Dexter Morgan (Hall) is a forensic lab rat for the Miami-Dade Police. He really knows blood splatter. He should, because he moonlights as a killer. It seems that poor old Dex just can’t help himself. His parents were criminals, and he witnessed his mother’s brutal slashing by a chainsaw gang when he was just a young boy. He was adopted by Harry Morgan (Remar), a police officer. Harry saw the killer instinct in Dexter and taught him how to channel the urges for the sake of good. Dexter adopted Harry’s Code, which means he only kills others that he’s able to prove were killers themselves. Working for the police with his officer sister, Debra (Carpenter), Dexter is constantly just on the verge of getting caught.He has to adapt and evolve to avoid capture. Dexter’s also trying to have a relationship, mostly because he knows it helps him blend in. Buffy and Angel’s Darla, Julie Benz, plays Rita. Dexter doesn’t really feel anything, but he’s trying to act the way he sees others act in the same environment.
“Most actors toil in obscurity, never stepping into the spotlight. But, if you hone your craft, work diligently you might just find yourself cast in the role of a lifetime.”
Talk about your perfect roles. The first thing that makes Dexter work is its star Michael C. Hall. You might remember Hall from his days on Six Feet Under, where he played the conflicted and very gay funeral director. His deadpan style and somewhat offbeat timing make him a perfect fit for these rather quirky characters. If you thought he was good as David Fisher, you’re simply going to love him as Dexter. It amazes me how different he looks and sounds. It was at first very difficult for me to actually identify him, he gets so completely immersed in character. You’ll find yourself rooting that Dexter doesn’t get caught, if for no other reason than you don’t want the show to end. The other actors and characters are also quite good.
I have to tell you. Each season I wonder how they’re going to top the one before. Season three has got some serious handicaps going in. First of all it’s hard to even think about Dexter without the great cat and mouse game with Erik King’s Doakes character. For two seasons the two made for some brilliant tension in the precinct. Another character that’s going to be hard to replace is Jaime Murray’s Lila character, the closest person on the show to match Dexter’s deliciously dark nature. I found the season two finale to be one of the most shocking endings to a season of television in a long time. So where do we go from here?
With every goodbye, we welcome in new characters and this season is no exception.
Jimmy Smits returns to television to play District Attorney Miguel Prado. His brother becomes an accidental victim of Dexter’s. When he catches Dexter in the act of killing his originally intended victim, and the person the cops believe killed his brother, Miguel and Dexter find that they might be very much alike. Yes, Dexter might just have a partner. Apart from the turn of character here, Smits adds a lot to the show and is every bit a good match with Hall. There’s some really fine chemistry at work here. Fans of the show pretty much know going in there are going to be complications. The result is inevitable. Also joining the cast is Desmond Harrington as Detective Quinn. He’s being investigated by internal affairs, or it might just be a lover’s quarrel gotten out of hand. Either way Debra’s going to get stuck right in the middle. Debra also gets a new boyfriend when David Ramsey joins the cast as Quinn’s and later Debra’s snitch Anton.
The code of Harry has now evolved into the code of Dexter. There will be some expansion of the code and a new deeper understanding about Harry and who he was. There’s also the pending nuptials of Dexter and Rita to contend with. Angel gets a gold shield. And finally, Dexter’s going to be a daddy.
Video
Dexter is presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio. It’s all good. The 1080p image is brought to you via a solid AVC/MPEG-4 codec. Have you ever wondered what blood red might look like in the brilliance of high definition? What if there was a lot of it? I don’t mean just gory slaughter scenes. I mean, what if we had the chance to just examine it. Take some time and just take in the color. You won’t have to imagine after you’ve watched this HD presentation. You get pretty much a clean picture with nice bright colors. There’s a lot of dark stuff, so fortunately black levels are pretty solid. Detail is wonderful. This is a near perfect image that still manages to contain enough subtle blemish to make it quite realistic.
Audio
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track doesn’t offer a lot of dazzle, but it does the job well enough. The dialog is always perfectly placed. The few musical cues come out just fine. About the best thing you can say for any soundtrack is that it disappears into the experience so that you don’t really think about it. This show is compelling enough that you won’t be asking yourself why the sub doesn’t seem to be pounding in your ears. That’s your heart.
Special Features
Just BD-Live access.
Final Thoughts
I’m hesitant to say that Dexter got any better in the third season. Frankly, I really loved the second year. The whole wedding idea is a little out there for me and very much out of character for Dexter. It’s unlikely you could hide that big a secret from a wife and three kids. Not to mention the tools of the trade and necessary trophies. Now with the child likely the spotlight for the fourth season, I’m a little worried for everyone’s favorite serial killer. Dexter might have just jumped the shark. Time will tell. Meanwhile let’s hope that Dexter can continue to keep the streets of Miami safe from killers for a little while longer. “He’s been on a mission to put away as many bad guys as he can. You know, ‘A Safe Miami is the Only Miami.’”
