Season one of Dexter spent a lot of time informing viewers of the circumstances that made Dexter the way he is. Orphaned at three and hiding a terrible secret, Dexter was adopted by a Miami police officer named Harry Morgan (James Remar), who recognized his sociopathic tendencies and taught him to channel his gruesome passion for killing and dissecting in a “constructive” way: by only killing people who “deserve it.”
To satisfy his craving for blood and in his own way, justify his crimes, Dexter works as a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department. Though he feels a real sense of emptiness when he’s unable to kill, Harry trained Dexter to use real emotions to mask his impulses and maintain the appearance of a socially responsible individual. Dexter uses his carefully rehearsed easy going manner and charm to become well-liked by most of his co-workers. The one notable exception is Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King), who regularly accuses him of being up to something, but he isn’t sure what it is.
Dexter even has a girlfriend, Rita Bennett (Julie Benz). The ex-wife of an abusive, violent felon, Rita is too traumatized to be interested in sex most of the time. This arrangement suits Dexter, because she to, is part of his cover to appear normal.
While season one was about the hunt, as Dexter tracked down the Ice Truck Killer, who teased him with clues and hints about a shared connection. This season, things have been reversed as Dexter begins to feel like the hunted. As the season opens, Dexter finds himself unable to satisfy his urge to kill for over a month because of the constant surveillance of Sgt. Doakes. To make matters worse, a group of treasure hunters discover Dexter’s dumping ground for his victims. As the body count rises, the media dubs Dexter the “Bay Harbor Butcher.” The F.B.I., lead by Special Agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine), arrives with a mandate to catch the killer.
Knowing the police are looking for him seems to make Dexter very uneasy. He becomes increasingly sloppy at keeping up his façade of normalcy. A slip up with his girlfriend Rita forces him to pretend he’s a heroin addict. At a narcotics anonymous meeting, Dexter meets Lila (Jaime Murray), a woman with a dark soul, who leads Dexter down a very dangerous path. The use of the addiction metaphor for Dexter’s loss of control is well done, and adds an excellent arc to the series.
During the course of season two, Dexter’s sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) continues to struggle with her involvement in a relationship with the Ice Truck Killer. For a sense of safety and comfort, she stays with her brother, another new source of stress in Dexter’s life.
The already wonderful cast got a bump from a change this season, as the addition of Carradine to the line-up gave Dexter a perfect foil, as he brings the perfect blend of gravitas and humor to a key role. After watching him here, and remembering his guest spot on Criminal Minds, it’s clear this guy needs his own series.. The same can’t be said for Jaime Murray, whose role as Lila sticks to the stereotype of the manipulative psycho bitch. The character grates on the nerves. If the producers decide to keep her around for the third season, let’s hope they tone down the “bitch” factor and give her more to do.
Generally, Dexter continued to be a strong show throughout the second season. While I thought the season finale was a bit of a let-down, Dexter still remains one of the most intriguing, well-written dramas on television today.
The four DVD set is presented in anamorphic widescreen. The picture is clean and clear. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound.
The extras on this set are a disappointment. There are two episodes of the Showtime series Brotherhood and some text biographies of cast members you can watch on your DVD player. Pop the disc in your DVD-ROM drive and you’re supposed to be able to check out other extras, like a podcast with Hall, an interview with him, and episodes of The Tudors and Californication. This didn’t work on my computer. Oh, and you won’t actually get the “sneak peak” at season three that is promised on the box. For all intents and purposes, there are no special features relating to Dexter on this set.
