Dexter: Season 1

NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW I don't know if I'm just deprived from watching a good series or if it is truly a reflection of just how good this one is, but this is probably the best TV series I have ever watched. I was a bit worried that the gore factor would be too much for my stomach. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of clever crime drama movies like Seven or Silence of the Lambs or Zodiac, but the newer Saw-type movies leave me more nauseated and feeling weird than truly intrigued and in a state of mystery/suspense. The power of Dexter is two-fold: the characters you grow to love in the stories and the intriguing plot lines that exponentially pull the viewer in with each subsequent episode. The following are a couple of non-spoiling thoughts. The Gore Factor: This series is not the Saw-like gore fest. There is more than enough blood and CSI-like crime scenes 'after the fact', and there are plenty of times when you know what is about to happen before a killing, but you never see the actual acts the way Saw movies show, thank goodness. After watching a couple of shows, you get to trust that the makers are at least merciful in that respect. That being said, if you get queasy with the themes in a movie like Seven or Silence of the Lambs or even with CSI-type series, this is not for you (there are plenty of disembodied dead corpses you see on the crime scenes--Dexter is a `blood splatter analyst'), and of course, the subject matter is fairly dark (though thematically the show is `lighter' than something like Seven or Silence of the Lambs, because the characters involved are quite likable, and there are sprinkles of comedy relief throughout). Dexter--the character: Here's an oxymoron that might disturb the viewer: he's an affable serial killer. Within a few episodes, if one buys in to the scenario, one may actually find oneself vaguely rooting for Dexter as if he were a comic book figure making right the injustices in the world that cry out for a reckoning. The moral dilemma comes when you ask yourself if it is good to be rooting for someone like this. His likability comes in part by the relationships the series' characters develop with him, and his narration throughout the series, which reveal his struggle to fit in with the rest of normal society, and with the sub-plotline involving past scenes of Dexter's relationship with his adoptive father (a former beloved and decorated police officer). In some ways, Dexter's likability comes by his unbeknownst `good' effects that he has on the various people he's involved with in everyday life. The viewer may also get a sense that Dexter begins to approach his own humanity as the series progresses, due to his own explorations of his past, and the other external events happening around him, which force him to begin a journey into his own psyche. Other Characters: I found that by the closing episodes, I had fallen in love with the various supporting characters in the stories. With that comes suspense. One starts to worry about his partner, sibling, office comrades, boss, etc., and there are subplots to the show not directly relating to Dexter, which allows the viewer to get glimpses in the other characters' lives. This only adds to the overall suspense in many respects. Plot lines (absolutely no spoilers): Though this is a series, there are on-going story lines involving mysterious characters and events that will intrigue the viewer. There are unexpected twists, `who done it?' type questions, and character development stories: all of which are absorbing and keep the viewer considerably more attentive with each passing episode. Due to the fact that each episode is built on previous plotlines, it's important to watch them in order. Hope this might help!

This is one of the most imaginative, and creative shows I have seen in a while. I love this show, I love Michael C Hall as Dexter, and everything about this show. The pacing, the acting, the writing, music, everything, nothing is bad about this show. I watched Season 1 as it aired on TV (I read Jeff's book first, then again at the end of the season) And they match each other well. I was lucky to watch this in HD, but I was growing impatient to watch this show again (as I deleted them from my TiVo). When the dvds came out, I watched the whole set again. Just recently, I watched the dvds again, followed by watching season 2 off my TiVo. Season 1 follows the book, not exactly, but to an extent. It makes a great first season. I fell in love with this show at first airing. Anyone I show this to, loves it. I do not wish to spoil anything, just note, it does get better in season 2! Also buffy fans should be happy to know Julie Benz plays a fantastic role in this show. I rate this show a 5, it may not be a 5, but my blind love for this show prevents me from finding any faults, it is that good. I rate the dvds a 3 out of 5 (thats being polite). The video quality on this show is about a 3. Showtime / CBS / Paramount fail to realize this show is 50-60 minutes in length, and cram too many episodes on each disc. Audio 4 out of 5, as with all showtime / cbs / paramount dvds, the default audio is stereo, you need to change it to dolby digital. Also, no subtitles, only closed captioning (great if you are watching this on a "tv", I'm using an HDTV "monitor" which has no closed captioning. Extras, 2 commentary's, one with cast, one with the producers, the one with the producers is really good, and you should check it out. They also have a bonus feature, which covers how they use blood splatter in real cases, which is nice. I give this a 3.5 out of 5. Season 2 follows its on path, and tells a new original tale. Hopefully this will continue with further seasons. I eagerly await Season 3, and future books, you cannot go wrong with this. also, please make sure prior to starting to watch this, you alot the time available to view it in its entirety. Especially if it is your first time, it is so addicting, you cannot step away from the TV, when this show aired on TV it drove me crazy, awaiting each week. Trust me, it is THAT good. Thats why I refused to watch any of season 2, and just Tivo'ed them, and waited until the season finale to watch it in its entirety.

