“Dexter” Season 1: Qu’est que c’est?
The first season of Dexter, Showtime’s great, white hope of a new drama based on the life of a serial-killer (who kills serial-killers), ended this past Sunday. Many people believe this is the show that might finally catapult Showtime to HBO-like heights. Not so fast, I say. More after the jump…
The series has its merits, most notably Michael C. Hall’s brilliant performance, but after 12 hours of story I’m afraid I found myself walking away far more frustrated than pleased. Frustrated because the series could have (should have) been much more than what it actually delivered. Like the titular character, Dexter (the show) is a bit of a dichotomy. On the one hand it has this incredibly intriguing character who battles with himself over his own emotional vacancy and (at least this season) his pursuit to discover the truth about what made him kill and where he came from. On the other hand you have a roving band of characters at the police department where Dexter works with about as much depth as the knives he uses to butcher his prey. I’m not just talking about bad characters. I’m talking about CBS Network brand police procedural cutouts of what some failed Hollywood screenwriter thinks a real detective might sound like — which would be perfectly fine if the bulk of every episode hadn’t dealt with their headless-chicken-on-the-hunt-mystery-solvings at a rate of two-to-one compared with that of Dexter’s actual storyline. I think in the first episode of the season the “Angry-Black-Cop” (whose name I never bothered to learn because he never became anything more than an angry black cop) says to Dexter, “I’m watching you, Morgan” (which is Dexter’s last name). In the season finale, one of the final images is “Angry-Black-Cop” watching Dexter as he takes out the trash. Talk about your season-long payoffs!
That was just one of many, many, many moments that made me wish I was at the receiving end of a power drill. How can a show with such weighty ideas be loaded with such horribly crafted characters and ridiculous motivations? What’s even more tragic, however, is that all of the police nonsense that has nothing to do with anything thoroughly distracts you from what was otherwise a remarkably clever cat-and-mouse mystery between Dexter and his rival serial killer. Over the course of the season I had about a dozen different theories of how things would end up, and I was proven wrong every step along the way. In fact, when the big “what does it all mean” reveal came during the finale I was legitimately surprised (and found myself giving a knee-jerk “Oh, of course!” as the events unfolded). It also provided one of the series truly haunting moments (which came infrequently for a show about a man who kills people on plastic sheeting).
The problem is even if Dexter (the show) had been considerably more streamlined, with a lot more Dexter (the character) and a lot less of the god damn Keystone Cops, I still don’t think it would ever ascend to the level of some of the better programming on HBO because it simply burnt up too quickly upon reentry. There’s nowhere for Dexter to go in a second season (It’s all ready in Miami, what next Dexter: New York?). Sure, the cops could still find out about his murderous ways, but who cares? That isn’t what the show is suppose to be about. This season Dexter faced an opponent who could shine the mirror right back on himself. No future season will be able to create the urgency of this one. No future season could possibly put the character in an emotional situation as rich. What separates Showtime from HBO is that Showtime wants to create greatness right now. HBO realizes that greatness doesn’t come until the second or third season. Remember, as The Wire has taught us, payoffs come to those who wait.
December 26th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
LOL @ “There’s nowhere for Dexter to go in a second season ”
*Puts down Jeff Linsday’s “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” and picks-up Lindsay’s ‘latest’ novel, “Dearly Devoted Dexter”*
You my friend, are a tad over-zealous and blantantly, in your ignorance, biased.
December 29th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
Great summary of season one. Like most people I too enjoy the premise of the show but even with Hall’s considerable acting skills it’s not enough to thrust the show up into HBO-greatness.
January 21st, 2007 at 7:19 pm
My new addiction on a TV show is Dexter. I can’t describe how much I like this show so I won’t bother so all I have to say is, I LOVE this show. I, my sister and brother-in-law will never make plans on Sunday nights and we just stay home and watch it. Fantastic I have to say, directed and played very well, for the producer I have to say you have invested your money in the right place. I am a big fan of revenge or even,,, not a good thing but I have it under control. ;)
May 13th, 2007 at 9:33 am
“There’s nowhere for Dexter to go in a second season â€
I most certainly must disagree. Season finale left us so many doors that can be open. You said that “no future season could possibly put the character in an emotional situation as rich” and I agree but why does it have to be richer? The ending had to be strong - it was a trigger to pull Dexter’s emotions out. For a person who claims that doesn’t feel anything there is no other way to let out hidden feelings. Now we have a chance to observe how they develop which I assume will be sth way different than watching normal person. Or maybe Dexter will turn into sth worse than he was. He no longer has to follow the code of a father who “betrayed” him in his eyes.
