A good-looking man who has a terrible secret.
Sounds like the premise of a decent show, right?
What if that secret is that he’s a serial killer, that just so happens to murder felons who slip through the cracks of the justice system?
What if he’s also a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police and a master of jujitsu, while graduating at the top of his class at medical school?
Sounds like an amazing premise for an unforgettable show, right?
Well it is.
Based on the series of books written by Jeff Lindsay, “Dexter†is easily one of the best shows on cable today, thanks to top-tier writing, a great list of supporting actors and the work of Michael C. Hall [Gamer, Six Feet Under], which can only be described as exceptional. While the show is currently on hiatus until the fourth season begins on Sept. 27, the first season on DVD is the perfect place for new fans to get hooked and an even better place for hardcore Dextrites to relive their favorite moments of the series.
Feeling like a combination of a crime drama and a murder mystery, “Dexter†has better production values than any other show currently on television. The acting and writing alone is enough to make the show truly great, but when you had in a stellar sense of style and music that truly sets the scene, you have a one of a kind program that hooks audiences from the opening credits to the last second and forces them to ask for more.
All these elements aside however, the show’s driving force is Hall, who is so engaging as the lovably-menacing Dexter Morgan that you’ll actually find yourself rooting for him throughout the show. It doesn’t matter who he’s up against: A great cop who finds out his secret or the ex-husband of the woman he’s dating; they’ll have to die so our tormented soul of a main character can continue to fulfill his life’s purpose. The pacing of the show also manages to always be a step a head and secrets are always spilled at just the right interval, making each episode of Morgan’s journey memorable and engaging in its own way.
Getting this to happen is no easy task, but Hall is that good and it never gets old. Add in solid supporting spots from Julie Benz [Saw V, Rambo] and Julie Carpenter [The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Quarantine], as well as the always solid James Remar [The Warriors, Battlestar Galactica] and the surprisingly vulgar, yet charming Erik King as Sergeant James Doakes and you have a cast that ranks as one of the most talented in television history.
If that wasn’t enough, the DVD also features excellent commentary on the final episode of the season, which explains many of the facets of the program. This alone makes the DVD a must-buy for fans of the series.
All this considered, with the fourth season a few months away, there’s no better time to get acquainted with the savagely-good time “Dexter†is. It’s bloody, scary and shocking, but simultaneously provocative, intelligent and savvy. Shows like this come along once in a decade and chances are you’ll be dead by the time something this solid comes along again.
At least if you experience the show for yourself, you’ll know who the culprit is.
It’ll be an enjoyable last few hours too.
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