As a fan of Blu-ray, I was thrilled when learned that Showtime was releasing Dexter in the high-definition format. For those of you not familiar with the series, the show is based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay and adapted for television by James Manos, Jr. (The Soprano’s, The Shield). The series focuses on Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department, who also happens to be a serial killer.
However, Dexter isn’t your run-of – the-mill serial killer. He is guided by a very specific moral code, a code he refers to as “the code of Harry.” Orphaned at three and carrying a terrible secret, Dexter was adopted by a Miami police officer named Harry Morgan (James Remar) who realized young Dexter showed signs of being a psychopath–he had trouble relating to others, had trouble expressing emotions and killed small animals. Rather than seek help for his son, Harry taught him to kill people who deserved killing. Most had escaped justice through loopholes or flaws in the court system.
Over the years, Dexter has used the tools his father gave him to appear fairly normal to the outside world. While most would probably say he was somewhat antisocial, Dexter has still been able to kill numerous people and maintain a job. Heck, he even has a girlfriend named Rita Bennett (Julie Benz), whom he dates to keep up the appearance of normalcy. Though he does everything he can to avoid actually having sexing sex with her, he does seem to have some sort of emotional to connection to Rita and her two children, Astor and Cody.
Much of the first season of the series deals with the “Ice Truck Killer,” a serial killer running around Miami. He picks up prostitutes and kills them by draining their blood and dismembering their bodies before arranging them in public places. Naturally, Dexter is fascinated by the Ice Truck Killer’s work but is shocked to learn that the killer is very much aware of Dexter’s own murderous activities. For the first time in his life, Dexter finds himself a bit thrown–how could this unknown murderer know about Dexter? Has he made a mistake somewhere, or is there some kind of connection between the two?
Dexter is one of the most fascinating shows on television today. Like The Soprano’s in the past, Dexter is one of those rare series where the writing, acting, music and direction all come together to create an exceptional viewing experience. Most shows have a weak episode or two during a season but Dexter suffers from no such lapses. Writers James Manos Jr., Jeff Lindsay, Kevin Maynard and Daniel Cerone have written each episode so it seamlessly flows into the next with lots of intrigue and suspense. On the acting front, Michael C. Hall is superb in the lead role. He does the impossible–makes the audience sympathize with a ruthless serial killer. Hall has done this by giving Dexter a sense of humor and an affable personality. To watch Hall move Dexter between his everyday personality and that of a roothless serial killer is absolutely amazing. Dexter’s likeable qualities are instantly replaced by a savage demeanor that amplifies his unquenchable need to kill; as well as the joy he feels in doing so.
Dexter comes to Blu-ray sporting a fantastic 1080p transfer in the show’s originally televised aspect ratio of 1.78:1, using the AVC Mpeg-4 Compression codec. The BD delivers wonderful clarity, detail and a tremendous sense of depth while maintaining the film-like look the show has created. Much of the show is shot at night and this transfer does an excellent job of delivering the blacks and abundant shadows.
Outdoor scenes that take place during the day are bright and crystal clear while the nighttime scenes take on a grittier look. There are no digital anomalies present throughout the set that should interfere with the viewing experience. Dexter – The Complete First Season is truly a visual treat on Blu-ray.
This Blu-ray comes with a lossless 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track. Because Dexter is a dialogue driven show with minimal action, the audio is called upon to deliver superior atmosphere. As one would expect, dialogue is delivered clearly. Music plays an important part in creating the tension in each episode and the audio delivers the soundtrack in a nice, even, surround fashion.
Dexter – The Complete First Season does include some extras but they’re not particularly impressive:
• Episode Audio commentary: “Return to Sender,” with Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, Lauren Velez and Erik King
• Episode Audio Commentary: “Born Free,” With Series Executive Producers Sara Colleton, Clyde Phillips, and Daniel Cerrone
BD-Live Features:
Academy of Blood, A Killer Course
Witnessed in Blood, A True Murder Investigation
Podcast with star Michael C. Hall
Dexter Season Three, Episode 1.
The United States of Tara Episode Sneak Peak
The commentary tracks are nice but they really do little to flesh out the episodes they’re included on. The first commentary has the cast joking around a lot, rather than discussing what’s actually going on in the episode. The second one is a bit more informative, with the Executive Producers discussing adapting the book for television and getting the show on the air.