“HBO realizes that greatness doesn’t come until the second or third season. Remember, as The Wire has taught us, payoffs come to those who wait.”
You should follow your own advice and watch the “Angry-Black-Copâ€. Sth tells me he will be more than “Angry-Black-Cop†in second series.
P.S. Sorry for mistakes. English isn’t my first language.
September 17th, 2007 at 7:22 am
Not a bad little show….in my ever so humble one a better show than Heroes which is dumb for dumb;s sake! Dexter is nicely plotted..and paced…they capture the internal dialogue from the books quite well…and they have ditched some of the more irritating elements of the book with great success. A cut above the usual anodyne fare from mainstream US teevee (ps I am commenting on the uncensored UK version of Dexter)
October 1st, 2007 at 1:08 pm
[...] I feel last season I was perhaps a tad overly critical of Dexter, Showtime’s surprisingly engrossing serial-killer drama. I got on board late and was forced to catch up over the course of a weekend having read all of this press about how brilliant and edgy the show was. Maybe my expectations were too high, or perhaps I secretly didn’t believe anything of cultural consequence to be shown on Showtime. By the season’s end I was a fan, but still had reservations. The supporting cast was too flat, and the season’s big revelation carried so much emotional weight I doubted they could ever find a story that would be even close to approaching the level of personal intimacy achieved. Going into this new season, I’m extremely optimistic, not the least of which is due to the very awesome Dexter posters plastered all over this city. Much more after the jump… [...]
November 30th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
I happen to love Dexter. I have to admit I did not like the show in the beginning, as there is so much horror in the world, I did not want to be entertained by it as well. Dexter grows on you though and Hall’s acting skills are shear genius! Dexter is a very complex individual, and the reviews I read where they wondered where Dexter would go 2nd season, I guess you have found out! Lots of surprises and a strong cast puts this show at the top in my opinion. LOVE IT!!
November 30th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Dexter may be one of the greatest tv shows in 2007. It is great. Thought out very well and no loose ends left untied. Anyone who knows good television would understand that Dexter is the greatest show airing right now!
December 17th, 2007 at 1:11 am
[...] was the case for this, the series second season. A year ago I speculated there wasn’t any more emotional ground to be mined from the character after the big season one revelation. On this I was completely wrong. The big [...]
December 18th, 2007 at 4:56 am
sadly, you don’t get it. dexter is a BRILLIANT show. it has its finger on the pulse of this country.
December 18th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
That’s funny, I was pretty sure I did get it. Thanks for commenting on a year old post though!
December 31st, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Dexter is easily the best television series I have ever watched. It is leagues above any other series IMO and that includes The Wire, Brotherhood, Nip/Tuck, Heroes and even Firefly.
The masterful acting inter-woven with a suspenseful plot and charisma of everything from the settings to the characters completely provide the other side to the double-edged sword that is Dexter. What other show features such a morally-ambiguous character who remains as likeable despite what he does after sunset?
And as for your comment about flat 2D characters I have to disagree 100%. Dexter’s characters all have a substance far greater than other shows, and miles away from the stereotypical ‘angry black cop’ you described. Remember it is a show focusing on one character, and even then the supporting cast go above the cut.
January 1st, 2008 at 4:35 am
Are you sure you’ve seen The Wire?
(I will concede that Doakes became quite an interesting character late in the second season… speaking of which, why not comment on more recent episodes?)
January 28th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Thankfully, Rick is not one of the writers for this show. Narrow minds yield narrow results.
January 31st, 2008 at 1:19 am
I’ve got to say, Rick, I think sociologists should study this set of posts. The time lapse for such hate is amazing, first of all, and also, I think it’s awesome that now it’s devolved into literal nonsense under the guise of cliche sayings. Narrow mindss yield narrow results? The blog has narrow results? Or the show would have narrow results if you wrote it? Would anyone ever want to watch a show that you could describe with the word ‘results?’ (I guess there is American Idol…but I stand by my point regardless.)
Seriously, let’s end this strike so people can complain about something new! That’s something we can all get behind! Right, bob and siro?!
February 3rd, 2008 at 12:26 am
Kevin, check out “The Proximity Effect” post from awhile back about Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. The comments section is even more ridiculous, with an even more asinine string of hate from Gilmore Girls fans spread over a much larger gap of time. Just plain entertaining.