Sergeant James Doakes didn’t just return to Dexter‘s sequel show, Dexter: Resurrection, but he also returned to the meme culture recently. When the original show aired in the mid-2000s, Erik King‘s character, with his no-nonsense attitude and sharp instincts, was a standout for audiences. Doakes was the only one who consistently suspected Dexter Morgan of hiding something sinister.
He became internet-famous thanks to one unforgettable line from the film, “Surprise, motherf**ker!” The line sparked the creativity of many fans online, with them remixing it into several variations. At the time, we could easily find the lines “Fries, motherf**ker!” or “Supplies, motherf**ker!” in ads, highlighting the popularity of the meme.
Fast forward a decade, and the internet has resurrected the Doakes memes once again. This time, the internet made memes out of his facial expressions from the show. The new ‘But you can’t prove it’ format emerged in late 2024, when Redditor u/liyah4455 used an image of Doakes driving a car with the caption, “How it feels when you’re right but you can’t prove it” (via Instagram).
King’s character is convinced that his colleague Dexter, played by Michael C. Hall, is a serial killer, but is unable to prove it. So, where did his face appear on memes? Here are a few examples:
How it feels to know Triple H is sabotaging Cena's retirement tour but you can't prove it pic.twitter.com/soFModvV37
When you know your crush likes you back but you can't quite prove it yet pic.twitter.com/pjKbZOBRoC
When you know that they ignore your posts but you just can't prove it. pic.twitter.com/KC6W7Q2D1g
How you look at bro when you know he sold but you just can’t prove it pic.twitter.com/G90edn3e3Z
when you know the shortlisted person is shortlisted completely on the basis of luck but you just can't prove it yet pic.twitter.com/y9erY0QWMj
There were also other memes that went viral with other stills of Doakes from the show. Here are a few of them compiled together on Instagram:
A post shared by Culture Rated (@cultureratedpv)
What’s fascinating is that Doakes is now tied to two completely different eras and dominated two generations of meme culture. He may not have survived the events of Dexter, but his internet legacy became stronger than that of his show.
The Character Behind the Meme: Sergeant James Doakes from Dexter
Erik King’s James Doakes quickly became the main antagonist of Dexter in its first two seasons, after he figured out that Dexter Morgan was secretly the Bay Harbor Butcher. Doakes began pursuing Dexter in his attempts to prove that he is a serial killer. And Dexter tried to constantly evade and sabotage his sergeant’s investigation.
By the end of Season 1, several incidents lead Doakes to be suspicious of Dexter. He is hyper-vigilant around Dexter and begins following him around in secret. Doakes is almost convinced that Dexter’s dark secret is that he was a drug addict after he saw him attend a Narcotics Anonymous meeting.
However, when Dexter’s sister Debra revealed that he had never tried a cigarette in his life, Doakes became even more suspicious. He begins suspecting Dexter to be the Bay Harbor Butcher. He confirms it after stumbling upon Santos Jimenez’s remains and Dexter’s blood slide collection box.
However, when he leaves Miami to get the blood slide tested, everyone believes him to be the Bay Harbor Butcher. Dexter locks him in Jimenez’s cabin when Doakes tries to apprehend him. They go through an adventure together when two drug runners capture Doakes. However, soon after that, Dexter imprisons Doakes once again.
Dexter isn’t sure about what to do with Doakes. Sadly, Dexter’s former lover, Lila Tournay, finds Jimenez’s cabin and blows it up with Doakes in it. It is officially concluded after Doakes’ death that he is the Bay Harbor Butcher. Dexter avenges Doakes when he kills Lila in Paris and later attends his funeral discreetly.
Erik King’s Movie Career Has Several Television Roles Besides Dexter
Before his fame from Dexter, Erik King was part of TV shows of the ’90s, including Matlock, NYPD Blue, and JAG. He even appeared on an episode of Law & Order. He played Investigator Bobby Davison for 17 episodes in the show, Missing Persons.
His most popular role before Sergeant James Doakes was as Moses Deyell in the HBO show, Oz. He appeared in episodes of CSI: Miami, The Twilight Zone, Charmed, and Malcolm in the Middle before his Dexter appearance. He followed it up with roles in Banshee, The Oath, and The Good Fight.
King was also part of several movies, including Casualties of War, Desperate Measures, True Crime, and National Treasure. King earned a Saturn Award nomination for his role in Dexter. He once shared about his role in the series (via TMDB):
What I love about Sgt. Doakes is that when you run into a cop, a lot of them are fair, even-minded guys; but there are a lot of guys who are hard-asses and I love the fact that I get to play it.
He recently appeared in the sequel series, Dexter: Resurrection, in the episode, A Beating Heart…
What do you think of all the memes about Erik King’s character from Dexter? Let us know in the comments below!
Dexter and Dexter: Resurrection is now available for streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime, Paramount+ with Apple TV, or Paramount+ with Prime Video.
