If you find blood and guts disturbing, then Dexter is not for you. If you are willing, however, to look beyond that the show offers an interest reexamination of the meaning of “hero.” After all, the main character is a serial killer. He cuts people up, because he likes to, or maybe he has to. Now, he only cuts up bad guys, but does that make him good, or just less evil? This show manages to make the everyday creepy (the opening credits are very David Lynch) and the creepy seem perfectly normal.
I was expecting the series to be more episodic, a one murder per episode sort of thing, sortof like like Monk, but well, different. Instead the series immediately jumps into an overarching plot that drives it through it’s first season. There’s still time for catching the occasional bad guy and doing the whole Seran wrap thing. An overarching plot gives much more opportunity for cliffhangers. I’m only one episode into the second season and it’s already shown that’s going to be a roller coaster ride of suspense.
Dexter himself is backed by an elaborate set of characters who, beyond their own stories serve as a sounding board for Dexter’s own unique version of human behavior and understanding. There’s the foul mouthed sister who loves her brother but also resents his stronger connection to their father. The girlfriend who, having escaped an abusive husband, finds comfort in Dexter. (The number of if-only-she-knew-the-truth moments in this relationship is mindboggling.) The suspicious detective, the only one who sees the dark side to Dexter but can’t prove any of it. Plus many others.
This is a show I highly recommend, too bad it isn’t on Hulu, go rent the DVDs.
The cohesion of Season 1\’s plot stems largely from its literary source, Darkly Dreaming Dexter.
Season 2, while suspenseful, had its irritating moments. Namely, Lyla (just wait). Whatever you do, bear through it to get to Season 3, which stars the guy who played Bail Organa in Star Wars…only he\’s in a way different role.
I\’m really looking forward to Season 4. It\’s a great thing that one of my friend\’s family back home are such big Dexter fans (or else I would have never had the Dexter marathon earlier this year).