What is possibly the most unique drama series on television at the moment? How about a show that follows a serial killer who kills other killers, and also works for Miami Metro Homicide? That sounds about right to me!
"Dexter" is a show that premiered on the Showtime network in the 2006 fall season, based off of the novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay. Since then, it has spawned three other seasons, won multiple Emmy's and awards, and has become extremely popular in the public eye... so much so that every idiot with a mouth and opinion couldn't shut up about the end to Season 4 and not give away the biggest spoiler in the series... that was really a moment where I wish it was legal to kill people who gave away spoilers. Anyway, this is the first in a four-part review of the entire series of "Dexter," up to the latest season available on DVD! I'm going to try my best not to spoil anything for those who'd love to watch the series for themselves, so if I absolutely have to, I'll label them under the SPOILER label. With that said, let's review the season that started it all!
Synopsis
Dexter Morgan is a blood spatter analyst who works for Miami Metro Homicide by day, and who murders serial killers, rapists, and other scum of the earth by night. Instilled by the Code of Harry, he only focuses on going after the dregs of society. Dexter also lives a double-life, trying to appear like he is a normal member of society by retaining a girlfriend, Rita, and maintaining a job while also following the #1 rule of the Code: "Don't get caught." But Miami Metro makes a chilling discovery when they discover the chopped up body of a prostitute without any blood near the scene of the crime. Soon, a new serial killer emerges, the Ice Truck Killer, and Dexter is soon involved with a deadly game of cat and mouse that reveals more than he is prepared for.
Let's also begin with talking about the characters. Don't worry, I won't give away critical plot points, I just want to introduce you to the recurring characters in the series! While I would like to provide a comprehensive list of every single character who appears, I'm only limiting this to the recurring characters who appear for more than one season, or who are extremely important to the plot. Again, I won't be giving away any major spoilers like who the Ice Truck Killer is, so no need to worry!
Dexter Morgan
Played by Michael C. Hall.
The protagonist, he is a blood spatter analyst who, despite living a seemingly normal life with a loving sister and girlfriend, shares a deadly secret: he's a serial killer of serial killers. Instilled with the Code of Harry, a set of rules taught to him by his foster father after Harry discovers Dexter's horrible urges, he lives his life in the shadows, murdering the dregs of society while making absolutely sure not to get caught. Emotionless and tidy, our neat little monster fakes the essential emotions needed to blend in with society. But what happens when Dexter's past catches up with him?
Rita Bennett
Played by Julie Benz.
Dexter's girlfriend, she met him after a domestic abuse case where his sister Debra arrested her abusive husband Paul. Dexter chose her to be his 'girlfriend,' as a cover to appear more 'human', because she is damaged, although he cares more about her as the series progresses. She has two children, Astor and Cody, and she couldn't be happier with Dexter. Of course, she is ignorant of Dexter's nightly pastime.
Debra Morgan
Played by Jennifer Carpenter.
Dexter's sister, she works in Miami Metro Homicide with dreams of advancing in the ranks. However, at the beginning of Season 1, she always comes to Dexter for help and tips because she is unsure of herself. Her father chose Dexter as his 'favorite' child, so Deb was always cast aside, leaving her to seeks approval and feel a sense of belonging. Will she get her wish?
Harry Morgan
Played by James Remar.
Dexter's deceased foster father who taught his son the Code of Harry, there are flashbacks that feature both him and the advice that he gives Dexter about fitting into normal society throughout the Season. Does he provide some words of wisdom for his son?
Sgt. James Doakes
Played by Erik King.
The resident asshole, Sgt. Doakes has always suspected that there was something fishy about Dexter because of his scarily accurate 'intuition' when it comes to serial killers. Ex-special ops, he is usually as violent as legally possible while on the job. Will Doakes become a clear and present danger in Dexter's future? Sadly, he seems like a bit player until the season progresses but I can't give away what it is he does because that spoils the fun of finding out what happens next!
Detective Angel Batista
Played by David Zayas.
Dexter's best friend, although our favorite killer has no idea why. Angel Batista works for Miami Metro Homicide. Easily the most laid-back member of the force, Detective Batista still manages to be really good at his job. Sadly, like Doakes, I can't give much information on him without giving away any spoilers.
Lt. Maria Laguerta
Played by Lauren Velez.
The lieutenant of the Miami Metro Homicide Department, Maria Laguerta is, in all definitions of the word, a media whore, somebody who values press conferences on the latest case to nab more attention. Somewhat inefficient at her job at the beginning of this season, she makes some major blunders that prevent the department from getting closer to the Ice Truck Killer when he begins his reign of terror. She has it out for Debra Morgan, and she is close friends with James Doakes.
Vince Masuka
Played by C.S. Lee.
He is the other prominent lab geek in the series, he is in the forensics division. A gigantic pervert, he acts as comic relief in many scenes. While he doesn't play a very important part in the show, he is a recurring character who still manages to shine.
The Ice Truck Killer
The antagonist of the first season, The Ice Truck Killer murders his victims, drains their blood, and leaves the body cut up and in public view. Not much is known about this notorious serial killer until the series progresses.
