Showtime’s hit series Dexter starts off with an unusual premise; within the first few minutes of the pilot episode, we learn that the main character Dexter Morgan, as played by Michael C. Hall, is a serial killer. He kills ruthlessly and is unapologetic about how much he enjoys the act. The only thing that stops him from a wholly unsympathetic monster is the fact that he lives according to a code set down by his adopted father, that he will only kill those that deserve it. With impressive acting and a great deal of quirky, alarming charm, this show has earned its place on Showtime’s all-times hits list.
When Dexter was a young boy, his adopted father Harry, portrayed in flashback by the talented James Remar, realizes that his son is a sociopath, a person who is capable of killing while feeling no remorse. Rather than allow his son to be institutionalized or eventually caught and imprisoned, Harry, a lifelong cop, teaches Dexter everything he can about killing those who deserve and not getting caught. Dexter lives by the Code of Harry and his murders include rapists, murderers, and child molesters. He openly acknowledges that without his father’s guidance he would have become a much more indiscriminate killer, but that as it is, he does his level best to keep his corner of the world squared away. Dexter’s easy life of carefree murder is threatened, however, with the emergence of a murderer known as the Ice Truck Killer appears and Dexter begins to suspect that his ties to this criminal are deeper than just having the same bloody hobby.
Dexter never denies being a monster, but throughout the series, he an an engaging, eerily fascinating one. His work as a crime scene blood splatter analyst with the Miami police department puts him in contact with some of the underworld’s most notorious criminals, and when other, less competent monsters slip through the cracks, Dexter’s there to catch them. Most of the police department, including his sister Deborah, ably portrayed by Jennifer Carpenter, see Dexter as an affable, inoffensive lab tech, though Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King) is less pleased with Dexter’s innocent act. Throughout the series, Dexter dodges Sergeant Doakes and the well-meaning inquiries from his wholly normal girlfriend, Rita, played by Julie Benz, as he pursues the Ice Truck Killer across the worst parts of Miami.
This is a premise that would fall seriously short with a less talented cast or a less ambitious network. Instead, Dexter shines as daring, edgy entertainment, exploring the question of what does it mean to be a good person. The Boston Globe calls Dexter “fiendishly excellent” while the Chicago Sun-Times praises the series as being “fantastic, fascinating, creepy, charming and gruesome.” This slick crime drama has it all in terms of strong, fascinating plots and excellent acting, and should not be missed!
