Review of Dexter- And Not the Cartoon

Media Reviews


For any of you that have been paying attention to great cable shows, I'm sure you've heard of Dexter. Just like the title says, I'm not talking about the cartoon from the 90's (awesome as it was), I'm talking about the much darker, much grittier Dexter. If you have not experienced the show, or even trailers/season summaries for the show, then you should go check it out now. I'll wait.

Back? Great. So now you've experienced the awesomeness that is Dexter, prepare yourself for my in-depth and totally awesome review of the show (as a whole) so far.  Let's begin.

The show's premise is that of Dexter Morgan, a blood splatter analyst by day who lives and works in Miami, Florida, that, due to early childhood psychological trauma, feels the need to kill other people. However, thanks to his father Harry Morgan, a Miami Metro police officer, the need is caught early and knowing that his kind of urge is not one that will go away, Harry trains Dexter on how to take a life without being caught. He also gives Dexter a "Code" to follow so that he will not murder innocent people. Throughout the show, Dexter struggles with following this "Code", from taking extra steps to ensure that the people he plans to kill are absolutely guilty of some murder of their own, to straying from the Code and attempting to come back. I know some may find this whole premise to be too dark or too far, but the show does a very good job of making sure that the violence and macabre themes are acceptable within the context of the episode or season without going over the edge into the pure, unadulterated realm of "just-too-much".

Throughout the seasons, Dexter faces other serial killers, villains, and the underbelly of society as he works to fend off the urge to kill that always seems to get in the way of other things in his life such as his job and his relationships. This is the general premise of the show, and I must say that with a few exceptions (*cough* Season 3 and Season 5, *cough*), the show does an exception job of making each and every season new, fresh, and entertaining. The close calls, the thrill of the kill, the themes of life and death/light and dark, the balance between his urge and everything else, and the interactions of the characters in response to what is happening in the story are just a few of the elements that make this show what it is, and that is one dang awesome show. Though I have yet to finish Season 6, and issue that will soon be rectified, I have seen the other 5 seasons and I can certainly say that they are some of the best seasons of television available.

As I'm sure you saw above, a couple of the seasons are not as good as the others. If I had to rank each season, this is how I would recommend them:

1. Season 1 Hands down. Nothing else compares.
2. Season 4 The acting and story of the season is just phenomenal. 
3. Season 6 The ending to this season is just too game-changing to ignore.
4. Season 7 The newest season, while very different from the others, is engaging and gripping.
5. Season 2 As much as everyone hated one character in this season, I personally enjoyed it.
6. Season 3 Much as I love Jimmy Smitts, this season wasn't the greatest, but still good.
7. Season 5 All the seasons are good, but the others are better than this one. Still loved it though.

Now, as I've said, all of the seasons are good, but some are better than others. I'm sure most of you who have seen them all will probably agree with this listing of the seasons, though personal taste may lead to some differences in the later season choices. But nevertheless, I highly, highly recommend all 6 seasons, and cannot wait for the seventh season to come out in September. Rumor has it that the show will only run for two more seasons, so I recommend that you jump on the bandwagon as soon as possible!

-M