Dexter.

[Feldschlacht IV]

I posted this on another forum but I don't know how much TV they watch so...

Dexter is an American television drama series based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay and adapted for television by Emmy Award-winning screenwriter James Manos, Jr., who wrote the pilot episode. Set in Miami, the series centers on Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a serial killer governed by a moral code who works for the Miami Metro Police Department as a blood spatter analyst.

The series premiered on the premium cable network Showtime on October 1, 2006. Dexter has received considerable critical acclaim and has won two Emmys in technical categories, and has also generated public controversies concerning its content and promotion. An edited version of the series began airing on CBS on February 17, 2008 to make up for the shortage of new content caused by the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike. Canada's CTV simulcasts episodes along with CBS, and is also airing the edited version in order to follow Canadian cable simultaneous substitution rules.[1]

If you haven't heard of this show yet, let me fill you in; Dexter is the shit. The plot revolves around Dexter Morgan, as outlined above, who works for the Miami Police Department as a blood splatter analyst who moonlights as a serial killer. However, the character is so interesting (and likable) because he only kills the absolute scum of society, while using what he knows from his profession to do an impeccable job and not leaving anything behind.

His drive to kill isn't because he likes taking lives, but an insatiable hunger that drives him and that he hates about himself. As a 'side effect', this hunger has robbed him of expressing (and feeling, or so he thinks) of normal human emotion, and with the exception of his sister, and a few others, he has to fake being a 'normal guy' to his sister, coworkers, and his girlfriend and her (not his) kids. His character progression, and the events that threaten his balance between his job and his 'other job' are what makes the show.

My roommate got me into this show last year, and at first I was reluctant because of the nature of the show, it's episodic and it's plot based, so you have to start from the beginning of the first episode of the first season to get any lead on the show. At the time the show was at the 2nd season, so I didn't want to sit through more than a dozen episodes the catch up. However, the show is so addictive that I can't just watch one episode, I have to watch one episode after another, many episodes end on a cliffhanger with a preview of the next one.

However, given the nature of the show, and the fact that you HAVE to start from the beginning, makes watching it rather tricky. The best bet is to see if you can download the older episodes and seasons somewhere, and start from there. Has anyone heard of this or began watching it? I definitely recommend it.

 

[Nachos]

Yeah I've watched it, recommended :thumb:

 

[arev]

the character is so interesting (and likable) because he only kills the absolute scum of society

AND he brings donuts to everyone. At least in the first few episodes.
"This is a killer TV show", quoting someone from another forum.
I'm a major sci-fi geek, but I'd have a really hard time figuring some sci-fi series that made such an impression on me, as "Dexter" did. Almost every episode makes me lose my jaw, and the closer to season's end - the better it gets.
The main character is really great and easy to indentify with. I can't think of any reasonable feature that could make me dislike him.
Whether you're a "Stargate:SG-1" or a "Friends" fan you should totally watch at least the first few episodes of "Dexter". There's a pretty fat chance you'll fall in love with him

 

[___]

This show is excellent not so much because of the premise but because of the writing. It really brings to life the inner mind of a psychopath, as Dexter narrates his impressions and instincts often where they differ from those you'd expect in a normal person. The character development is excellent, the backstory is rich, and there really isn't a single frivolous or one-dimensional character in the show - even his victims, often other psychopaths, are well developed and unique. Dexter's constant struggle to keep his murderous urges under control is captured and conveyed brilliantly through the dialog, narrative and even body language, as is difficulty and frustration he faces constantly in effort to appear normal to the people he must surround himself with, despite his complete lack of normal emotion and social instincts.

The plot never fails to deliver - every episode ends with unexpected revelations and the twists and turns keep you guessing in a way that few serialized shows could hope to emulate. Dexter daylights as a blood splatter analyst in the forensics lab at Miami PD, which should leave crime and mystery fans thoroughly satisfied even before you consider the awkward situations it often leaves him in. Ubiquitous dark humor will keep you laughing, or disgusted, depending on your personality and preference, and the gore is especially effective not only because it's incredibly visceral but because it's well-timed and rarely stretches belief or pushes into gratuity.

The cinematography and acting is equally excellent, far above and beyond what you expect out of television, and even the background music and sound is high quality, appropriate and effective - which you almost never hear on a TV show. I really can't gush enough about the show actually - I *hate* serialized television, especially crime shows, but among the handful of shows I actually like Dexter is probably #1.

 

[Stupid Penguin]

It's an amazing show.
Seen all the episodes so far and I highly recommend the series.

All I can say is that after the second season, it becomes fairly obvious that the series can't can't go much further. How many psycho serial killers can they put in Miami before it just gets ridiculous? This past season they've really been stretching it and while it wasn't a horrible, it seems to have lost the magic of seasons prior.

Also, WTF was up with the last episode of Season 3? It was SO not season finale material. I thought there were some episodes left. It was boring and ended poorly.

 

[___]

Haven't seen season 3 yet, but I imagine they'll need to introduce a plot device that forces Dexter to start moving around more, doing work in cities outside the Miami area.

 

[arev]

Well... wrong! In the third season Dexter finds a friend. Many other things happen too, but you don't need to know that. Go watch it

 

[___]

No I mean, following season 3. I'll be downloading it as soon as a full season package is available.

 

[serrated_colon]

season 3 finale was rushed in my opinion. they really should have given a few more episodes to flesh out the ending, though i was happy with it overall!
obligatory hierachy:
season 2 > season 1 > season 3

 

[___]

I preferred season 1 personally, I thought the story was more compelling. Ice Truck Killer > Lila by far.

 

[e]

Season one had a more interesting plot, but the writing and the characters were much better in the second one.

 

[Feldschlacht IV]

Has anyone ever read the books? I hear the show is far better than the books.

 

[skirtboy]

I watched the first episode, and I thought it was alright. By the third episode, my only interest was his sister. Then that got boring too.