cream on the Boardwalk". The boardwalk runs along the Shoreline marina, so there's always a good nautical view. Over the years, they've filmed quite a few scenes here at Shoreline, starting back in Season One, when they filmed the scene
of the Ice Truck Killer's dismembered victim discovered under a
Christmas tree at another Santa's Land. (Shot in the exact same space.) They also filmed the comic book store scene in "The Dark Avenger" in Season 2, the scene where Dexter confronts a child stalker in Season 3, the scene of Astor getting busted for shoplifting in Season 5, the scene of Travis & Gellar at a nightclub in Season 6... You get the idea. And later this season, you'll
see another scene shot in the exact same spot, with Dexter taking young
Harrison to see Santa. (I was there when they filmed that one.) You'll find Shoreline Village
off Shoreline Drive, in Long Beach, next to the Shoreline Marina. (Yes, almost everything in
this neck of the woods is called Shoreline...) It's a short walk (west) through Rainbow Harbor to the Aquarium of the Pacific. The earlier scene of LaGuerta meeting with Matthews on his boat was nearby, out near the breakwater of the Shoreline Marina.
I
shot the photo below in 2009. The camera is looking east at the patio area where they filmed the scene. Here is an aerial
photo of the location. Here is a Bing StreetSide view. And here is a map link.
Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was? A.
I was there, on the spot, when they were about to film this scene. Shoreline Village is one of my favorite spots, and I know it like the back of my hand. So I would have recognized it, regardless. But back in September, I had heard that they were filming here again, so I dropped by to take a look. Strolling west along the Village boardwalk, I emerged from a crowd and ran smack into Michael C. Hall and Aimee Garcia (Jamie), sitting on director's chairs, waiting for filming to start, surrounded by the usual rush of extras, crew and cables (not to mention a lot of Christmas decorations). MCH was immersed in a cell phone conversation, and Aimee just looked a little bored. I didn't see Jennifer there (she must have been taking a break), so I was a little surprised when Debra showed up in the scene when the episode aired.
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Dexter screenshots from the show and all related characters & elements
are trademarks of and © Showtime.
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