Alrighty! Now that we've established the characters, I think it's time to take a look at the positive and negative aspects of Dexter: Season 1! I'll be splitting up this review into two sections, Good and Bad, each with their own positive/negative aspects of things like Story, Writing, Sound, etc. Let's begin!
The Good
Story and Writing
First off, the story of Season 1 is amazing! Strangely, until Season 4, my favorite season has always been this one, and it was largely because of the suspense and twists that kept the viewer on edge. What I particularly liked about Season 1's writing was that the writers understood how to keep things interesting; not only is there an overarching story that spans the entire season, in this case the Ice Truck Killer Arc, but there are also side-stories that take place over the course of each episode, most of the time dealing with Dexter's potential victims or him avoiding getting caught. Although the story may be written in a way that is slightly predictable, how it unfolds is where the writing shines because it doesn't follow the predictable plot in a predictable way.
However, what really helps with any story is good characterization, which can also be attributed to good writing. What helps is that although they may seem one-note in some instances, you learn to love many of the characters introduced in Season 1. However, what prevents some characters like Debra or LaGuerta from being one-note characters altogether is something that is very important, and that is rarely seen in storytelling nowadays: character development. I'm not going to give anything away as to why or how they develop, but here is an example: Rita, at the beginning of the season, is significantly weaker than she is at the end, and this is due to good writing. Some characters are more developed than others; Misuka is far less developed as a character than Batista or Debra, but that is not a bad thing. My belief is that you can get away with not developing every single character in a show or movie as long as you develop the characters pivotal to the plot, and that is exactly what the writers for Dexter: Season 1 did!
Technical Details
As with my "A Town Called Panic" review, I can't really say enough about Direction, Sound, Technical Quality, etc to split them up into their own sections, so I'm going to smash them all together into this section for the sake of simplicity! So what we are going to start on is perhaps my favorite technical aspect of the show: the sound. This will be split up into two parts, "Sound Design" and "Music."
Music
The soundtrack of Dexter: Season 1, as well as the series in general, is really fun to listen to because they present a variety of styles to present the atmosphere of the current situation. The theme song is fun and catchy, and will suck you in, the more contemplative moments in the series are accompanied by the moody and wonderfully orchestrated "Blood Theme", and the more upbeat moments are heralded in with Cuban/Latino music. The musical palette is great here, and I think it adds character to "Dexter." Below, let's present some examples:
"Blood Theme"
"Perfidia"
Sound Design
The sound design is also beautifully done because, while I can't give away its most startling use, it adds so much to key scenes that play out; it makes some of the really shocking instances more disturbing. Effective sound design adds a lot to a film or television show, like when the people involved with Star Wars had to design all of the sound effects for the futuristic technology like laser pistols, so I have to give Dexter kudos for using sound to its advantage to make the scenes more powerful when it counts! (Sorry, I can't give any specific examples).
The Bad
And now, for the weaknesses that hold Dexter: Season 1 back from getting an absolute perfect score. Regardless, these are mostly nitpicks.
Story and Writing
Okay, while the rest of the season is absolutely wonderful, the first few episodes are a little slow in writing and pace. While the slowness isn't going to kill Dexter: Season 1 for anyone, it takes a couple of episodes to get the audience engaged. This mainly has to do with the series establishing its main characters and plots, which in every series premiere so this issue isn't a death blow so much as a common complaint.
However, what may turn some people off are the initial monologues that Dexter gives at the introduction of each episode. These soliloquies are redundant, and they sound like failed pieces of poetry written by pretentious hipsters with no real sense of creativity. This may have Dexter come off as very pretentious, but don't worry - this quickly improves later into the season, and these monologues are not a main focus of Dexter: Season 1 so much as an annoying nitpick so again, it's not a ridiculously large problem that will hurt the show's overall score by much.
(Above) Hipsters. Fucking hipsters.
Technical Details
There is almost nothing to comment on here, BUT there is one minor nitpick that bothers me a little bit. It's almost imperceptible on the first viewing, but it was recently pointed out to me by my room mate, and it bugged me. If you don't want it to stand out and annoy you, skip right to the end, but otherwise, here we go!
Editing
In the very first episode of Season 1, there is a very slight delay in the synchronization of video and audio, the audio being a fraction of a second off. Yeah, big problem, right? Not really, but people who get off to pointing out every little technical problem in any production might boycott it or go "This is horribly made, I'm not watching this." This is similar to how people pointed out the low resolution in Alan Wake, and boycotted it. Seriously. Showtime discovered this problem and fixed it for all of the other 11 episodes in the season, as well as the rest of the series... obviously. This nitpick is minor, but it is huge for people who jack off to imperfections in anything.
Also people who nitpick too much.
Verdict
Dexter: Season 1 is an excellent start to a television series that, at the premiere of Season 5, has had multiple offers to be aired by every major television station. However, Showtime still has the rights, so we still get pure, unedited, unadulterated fun! Despite a few minor flaws, this season is the best way to kick off a television series! For that:
5/5
Unfortunately, while Dexter had a great start, it hiccupped a little when the time Season 2 aired. Want to know what I mean in more detail? Keep an eye out for when I rewrite one of my first reviews on this site, "Dexter: Season 2."
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Dexter: Season 1 Review 
