Dexter Series Premiere

By Stephen Lackey     October 06, 2006

I don't subscribe to HBO and Showtime for the movies catch the movies in theaters or on DVD. I get the premo channels for the series. Showtime got me back last year with their MASTERS OF HORROR series and they've held onto my monthly bucks in anticipation of this new series DEXTER. The series is based on the book DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER starring Michael C. Hall (SIX FEET UNDER).

Hall plays a blood spatter specialist in Miami who investigates murders during the day and commits his own murders at night. Dexter isn't just your typical serial killer though, he's a vigilante killing those who seem to deserve it. At the beginning of the film Dexter tracks and violently murders a child molester. It makes it hard to hate him for his acts because he killed someone who deserved it. I found myself rooting for Dexter as I followed him through the episode, and that brings about an odd level of guilt because he is still killing people. The series is humorless, almost emotionless, just as Dexter is emotionless. Dexter is a robot, programmed to pretend to care in order to protect his real job, killing people. He takes this masquerade seriously going so far as to have a girlfriend who he happily avoids having sex with. She is a simple beard, giving him a cover for his nightly prowls. There are only two instances of emotion throughout this first episode from Dexter. The first is when he meets his sister, who is a beat cop in Miami. She desperately wants to move forward in her career but she lacks the talent. So she meets with Dexter and asks his advice on how she can become more involved in the current murder investigation. Being brilliant at investigating these murders due to his "real world" experience, he gives her some ideas to follow in the investigation. The other instance of real emotion from Dexter occurs when he discovers that a serial killer has broken into his house and left him a gift. Dexter feels that this gift is the start of a game and he is eager to play.

Dexter is an extremely complex character set within what could easily have been a heavily formulaic series. The series could easily be a "murder of the week" situation similar to CSI and there will be that element but along with it we'll have Dexter's subplot of committing murders and hiding it, and possibly this killer playing games with him. Much of Dexter's back story comes in the form of surreal noir style narration and flashbacks to his childhood. The childhood flashbacks are particularly disturbing because they reveal that his father helped him hone his abilities. I have mixed emotions when it comes to the narration. It is often creepy but other times it comes off like a cheap way of progressing the plot. Michael C. Hall couldn't be a better fit for this character. He's uptight looking and naïve at the same time, someone who you wouldn't expect to be a killer, or maybe you would. Either way, his acting is top notch and compelling. One other minor complaint is that the cop who hates Dexter isn't just chewing the scenery he's eating it. This guy is hilarious when for this series he definitely should not be.

The series is quirky, dark, and complex, exactly what I expect from a new series from a premium channel. If the series continues as strong as it started with this series premiere this series alone is worth the monthly price of admission.