Showtime’s “Dexter” premiered in the fall of 2006 and quickly developed a cult following that has increased with every critically acclaimed season. Up until now, fans could only rewatch that first season on standard definition DVD. But proud owners of new Blu-ray devices can rejoice; the first season of the show is now available in a new 3-Disc Blu-ray set.
For those of you that haven’t watched the show, the premise isn’t for the light at heart and may shock you. Dexter Morgan (Emmy nominee Michael C. Hall), our protagonist, is a forensics expert (blood spatter analyst to be exact) by day and a serial killer by night. But Dex isn’t your run-of-the-mill serial killer, he lives by a code that was instilled by his father. And that code states that only people that deserved to be killed should be killed, all innocents are off-limits. You quickly learn that Dexter takes it upon himself to rid the world of criminals that have slipped through the cracks of the justice system.
In watching the pilot, you may just think the show is going to be one of those “kill of the week” dramas built around a gimmicky plot. But don’t be fooled, Dexter is one of the most complex and thought-provoking shows we’ve seen in a long time. And season 1 peels back many layers of a complex man that finds himself simultaneously fighting crime while also committing gruesome murders. Dexter is the way he is for a reason and the show delves into why this strange character is the sociopath that we should care about.
The show wouldn’t be what it is without the myriad of rich and interesting characters, all of which get their fair share of screen time. Dexter has a potty-mouthed sister named Debra, who also works with him the Miami Metro Police Department. Dexter also works with a myriad of interesting and rich characters, all of whom make the show that much more enjoyable.
Dexter is based on the Jeff Lindsay novel “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” and its first season is some of the most captivating and exciting television that one could expect to see.
As for the actual Blu-ray release, the show is the first that Showtime is releasing in the hi-def format. The presentation of the show doesn’t disappoint. As promised, you get all 12 episodes presented in crystal clear 1080p format. The sound is pristine and will work wonderfully on your Dolby 5.1 surround sound system.
You also get a pretty insightful commentaries on 2 episodes, the first of which features notable cast members Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, Lauren Velez and Erik King. Show producers Sara Colleton, Clyde Phillips and Daniel Cerone grace the season finale, providing a rewarding look into how the cast and crew bring the show to life. You really get an appreciation for how the show is shot and how the writers went about translating the book to the small screen.
Probably the worst aspect of the Blu-ray release is that all of the bonus features need to be accessed through BD-Live. This obviously alienates those who 1) don’t have an internet connection by their HDTV and 2) don’t have a Profile 2.0 compliant Blu-ray player. At this time, said features are unavailable for review. Nevertheless, I’ll list them below:
* The Academy of Blood - A Killer Course
* Witnessed In Blood - A True Murder Investigation
* Michael C. Hall Podcast
* First Episode of the Third Season - I’m a fan of watching great shows the way they’ve aired. If you haven’t seen the show, please don’t watch this episode until you’ve watched the first two season. This isn’t a bad throw in if Showtime releases
* The first two episodes of United States of Tara (new show premiering on Showtime on Jan. 18, 2009)
All in all, the first season of Dexter is an enticing and exciting adventure with an unlikely hero. You’ll find yourself cheering for Mr. Morgan from start to end. And the Blu-ray release presents the show in impeccable format, so do yourself a favor and pick up a copy today.
Best TV show of Fall 2008 hands down.