Friday, March 28, 2008

Dexter: Bloody Good

And now, the latest entry in the continuing series, "Shows Mike never watched originally but is now caught up on and highly recommends."

Dexter.

First off, I have an excuse for not watching this show during its first two seasons. I don't have Showtime. But, with the show in between seasons, and needing a worthwhile drama to watch now that The Wire is done, and most network shows are still in limbo trying to recover from the strike, I decided to give this one a try.

What a treat.

In the interest of avoiding spoilers, which on the one hand doesn't make much sense since there are now 24 episodes that have aired -- and the last new epsiode was three months ago -- I'm going to avoid talking about major plot points about either of the first two seasons.

I'm doing this mainly because my wife reads this blog, and I want her to watch the show, too (along with a dozen other shows that I love that she has no interest in), without knowing anything about it beforehand.

Also, I would assume that a fair number of other readers haven't seen the show either, and I'm simply here to priase it in an effort to get others like me to check it out.

Now, it's not like I'm going to pick up the phone today and order Showtime in time for season three later this year -- if I'm not going to order it for The L Word, I'm not doing it for Dexter, no matter how much I love it -- because thanks to DVD's, and various internet outlets, catching up on a show, or watching new episodes isn't as limited as it once was.

Here's all you need to know about the show: Dexter Morgan is a forensics expert with the Miami Police Department by day, and a serial killer by night. The catch...he only kills other killers. Now, isn't that enough to get you to watch?

Part of the joy of the series is watching Dexter, played brilliantly by Michael C. Hall, juggle his "hobby" with the normal day-to-day activities at work, and in his personal life.

Because he is who he is, and does what he does, he is a rather emotionless guy, and this also presents some interesting, and funny, situations where he needs to interact with friends, ladies, etc., while lacking some of the social skills that most of us have acquired over time.

What helps keep the show glued together are the voiceovers provided by Dexter throughout each episode. They're essential. It allows us a vital peek inside the mind of Dexter in a way that gives us the chance to understand, and to a certain extent, empathize with what he's going through, in a way the other characters on the show can't.

While I don't think the show is flawless -- certain plot developments, and a few cliches that are a alittle distracting -- the acting of Hall is fantastic. It's hard to imagine someone else handling the role so well.

It's well worth it. Ummm, a bloody good show? A cut above? A killer show?

You get the idea.

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