Dexter Season 1

Year: 2006

Grade: B

Country: USA

Director: Lewis

Review

the first season takes a little while to lift off, but it is intriguing enough to keep you coming back for more. dexter is a more plot-driven series than it is character-driven. i found myself much more interested in who the ice cream truck killer was than what motivated any of the characters. part of that is a lack of great secondary characters and part of that is the voiceover, which inserts for the viewer, dexter’s interpretation of the characters and events. so, instead of interpreting things yourself, you are given his opinion; in essence you are told what to think. i think that the use of the voice over evolves a bit as the series progresses. it’s less present and more seamless. it’s more funny, too.

dexter is like a lot of people and he has a code, he has scruples which makes him capable of some sympathy. i think audiences appreciate when psychopaths draw a line, it allows them to connect at least a little bit. towards the end of the season dexter is forced to decide what kind of person he’s going to be, and this is the kind of decision he’ll likely face throughout the entire series.

luke got me started on this and i wasn’t really sold on the series until about half way through the first season. you really have to give a series several episodes if you see any potential. even seinfeld took a little while to find its feet. glad we stuck with it.

Watched on TV