Color me stupid. I send all this money to my cable company for subscribing to Showtime, and I never watched Dexter? Now I'm a day late and more than a dollar short! But purchasing Dexter - The First Season at Amazon was worth it. How good is it? Well, there are 12 apx 1 hour episodes in the 4-DVD set, and it took my wife and me less than 12 days to watch the whole series. I think that we even watched three episodes in one night. In other words, the show is compelling enough to make you very want to get to the next episode. So certainly one of the good things about Dexter on DVD is that you don't need to wait 12 weeks to see a season from start to finish. But certainly the best thing about the series is how well done it was. Dexter (played by Michael C. Hall of HBO's Six Feet Under fame) is a blood spatter analyst with Miami Homicide. It's his job to help solve murders, and he also happens to moonlight as a serial killer....Just a side note that last part. The acting in the show is terrific, and the thrills and twists are plentiful. Combine the nature of Dexter's professional life with his favorite pass-time, and you can bet your carotid artery that there's plenty of blood in the show too. But rest assured that the show isn't just about killing. Relationships, family, the inner working of a homicide squad...all of this "stuff" is also packed neatly into the Dexter series and makes the show one of the best on TV that I've seen in a long long time. The show (I hear because of a lack of programming due to the recent writers strike) has been ported from Showtime over to sister company CBS television, but I just can't imagine this show without the R-rated material...from the blood to the adult oriented situations and language. So I'd recommend this DVD set highly over trying to catch this on "regular" TV. Add this bloody-good show to your cart. I've already got a pre-order in for Dexter - The Complete Second Season since I missed that on Showtime too.

Dexter - The First Season Dexter is something that is very unique in a number of interesting ways. It is a show that has a Serial Killer as the protagonist, and Dexter is a sympathetic character. It is also unique in the ambiguity that exists in each episode. The real amount of ambiguity, and the importance of this for the show is revealed in the Audio Commentary that comes with the DVD. I watched episode 12 (Born Free), and in the Commentary, the producers are describing the key scene where Dexter confronts the "Ice Truck Killer." It was amazing to find that the producers of the show each had a completely different interpretation of what that scene meant. I then became very aware that this is the power of the show. Each scene is not pre-processed pablum that is pre-chewed for us. We must participate in this show. We need to figure out what each thing means to US. Plot twists are not glaringly obvious miles in advance. For me, this is a sign of good writing. Good writing is the foundation of any worthwhile entertainment. The fact that this show is not pre-defined for us, with nice, neat, and "happy little endings" for each of the plot lines is what makes this show so endlessly interesting. The acting, and the production values are equally amazing. The producers realized early on that Michael C. Hall had done something very different in his creation of Dexter. The same commitment to excellence is present in every scene, from writing, to direction, to portrayals. No one ever "phones it in" in any way. But enough of reviews. You should watch episode 1. This should make it clear that you are in for something very different. This should let you either fall in love with Dexter the way that many of us have, or let you know that you should get out while you can. But don't worry. Dexter won't come for you... Unless of course you deserve to die.... Then you may find that the predator has become the prey....

