Lately there has been some speculation on the future of Dexter.  The contention is, basically, this:  Michael C. Hall’s team has put a salary requirement of $24 million for the next two seasons of the show, and Showtime is only willing to pay $20 million.  The situation is referred to as a “stalemate”.

Here are some points to clarify, so that folks can understand the situation a bit more:

Firstly, Michael C. Hall is an enormous draw, on a pay-access network.  In this business model, he is a direct source of revenue, not an attribute that is used to lure advertising revenue.  In other words, his performance is directly related to the product, not just to the marketability of the product.

He’s been clear that he has ambitions on Broadway.  So far, he’s done television for most of his public-facing career, including a battle with cancer, and divorce.  Both of those were, by the way, during his run with Dexter.  Over time, bad experiences can color your enthusiasm, even if you’re professional as hell.

Finally, and this is the biggest point – according to this, and the show credits, Michael C. Hall is an executive producer on the show.  This means he’s invested in it behind the scenes, and is not just an actor in it.  He helps create the show at the very basic financial level, takes risks when it’s made, and profits when it airs; end of story.

This means that he isn’t some petulant actor bidding for more money, but better characterized as an investor who is ready to settle on an asset and go back to achieving forward career inertia.

A good way to maintain forward career inertia is to display your interest in concluding a business settlement, most often in terms of increasing expenses for your retainer.  It’s known as a position of strength – you are either willing to walk away to increase your gains, or you desire an overall conclusion, but are open to being persuaded to stay (in exchange for a more profitable renegotiation).