DVD Review: Dexter Season 1

    For starters, Dexter is able to extinguish itself adequately from all of the other crime dramas out there by its unique take on the main character Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall).  Sure, he's an upstanding guy who does an unusually thorough job of crafting a crime scene based on just blood alone, but he also as a darker side... another more disturbing side if you will.  From beginning to end, the show focuses mainly on Dexter's disturbing desires to kill all the while trying to show us a more noble side of him that is deeply involved in trying to catch another serial killer like himself.  From there, Dexter takes over and shows the world through his eyes and what we see is a place of crime and despicable human beings which transitions into Dexter stalking and eventually killing his victims in some very satisfying and twisted ways.  However, what makes this show wholly unique and captivating is the actual "personality" that Dexter conveys so precisely and realistically its almost as if we are actually following a fully fledged and trained killer.  Albeit a vigilante killer who is more than just a psychopath with an  obsession with blood.  It goes much deeper than that, with Dexter assuming the role of actual human being at times when situation calls for it, and how portrays this false of himself to all of his co workers and even his sister.  Its almost as if he is putting on an invisible mask which only Dexter knows he is wearing and feels no shame that he is deceivingly fooling these people on a regular basis.  As a result, we get to see Dexter an emotionless and amused psychopath who views the world as his own personal carnival.

    Of course, Dexter would be nothing without a solid cast of characters who are able to interact with Dexter in multiple ways other than just saying "hi" to him when he comes in the office every morning.  Between Dexter's loud mouthed and up in your face Dexter Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter); who admires Dexter while at the same time envying because he gets all of the glory and praise.  To Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King), a hard ass cop who from the beginning despises Dexter for being an unusual and secretive person and also for the fact he is just an asshole in general to everybody around him. This results in some pretty amusing and at times hilarious dialogue, which gives Doakes as a character more staying power and really pressures Dexter to act as human as possible in a world where serial killers are highly frowned upon.  Other characters such as Angel Batista(David Zayas) and Vince Masuka (C.S. Lee) do an outstanding job at attempting to be Dexter's "friends" all the while initiating some pretty raunchy dialogue which makes Dexter roll his eyes and wonder: "why do these guys even try?" Finally, Dexter's love interest Rita Bennett(Julie Benz) does an especially good job at interacting with Dexter in that she understands him and his unusual quirks.  Sure, she never finds out about his killing ways, but its at least nice to see that Dexter can be a little vulnerable around someone, even its only for brief moment.  As a result, we get the feeling that Dexter is more than trying to be human just to avoid being noticed, to some degree he does it because he wants to fit in and be understood and this is especially apparent when he is around Rita and her two children. Overall, acting is top notch with hardly any issues mess ups to speak of which is usually unheard of espicially in tv dramas where at least on character mucks up there performance.

    Story wise for this season, it presents itself from the perspective of Dexter and his search for a very unusual serial killer known as the "Ice Truck Killer".  At first Dexter gets a little pissed off because there is no blood at any of the crime scenes which is both his profession and his aphrodisiac.  However, Dexter, in time, comes to admire this twisted killer and his methods which eventually evolves in the two forming a bond of some type with the killer leaving Dexter little "presents" which he hides conveniently hides in his freezer where he can admire them privately in his own twisted in disturbed manner.  Of course, the plot takes several twists and turns which involve Dexter coming to realize who he is and why and where the desire came to kill so easily.  From there, its all about Dexter trying to track down this maniac and why he feels such a comfort around all of the crimes and why this killer as take such a particular interest in him.

    Really though, at its bare bones Dexter is really nothing more than a twisted tale of the life of a serial killer, and for me, that was more than enough to get me hooked.  Between the way the story is told in such a disturbing and twisted fashion which almost makes you feel like you yourself are bonding with Dexter on a personal level, to the level at which suspenseful and twists are conveyed and thought out, this a nearly flawless performance any way you look at it.  So, if your looking for a crime drama, that has more than suave lead investigator Dexter is right up your alley.  Between its masterful storytelling and stellar casting and acting, you shouldn't deny yourself the twisted and exotic world or Dexter Morgan....a professional blood investigator by day  and a demented, psychopath by night who will win you over in this masterpiece of murder and deceit.