Lucky Dexter--found by a compassionate policeman at a grisly crime scene and taken home as his own adopted son. Unlucky Dexter--survivor of an unspeakable crime scene, bearing a memory failure of said scene. How interesting that such a program filled with blood aftermath of abhorrently violent murder scenes should also promote social awareness of the horrors of victims of childhood abuse. What is the age of the child at the time the abuse ends? Within memory? Beyond memory? Or within a paralyzed memory? What is the condition of the affected child as he grows into maturity? All these questions are answered during the first season of this spectacular television series. I came to the series by way of DVD and did not endure the torture of waiting week after week for the next installment. How did people do it? I saw the series almost as a movie and thus almost as a whole. The unfolding was more vivid and focused as I watched Dexter's story come to life. As in any good novel, the story was laid out, a layer at a time, revealing a little more, a little more, until the season finale. What a zinger that was! Dexter revealed himself as a void, an empty shell, but as the season moved on, what he revealed was a Dexter filling the void unbeknownst to himself. He was not acting out, he was living out, creating new memories with a girlfriend, with his sister, and his co-workers. Revealing anything more would be tantamount to treason for those who love their stories unspoiled. That his policeman dad taught him to kill ethically--to kill only those who deserved killing, that is serial killers--lay the foundation for all his murders to follow. Working within the framework of a blood splatter analyst allowed him to control his urgent need to kill, a need originating at the unspeakable childhood crime scene where he was found. His father discovered Dexter's need and worked with him within this desperate need, advising how to live a human existence. This nurture is again part of the socializing of an abused child (abuse comes in many forms as revealed in this series). Dexter is a many-layered character, perfectly played by Michael C. Hall. The series "Dexter" is a multi-layered story, filled with so many stories of human misery, longings, fantasies, and even an occasion bout of happiness. The serial killer story is merely a framework for the real stories that play out every week. What a brilliant, original, and informed series is "Dexter"!

After being thoroughly disappointed with an episode from the second season of "Masters of Horror" I was still flipping through the horror section under Showtime On Demand. I clicked on "Dexter" and read the synopsis about a vigilante serial killer with a girlfriend who wants a commitment. I had never heard of any story like this before. I was hooked right from the first episode. The opening sequence of "Dexter" sets the dark humored tone. The camera follows him through an ordinary morning routine that is filmed in a ghastly fashion utilizing uncomfortable close-ups that get right in your face and under your skin: Dexter shaving and dabbing at his nicks with a paper towel, the deliberately slow cutting and cooking of food that looks more like dismemberment than anything culinary, a stream of tobasco sauce on fried eggs that resembles blood, the remains of a freshly squeezed blood orange that looks like a mutilated corpse, and the use dental floss and lacing of shoestrings that evoke thoughts of confinement or strangulation. Then Dexter puts on a t-shirt and stares into the camera with the feral eyes of a hungry predator. His face is lighted from the right, leaving the left side of his face shadowed. This shot depicts the duality of Dexter: the light-hearted nice guy side he puts up for the world and the dark side that remains meticulously hidden. Finally we see him exit his apartment with a nod and smile to the camera, as if to assure us that the bloodthirsty beast we saw in his apartment is kept on a very short leash. Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a vigilante serial killer. After accumulating enough solid evidence about his target, he moves in for the kill. His victims are murderers, pedophiles, arsonists, black widows, and other assorted creeps that the world could do without. When he's not taking out the human trash, he works as a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department. At work Dexter puts up a friendly, easy-going persona. He is a consummate professional and a brilliant forensics expert who gets results. At the department he works with his sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), a foul-mouthed cop with a bright mind, but very lacking in confidence and political savvy. There is also forensics analyst Matsuka (CS Lee.), the friendly pervert with a sick sense of humor. Sgt. Doakes (Erik King), is as Dexter puts it, the only one in a room full of cops who is suspicious of him. Doakes is a tough cop but his detective skills are rather mediocre. Angel Batista (George Zayas) is a far better investigator who appreciates and respects all of Dexter's hard work. Angel and Dex in partricular make a great team. Leading the homicide division is Lt. Maria LaGuerta: tough, ruthless, but too vain for her own good. She has the hots for Dexter and this naturally unsettles him. For several months, Dexter has been dating Rita, a single mother of two who suffered years of horrid abuse at the hands of her drug addict husband who is now in prison. As Dexter puts it Rita is perfect for him because "she is, in her own way, just as damaged as me". This is the neat little world of lies in which Dexter lives: days of honest work, nights off with a girlfriend, and the occasional act of vigilante justice. However all of this is turned upside down with the arrival of a killer soon to be known as The Ice Truck Killer. The ITK leaves clean, bloodless, frozen remains of hookers right out in public for all the world to see. Dexter can't help but to admire the meticulous and precise handiwork of this new killer. The presence of the ITK sets of a chain of events that will change Dexter's world forever. The show is based on a series of novels written by Jeff Lindsay. While the books focus entirely on Dexter who narrates, the series however, delves more into the lives of the supporting characters creating enough plot (and sub-plots) to sink your teeth into. The entire cast turns in great performances that grow with the characters they portray. Actor Michael C. Hall has said in interviews that Dexter really isn't emotionless, but he is emotionally frozen. Right from episode one we see some evidence: his righteous anger at a pedophile ["OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!"], his dedication to his sister ["If I had feelings for anyone, I'd have them for Deb."], the tenderness he feels for Rita ["Normal people can be so hostile......but never her....."]. Dexter may tell us that he is hollow inside , but he doesn't know that he's just frozen, nor does he realize just how much he has already begun to thaw out. In a world of endless CSI and crime drama franchises, it's refreshing to see a new spin on an idea that is running out of steam. It is uncertain how long and how far this show can go, but with a third season coming up, "Dexter" shows no signs of slowing down. If you're in the mood for something dark, cynical, and sarcastic, this is the show for you

