Dexter - Season 1 [Blu-ray] [Region Free]

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

NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEWI 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!

RAS

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

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.

このドラマシリーズはシーズン1が最高傑作です。これ以後主人公が段々正義よりになり、魅力が薄れます。

I had seen 1 episode on t.v. years ago and found it quite disturbing. It was recently recommended by a friend and so I took a chance and ordered season 1 and am now awaiting the complete series. Yes, it is violent and gory. Yes, I find it difficult to justify murder of even the worst criminals. It's still strangely satisfying to see the bad guys get nailed (or cut up).