DEXTER {Season 1} (DVD Review) - 3/5/09

Having seen the US Production Company 'Showtime' was attached to this (The same company that made the US version of "Queer As Folk") I certainly knew that we had a new series here that would be intelligent and fairly sophisticated. I had already read & heard a lot about 'Dexter' so gave it a whirl. I have often said a pilot episode needs a decent hook to get the viewer interested (Unlike the dreadful 'Dr. Who' TV movie that did not even try using a decent hook even with its luminous wealth of background story to choose from) and so it was with 'Dexter'. Using the classic Hitchcock McGuffin we get carefully pulled into the ingenious tableau laid before us but unlike the usual McGuffin this takes an intricate turn and eventually becomes an integral part of the proceedings with an eventual reveal as well. The stylings of the lead character of a man who has to emulate human feelings to fit in as he has none of his own; flies off at a tangent, with the theme of him being a serial killer killing serial killers. (A theme that has been used before but is excelled at here with 'Dexter') The 12 quality episodes not only have a disturbing feeling about them (Particularly the opening title sequences) but seem very concise with nothing wasted. Unlike a lot of really crappy series we don't have an obligatory cliff-hanger at the end but enough to satisfy, but still giving you a feeling of wanting more. If I had the other series on hand I would be already plowing into it. So I hope to get it soon and start in on the second series. Series Three is already in the can and Series 4 & 5 have been greenlit.

The First Season of 'Dexter' has a Forensic Specialist working for the police who just happens to be a serial killer killing off other serial killers. Getting involved with a killer who he can't catch sets up a story arc that covers a wealth of hidden agendas in more ways than one. Unfortunately the UK version seems to be pretty bare-bones on the Special Features front with just some Audio Commentaries. Even for such a quality show as this I would have thought some sort of effort could have been made to flesh out the behind the scenes stuff for this show?