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282 reviews in total

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923 out of 1000 people found the following review useful:
A Bloody Masterpiece!, 7 November 2006

Author: msperling from United States

Dexter will never disappoint. Each and every episode is a work of art, and it never gets boring or old. To start, we have excellent deliveries from Michael C. Hall as the serial killer (yet a like-able one) known as Dexter Morgan. Add "The Excorcism Of Emily Rose" star Jennifer Carpenter, who plays Dexter's sometimes moody sister, Deb.

It's a hard accomplishment to get someone to actually love a serial killer. But Dexter is one of those few attempts that works. It's not forced upon you- the show doesn't shove the whole "well this serial killer had a terrible childhood..." in your face. And it doesn't need to in order to get you to love its main character. You just do.

Michael C. Hall can play any emotion he's handed. Jennifer Carpenter fits her character perfectly, as does everyone else in the cast.

Then there's the actual story lines. It's not cliché. It's actually scary and chilling. It keeps you guessing. It's one of those mysteries that is very difficult to solve, but it still keeps your interest.

'Dexter' can also be hilarious when it wants to be, depressing when it wants to be and especially thrilling when it wants to be. And it doesn't come across as trying too hard.

Strong writing, clever dialogue, talented stars. It all makes for a wonderful TV show. Definitely the best new show of the season and will become one of the best shows of all time.

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547 out of 615 people found the following review useful:
A wonderful new look at the crime drama., 1 October 2006

Author: infiniter-1 from United States

I read Lindsay's excellent books - Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Dearly Devoted Dexter - some time ago, and when I heard that there was to be a series based on the books, I was extremely excited. So much so, in fact, that I feared disappointment merely because my standards were so high.

Thankfully, "Dexter" absolutely delivers. The show maintains the uncomfortable atmosphere of the novels with better fidelity than one could ever have expected, and Dexter (played by Hall) is all there.

The visual elements from the show are stunning, to say the least. Disturbing, certainly, but more than that - fascinating. Watching the show, it's impossible to keep from finding a certain agreement in oneself for Dexter. He's a monster, and yet it's completely possible to identify with him.

10 out of 10. This one has a permanent spot on my DVR.

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504 out of 558 people found the following review useful:
Addictive...had to get showtime after a taste on the freeview weekend!, 30 October 2006

Author: annette crawford from United States

Dexter is the show I have been waiting for my whole television watching life! The complex and damaged characters, the twisted plot line and Dexter's foster dad grooming him, educating him, to make him the perfect avenger,its all so intoxicating! I am breathlessly anticipating the next episode. This show is not only well acted, with each and every main character holding my full attention, but written with such deep intensity that I find it absolutely irresistible! I really find it difficult to wait and see more of how Dex was traumatized as a child, more of Harry's lessons, more of the growing relationship with Rita, more of the ice truck killer, more forensics...More of this great show period. Kudos to all involved...this show will surely be a huge hit!

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469 out of 551 people found the following review useful:
Wow, 1 October 2006

Author: jlt3201 from United States

Absolutely brilliant. True to Jeff Lindsay's books. The visual contrast between the darkness of Dexter's secret life and and the gloss of Miami adds an almost surreal quality. Character development is right on the money, bringing out the background slowly so one can see the development of Dexter's sociopath personality and his confusion of human behavior compared to his own. Dexter is an actor in his own life; his relationships between co-workers and his personal life are well shown in the video media. The fact that he is a blood splatter expert This is a dark work, but set in the bizarre world of life in Miami is almost believable. Developers of this series should also look to Andrew Vachss's books.

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332 out of 384 people found the following review useful:
And the Emmy go to..., 27 October 2006

Author: johnnybangs from United States

Between Dexter and Weeds, Showtime has a corner on the original new shows market. Not only are both of these shows completely original and innovative, but they are REALLY good.

Dexter, in particular, should not be reviewed by anyone who hasn't seen more than three episodes. I almost feel as if the first episode in the series is a tad-bit melodramatic (note Dexter screaming in the face of his first victim) just to pull in viewers that otherwise need something more visceral than a great screenplay.

By two more episodes the viewer should be absolutely intoxicated by the complexity of the character Dexter and the acting of Michael C. Hall. His own co-stars admit to being almost "scared" by how well Hall absorbs his character. Personally, I think that without Hall's mastery of Dexter there would be nothing to watch. Don't get me wrong, the plot of this show is extremely intriguing (and original, to be redundant), but the excitement lies purely in the way Dexter/Hall responds to A) his girlfriend, B) blood, and C) other serial killers.

I think that it is very reasonable to chuckle at Dexter's attempts to "fit in" social situations and I believe the writers of this show planned on it. What I am still stuck on, however, is whether or not to cheer Dexter on in his methodology (serial killing serial killers). This had better be the first of many seasons, so spread the word.

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349 out of 438 people found the following review useful:
The Best Show on TV, 23 October 2006

Author: Eric M. Van (emvan@post.harvard.edu) from Watertown, Mass.

