Dexter Morgan wears a mask – not a literal mask, but a metaphorical one. To the everyday world he’s a talented (if slightly odd) blood spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department, but by night he’s a cold-blooded serial killer. And you know what? Serial killing can be a very sexy thing.
Dexter – Season OneWhat: All 12 first-season episodes of Showtime’s masterful, compelling crime drama about a vigilante serial killer come to network TV. When: Sundays at 10 p.m. on CBS Rating: 5 stars out of 5 |
From the very start, Showtime’s cult drama “Dexter,” which makes its network TV debut this Sunday on CBS, flips the crime genre on its head; by featuring a killer as its main character, the show is asking audiences to root for someone working outside the law, and Dexter’s position on the police force puts him in a particularly unique situation.
Despite Dexter’s dark secret, it’s impossible not to like him; after all, he’s played by the irresistible and charming Michael C. Hall. The fact that Dexter has a moral code, one that forces him to kill only murderers, makes it even easier to accept him.
Even as he’s striking down victims or playing a cat-and-mouse game with a fellow serial killer, Dexter is captivating and seductive without even trying. His actions exude a quality of necessity and immediacy – as if killing is a replacement for a normal human’s primal sexual urges. Dexter even plainly states that he kills because he has to.
Amidst all the killing, “Dexter” is a compelling human drama. Dexter doesn’t have emotions (or at least not to the degree that most people do), so watching him feels like watching an alien learning how to be human. His position outside the realm of typical humanity gives him a keen perspective into the human condition, allowing for a depth of insight and character development not present in most shows.
The interaction between Dexter and the show’s female characters is especially fascinating. Dexter has a girlfriend, Rita, but her feelings of sadness, love and lust are all lost on Dexter. Sexual urges in particular are unfamiliar because Dexter’s urges typically involve killing.
On top of all this, the first season features a season-long story arc involving the hunt for an elusive Miami serial killer with an unusual method of killing. This works to draw viewers even further into an already engrossing drama, and as the season winds on and the mystery behind the killer unravels, the show’s irresistible storytelling only gets better.
Everything about “Dexter” is must-see, and it will challenge viewers’ ideas of morality and heroism and what a typical TV show should be. Don’t miss an opportunity to see one of the best shows on TV.
A writers’ strike is never a good thing, but Dexter’s arrival on CBS is undoubtedly a bright spot in an otherwise bleak environment. Network TV will never be the same.