    For starters, Dexter is able to extinguish itself adequately from all of the other crime dramas out there by its unique take on the main character Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall).  Sure, he's an upstanding guy who does an unusually thorough job of crafting a crime scene based on just blood alone, but he also as a darker side... another more disturbing side if you will.  From beginning to end, the show focuses mainly on Dexter's disturbing desires to kill all the while trying to show us a more noble side of him that is deeply involved in trying to catch another serial killer like himself.  From there, Dexter takes over and shows the world through his eyes and what we see is a place of crime and despicable human beings which transitions into Dexter stalking and eventually killing his victims in some very satisfying and twisted ways.  However, what makes this show wholly unique and captivating is the actual "personality" that Dexter conveys so precisely and realistically its almost as if we are actually following a fully fledged and trained killer.  Albeit a vigilante killer who is more than just a psychopath with an  obsession with blood.  It goes much deeper than that, with Dexter assuming the role of actual human being at times when situation calls for it, and how portrays this false of himself to all of his co workers and even his sister.  Its almost as if he is putting on an invisible mask which only Dexter knows he is wearing and feels no shame that he is deceivingly fooling these people on a regular basis.  As a result, we get to see Dexter an emotionless and amused psychopath who views the world as his own personal carnival.

    Of course, Dexter would be nothing without a solid cast of characters who are able to interact with Dexter in multiple ways other than just saying "hi" to him when he comes in the office every morning.  Between Dexter's loud mouthed and up in your face Dexter Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter); who admires Dexter while at the same time envying because he gets all of the glory and praise.  To Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King), a hard ass cop who from the beginning despises Dexter for being an unusual and secretive person and also for the fact he is just an asshole in general to everybody around him. This results in some pretty amusing and at times hilarious dialogue, which gives Doakes as a character more staying power and really pressures Dexter to act as human as possible in a world where serial killers are highly frowned upon.  Other characters such as Angel Batista(David Zayas) and Vince Masuka (C.S. Lee) do an outstanding job at attempting to be Dexter's "friends" all the while initiating some pretty raunchy dialogue which makes Dexter roll his eyes and wonder: "why do these guys even try?" Finally, Dexter's love interest Rita Bennett(Julie Benz) does an especially good job at interacting with Dexter in that she understands him and his unusual quirks.  Sure, she never finds out about his killing ways, but its at least nice to see that Dexter can be a little vulnerable around someone, even its only for brief moment.  As a result, we get the feeling that Dexter is more than trying to be human just to avoid being noticed, to some degree he does it because he wants to fit in and be understood and this is especially apparent when he is around Rita and her two children. Overall, acting is top notch with hardly any issues mess ups to speak of which is usually unheard of espicially in tv dramas where at least on character mucks up there performance.

    Story wise for this season, it presents itself from the perspective of Dexter and his search for a very unusual serial killer known as the "Ice Truck Killer".  At first Dexter gets a little pissed off because there is no blood at any of the crime scenes which is both his profession and his aphrodisiac.  However, Dexter, in time, comes to admire this twisted killer and his methods which eventually evolves in the two forming a bond of some type with the killer leaving Dexter little "presents" which he hides conveniently hides in his freezer where he can admire them privately in his own twisted in disturbed manner.  Of course, the plot takes several twists and turns which involve Dexter coming to realize who he is and why and where the desire came to kill so easily.  From there, its all about Dexter trying to track down this maniac and why he feels such a comfort around all of the crimes and why this killer as take such a particular interest in him.

    Really though, at its bare bones Dexter is really nothing more than a twisted tale of the life of a serial killer, and for me, that was more than enough to get me hooked.  Between the way the story is told in such a disturbing and twisted fashion which almost makes you feel like you yourself are bonding with Dexter on a personal level, to the level at which suspenseful and twists are conveyed and thought out, this a nearly flawless performance any way you look at it.  So, if your looking for a crime drama, that has more than suave lead investigator Dexter is right up your alley.  Between its masterful storytelling and stellar casting and acting, you shouldn't deny yourself the twisted and exotic world or Dexter Morgan....a professional blood investigator by day  and a demented, psychopath by night who will win you over in this masterpiece of murder and deceit.