Showtimes Dexter is delightfully devious part one

If you have not had the chance to watch Dexter on Showtime, you are missing out on one of the most original shows to air on television since the Sapranos.  The basic premise of the show is that Dexter is a serial killer who just happens to work as a forensic blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police department.  However Dexter is just not any old serial killer, he is actually a serial killer with a strong code who only kills people who for lack of a better phrase “deserve it”.  While at first blush it may seem that Dexter is aimed at the people who are fascinated by serial killers, it is actually an intelligent show with memorable characters, intricate plot details and a fair amount of suspense, mystery and comedy as well as some romance thrown into the mix for good measure.

Dexter is the main Character of the show and is brilliantly played by Michael C. Hall.  As mentioned Dexter is a serial killer with a strong set of rules, or as he refers to them “Harry’s code”.  As the show unveils itself we learn from a series of flashbacks that this code was taught to Dexter by his adoptive father Harry (played by James Remar) who knew of the darkness in Dexter and sought to channel his adoptive sons need into a positive direction.  It is this code that enables Dexter to select his victims who are all people who have done horrible things and in some way escaped justice.  Once a victim is selected by Dexter he begins to study them and eventually; after confirming their guilt as Harry’s code demands; abducts them.  Once they have been abducted Dexter wakes them speaks with them about their crimes and then finally delivers his justice to them.

It would be a mistake to believe that the main point of the show is about Dexter killing people.  While it is true that Dexter is a serial killer, the storyline of the show is far from shallow as its depths are filled by remarkable characters who allow us to see the many different sides of Dexter.  Each episode we watch as Dexter deals with issues that all of us can relate too.  He has a girlfriend named Rita (played by Julie Benz) who he originally starts dating to appear more “normal”.  However as their relationship progresses, we see Dexter begin to actually develop feelings for not only Rita, but her young children as well.  Because of this relationship, Dexter begins to feel emotions he thought that he may never experience.  At times these emotions are welcome, however because they threaten to unravel his tight grip on his own being, Dexter often attempts to deny their existence by claiming to himself that he is merely trying to appear normal.

As part of the attempt to appear “normal” Dexter also befriends several of his co workers.  Chief among them is homicide detective Angel Batista (played by David Zayas) a friendly Hispanic man who often claims that Dexter is his best friend.  While there is much room and plenty to work with in this friendship currently it has been explored very little.  Another work friend is The wise cracking and over hormonal Vince Masuka (played by C. S. Lee) who is another forensic investigator often teamed with Dexter on crime scenes.  It seems that the real purpose of Vince Masuka is actually to provide comic relief to this dark themed show and several times the inner monologue of Dexter wonders if perhaps Harry’s code could include Masuka in some way.  Despite his success in befriend Batista, Masuka and even his boss Lt. Maria Laguerta (played by the stunning Lauren Velez), there is one Detective who seems to be able to see through Dexter’s carefully constructed facade, Sgt James Doakes (played by Erik King).  Sgt Doakes has no reason to dislike Dexter other than “I know there is something off about you, I can feel it”.  Doake’s not only provides a dramatic point of tension in Dexter’s every day life, but also allows us to see that even given all of his efforts Dexter can not hide who he is from everyone.

While Dexter can not hide who he is from everyone, he is extremely adept at hiding from his Sister Debra Morgan (played by Jennifer Carpenter).  Debra is the natural born daughter of Harry Morgan, yet she has a massive inferiority complex in regards to Dexter.  Dexter was always smarter, quicker, stronger and all around better than her as they were growing up, and this has left her slightly resentful.  However she genuinely loves Dexter and does her best to earn his praise, while still taking every opportunity to bash him about how much more Harry loved him than her.  This relationship is perhaps the most complex of Dexter’s many relationships and often it is hard to tell if Dexter is faking his love for his sister, or if perhaps Dexter shares her love as well.

In the end Dexter is a delightful show to watch.  However given its subject matter I would not recommend to everyone, yet if you are in the mood for a dark, edgy and thought provoking show, tune into Showtime Sunday evenings.  I will also be reviewing season one in a future post so keep your eyes peeled.