There's a hot new Dexter meme taking over social media just in time for the new series Dexter: Resurrection, and it's all about fan-favorite character, Detective Sergeant James Doakes.

Recently, memes using a variety of James Doakes reaction images have been going viral, and they all share the same punchline, "But you can't prove it."

So, what is the context behind the memes, and where did they come from? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The 'But You Can't Prove It' Meme?

The James Doakes "But You Can't Prove It" memes have been spreading online since as early as September 23rd, 2024. On that day, Redditor u/liyah4455 posted an image macro of Doakes driving a car under the caption, "How it feels when you're right but you can't prove it" to over 3,300 upvotes.

This was seemingly the first domino to set off the meme trend.

As it pertains to Dexter, the meme is a play on the character of Detective James Doakes (played by actor Erik King), who becomes aware that Dexter is a serial killer but is consistently unable to prove it.

From there, people started using this premise along with images of Doakes to joke about the things that they know but cannot prove.

How Is 'But You Can't Prove It' Used In Memes?

The meme really started to gain traction on TikTok throughout 2025. On TikTok, the memes take various images of Doakes with a serious or suspicious look on his face and pair them with captions about knowing something but not being able to prove it.

Some popular examples include captions like, "When bro says he's going Thailand for the food and beaches but you know the kind of man he is you just don't know how to prove it," and, "how it feels knowing that that one shop in your city is a money laundering scheme but you can't quite prove it."

Recently, the meme has moved from TikTok to sites like X / Twitter and Reddit.

What Are Some More 'But You Can't Prove It' Memes?

@goodguyglez has this happened to you? 😭 #relatable #coupletok ♬ Blood Theme (From "Dexter") – Carlos Marquez

@hanamijordana I want her too #fyp #kingjordana ♬ Blood Theme (From "Dexter") – Carlos Marquez

@mr.callback we all doing the same thing 🤣 #fypシ #fyp #foryoupage #trending #gta5 #gta6 #gta6trailer ♬ Blood Theme (From "Dexter") – Carlos Marquez

@swaggawastaken0

Dexter so goated

♬ original sound – swaggawastaken0

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For the full history of the 'But You Can't Prove It' Meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.