Keith Carradine was notable for playing Agent Frank Lundy in two seasons of Dexter but, oddly enough, he was playing a serial killer on Criminal Minds at the same time. Criminal Minds and Dexter showcased two different sides to the criminal justice system; the hunted serial killers and the agents hunting them. Criminal Minds followed the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, tracking down serial killers before they reach their next victim. Dexter is a constructional flip, following a serial killer who works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department, still helping catch killers while taking justice into his own hands and avoiding suspicion.
Before getting involved in either series, Keith Carradine came to fame after his featured role in the musical Nashville (1975) as Tom Frank, as well as for being a member of the Carradine family acting dynasty. He then grew into more criminal film roles as homicidal sociopaths, petty criminals, candid madmen, and a few good guy cowboy parts sprinkled in. Carradine is notable for his less emotive acting, which can come in handy for either playing an antisocial, suspicious villain or a candid, no-nonsense policeman. In 2007, two of the most popular crime shows decided to use Carradine’s good-guy/bad-guy flip image at the same time, whose characters’ names both happen to be Frank.
In a rare occurrence for the show, Carradine was cast in a two-episode recurring killer role during Criminal Minds’ second season as Frank Breitkopf. Simultaneously on Dexter’s second season, Carradine portrays a much more active role as FBI Agent Frank Lundy, who is sent to Miami to hunt the Bay Harbor Butcher, which happens to be Dexter Morgan himself. In an ironic twist, Carradine was playing the hunted serial killer on Criminal Minds while also portraying a serial killer hunter on Dexter. Carradine’s typical straight-faced, candid demeanor makes him seem more apt for the killer role, which is a trait that made his Dexter character suspicious even though he’s supposed to be the good guy.
For fans of Criminal Minds watching Dexter for the first time, it’s hard not to suspect Lundy as a possible villain when remembering the cruel character he portrayed in the former series. He’s skeptical of Dexter and begins a relationship with his sister Debra Morgan, which happened to be the M.O. of season 1’s Ice Truck Killer. Season 2 ends with no FBI disaster and Lundy returns in season 4 to hunt Dexter’s big bad villain The Trinity Killer, Carradine is trusted as a meticulous, yet skeptical good guy. In contrast, Carradine played one of the most prolific, vile killers the BAU ever hunted considering he had over 177 victims and began to torture the FBI’s own Agent Jason Gideon. In both shows, his roles surprised those around him by having an unsuspecting romantic connection with another female character.
In Criminal Minds and Dexter, Carradine’s character is murdered by a serial killer – though one of them happens to be suicide. Similarly, both his serial killer and FBI agent roles died for love; Frank Breitkopf committed suicide with his would-be victim to be together in the afterlife, while Lundy was murdered after finally reconciling with Debra Morgan due to The Trinity Killer’s daughter wanting to protect her father. Carradine’s ability to portray both characters to perfection at the same time is a testament to his talent, which Criminal Minds and Dexter giving him great material to work with.