After four episodes, I'm ready to proclaim this the best show currently on TV, one that may someday rank with the likes of _The Sopranos_ and the first season of _Twin Peaks_ as a contender for the second best TV show ever (after the incomparable _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_; one of the show's producers and writers is former Buffy writer Drew Z. Greenberg, and the cast includes Buffy / Angel mainstay Julie Benz).

Dexter is a sociopath, someone with no human feelings and hence no natural, inner moral compass, and he has an unquenchable blood lust that drives him to kill. But he had the great grace to have been the adopted child of a police officer, who (as we see in terrific flashbacks) successfully instilled in him a complete moral code, which he adheres to on a strictly intellectual level. This is an utterly brilliant concept (which I assume derives from the novels it's based on), one that allows the writers to explore the nature of moral behavior and of what it means to be human (Dexter is, in a sense, an alien).

Another thing the show is doing brilliantly is moving at different speeds in parallel. There is a primary apparent season-long story arc (concerning a cat-and-mouse game between Dexter and a serial killer), and a a secondary arc involving Dexter's sister's police career. The first handful of episodes include a very powerful completed arc concerning one of Dexter's police colleagues and a local crime lord, while two of the four episodes so far have also included a self-contained story spliced among (and playing off) the ongoing ones. I've seen the future of TV season structuring, and this is it.

While the writing isn't quite up to the brilliance of the best of _House_, it's been excellent. The cast and production are terrific. The only reason you wouldn't want to watch this utterly brilliant show is the frequent use of extremely graphic images: there have probably been more severed body parts shown in these first four episodes than in the first four episodes of every other TV show on the air combined. If you can stomach that, tune it for a mesmerizing look at what makes us human -- or inhuman.

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297 out of 348 people found the following review useful:
Excellent, 22 October 2006

Author: lootmeg from Denmark

Dexter, a forensics expert at day, serial killer with a touch of vigilantism at night. Dexter is creating a believable and very detailed portrait of a, lets say troubled, sociopath. One of the parts about the show I like best is the emotions that normal people exhibit, thus forcing Dexter to mimic them. Good laugh when the emotions Dexter fake get real, and he is scared out of his mind, like in the relationship with his "girlfriend" Rita, mother of two and victim of her abusive ex-boyfriend. Also liked the acting of Jennifer Carpenter as Dexter's sister Debra, adds a nice touch colour to the show, without drifting into clichés.

Thrilling story, many details, and one of the best opening sequences ever.

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319 out of 396 people found the following review useful:
Hilarious show! Dark, dry humor with CSI's ..., 25 October 2006

Author: stonealee from United States

Dexter is hilarious; it is easily the best new show on TV! Dark, dry humor crops up in the most unexpected places, and the settings and dialogue are laced with CSI's pseudo-scientific appeal. While the show may appear to treat standard morality as irreverent, it is actually an excellent study of humanity at its best -- and worse.

The character of Dexter, a disassociated, psychopathic serial killer, is somewhat reminiscent of Data, the android in the Star Trek series. Dexter is devoid of normal, human emotion, and has to learn behaviors by rote. Seeing the world through his eyes enables us to closely examine what is "right" and what is "wrong." We have to pause and wonder about our own perception of reality.

Overall, the show is a side-splitting outlet for the vigilante/serial killer/dysfunctional being in all of us. Well done!

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303 out of 369 people found the following review useful:
Oodles of Potential....., 27 September 2006

Author: vilasia from United States

HBO Actors, HBO Directors, HBO Writers, and Showtime's willingness to take risks that HBO might not see as profitable these days (Carnivale + Deadwood R.I.P.) make for a killer combination in "Dexter," the new Sho Comedy/Drama about a Serial Killer Killing Serial Killer (you read right). In my opinion, Showtime has always had a hard time producing an original series that's truly original and good, so it's incredibly refreshing to see the network pull such a "Hail Mary" move and come out on top. "Dexter" is, without spoiling anything, an excellent vehicle for Michael C. Hall, and explores the inner monologue of a Serial Killer in a way that has never been approached before without seeming too predictable or hokey. Watch it and you will not be disappointed. You'll even want to watch the next episode, which says a lot considering the network. I just hope they don't screw it up.

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229 out of 276 people found the following review useful:
Breathless, 13 November 2006

Author: Lazertron from United States

Although I am not a regular proponent of serial television shows, the eclectic, in-depth storyline and character development in Dexter are far beyond what I expected from Showtime or any network other than HBO. Dexter is a unique insight into the mind of a serial killer protected by his occupation as well as the lessons derived from his father's teachings. By having a resounding premise of catching a notorious serial killer while trying to conceal his own identity, Dexter enters each week with a new sociological dilemma as well as a new criminal to dispatch. What is best about Dexter is his own personal facade of trying to be normal. While other characters in the show are obviously dysfunctional, the audience are privileged to see the flaws of Dexter while people within his own world cannot. Darkly humorous, well-paced, and morbidly addictive Dexter is the best show of 2006, without a doubt.

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