The 'Doakes Was the Bay Harbor Butcher' meme stems from a pivotal plot point in the Showtime series Dexter, where the protagonist Dexter Morgan successfully frames his rival, Sergeant James Doakes, for his own serial killing spree. This narrative twist transformed Doakes from a suspicious antagonist into a tragic scapegoat, sparking endless internet discourse and memes about his iconic catchphrases and the absurdity of the frame-up. In meme culture, it is often used to represent situations where someone is blamed for something they didn't do, or to mock obvious deceptions that people are forced to accept as truth. It frequently overlaps with the legendary 'Surprise Motherfucker' meme, celebrating the intense and often unintentionally hilarious performance of actor Erik King.