By Jason Haskins
Welcome to our newest column, the Small Screen Scene, where we examine and review whatever television show sets we can get our hands on. This week we look at the first season of Showtime's hit show, Dexter.
Michael C. Hall (who you may know as David from HBO's Six Feet Under), plays Dexter, a Miami forensics detective who's good in his field, primarily because he's a sociopathic serial killer. Through flashbacks that briefly take us out of the main plot, you see young Dexter as his foster dad tries to help him hone his skills and mask his true identity from the world. Daddy Dexter was a cop, too, and wanted to protect his foster son. Dexter's sister Debra is also a cop. She works with him and is completely in the dark to his ways of life.
However, he's not just any type of serial killer...he's more of a vigilante taking out the trash. Each episode sees him encountering certain truly evil people who are getting away with their nefarious deeds. He'll play judge, jury, and, most importantly, executioner to them. There are twelve episodes in the first season--each being about fifty or so minutes long--and the big plot of the season is that there's a killer going around draining his victims of their precious bodily fluids and leaving them in pieces. Things get interesting when this Ice Truck Killer starts toying with Dexter...and knows Dexter's dark secret...
The show is awesome because the writers keep it intense and interesting all the way through. Couple that with very dark humor that you'll be scolding yourself for laughing at and a sociopathic killer main character you creepily relate to and you have a recipe for an awesome experience. Hall is an extraordinary actor, which is easily seen by the fact that he strives (and succeeds) to not show any emotions whatsoever in his performance.
This plays a big part into his relationship with Julie Benz's character, Rita, and her kids. She's a recovering single mother of two kids who has grown close to Dexter after the abusive relationship she was in with her kids' father. There's a lot of drama when that d-bag shows up again--and is one of the most gripping aspects of the show. I actually really liked their relationship and how it flowed--as well as the irony behind it all. (Editors note- you're fucking crazy. Whenever Rita shows up I groan and am seriously tempted to skip the scene)
All in all, Dexter is very charming and very quirky, which gets on the nerves of some of his colleagues like Sergeant Doakes (Erik King) who has it in for him and is mighty suspicious. Other supporting characters include the Lieutenant Maria played by Lauren Velez who has a bone to pick with Dexter's sister for some odd reason. Angelo Batiste (David Zayas) is another investigator who's having marital issues and plays a very important role on the show for being Dexter's crutch and helping him out professionally.
One of the few things that drag down the show is some miscast characters and some tones that don't come across too well. The show is quite dark and bloody, with ample amounts of violence and stuff you'd expect from the concept. That means, of course, that this isn't a show for everyone--especially people who aren't accustomed to seeing this type of stuff as well as significant levels of vulgarity. There's not a whole lot of sex, but there is some to watch for. Some performances are sort of hammy and awkward with some bad chemistry combinations and secondary characters who don't carry the same torch as the main cast...but it's not necessarily something that really effects the overall experience.
My advice to you is to get it while it's hot. This first season was very entertaining and I can't believe I finished it in such a short amount of time--it was pretty addictive. Michael C. Hall really makes the show watchable ...and I'd say it's a great glimpse at Miamian culture, minus all of the worse qualities brought up in the show. If you think you've seen it all, then you must check out Dexter--it's truly one of the most memorable and intriguing shows I've come across.
5 out of 5 stars
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