I had no clue what this show was about until around December when my buddy was talking about season 2 coming out. I had noticed the DVD set here on Amazon and immediatly added it to my Wishlist...mainly because of the cover of the box set. When my friend mentioned it, I asked him what it was about and then I became even more intrigued. Knowing I was heading to Iraq in January, I decided to wait on buying it until I got there. Now that I'm here, I ordered it as soon as I got internet access. In less than a week it showed and that following night when I got back to my tent I popped it in. The first episode got my attention right away. The Ice Truck killers victims and Dexter himself were so interesting. Michael C. Hall plays Dexter (who also played in 6 Feet Under) brilliantly. His acting is so dead on and so believable. I dont even see his character anymore from 6 Feet Under. Julie Benz who plays Rita, Dex's girlfriend, is also really great. And David Zayas who plays Angel is also really good. But that's about it. I'm not saying the others are bad, but they just dont seem believable. I cant stand Dex's sister, Debra Morgan played by Jeniffer Carpenter (she seems like she is forever imbedded in my head as Emily Rose) because I think she over reacts to everything. And she seems like she cusses to much (I'm no saint and I say the F word WAY to much) when it doesnt even need to be said. And it sounds like she's a really nice girl trying to cuss to be cool. I dont know. It bugs me. And Eric King's acting is also WAY over the top. He plays Doaks who is a forensic investigator that just doesnt like our boy Dex. I like the character a lot, but just not King who plays him. To me, the guy always looks like he's wanting to bust out laughing during his 'really mean and pissed off' parts. It drives me insane. Also the sound is not perfect sometimes. During a scene with a hockey arena...you can tell Dexter's lines are coming from him while on the ice. But the other 2 guys lines seem to have been recorded in a room somewhere else. Very annoying. I know I wrote a lot about some bad stuff, but this by NO MEANS, should hurt the rating I want to give Dexter. Michael C. Hall and the show itself should be rated over 5 stars with no question. Sadly I dont have Showtime, so I'm gonna have to wait for the DVDs as the seasons come out. Hopefully Dexter will last quite awhile. At least Showtime is producing some quality shows though (Weeds is another great one from them and I've heard good things about some of the others ones like Riches and Tudors.) One last thing, and it's not a spoiler at all. I loved how at the very end right before the credits, during the 'ticker tape parade', Dexters thoughts and his smiles and the peoples signs saying things were filmed. I was laughing pretty good at that last few seconds.

Dexter was a definitely different t v show. Kept me on the edge of my seat

heel lang geduurd voor dat ik hem ging kopen maar serie 1 helemaal gekeken te hebben is de vraag naar meer........pakkende serie

Merci au vendeur MOMOX. Impeccable ! Réception rapide et coffret DVD (Série DEXTER Saison 1) en parfait état. Comme Neuf. Celà fait très plaisir... Il ne me manque plus que la dernière Saison (la 8ème) pour avoir l'intégralité de cette super série !! Rien d'autre à rajouter. Très content de mon achat.

Soy un gran fanático de dexter y honestamente poderla tener en mis manos es incrible, agradezco a Amazon por tenerla en el catálogo y aun mas porque viniese en audio español, aunque cabe mencionar que el equipo que dobló la serie es de baja calidad, pero es compensada por la historia.

The box was a little damaged, other than that, great buy!

Que no os pase como a mi, este primera temporada a diferencia de las temporadas 2, 3 y 4 francesas no trae audio y subtítulos en castellano.