"DEXTER: THE SECOND SEASON"
Blu-Ray Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Michael C. Hall as DEXTER MORGAN Julie Benz as RITA BENNETT Jennifer Carpenter as DEBRA MORGAN Erik King as SERGEANT JAMES DOAKES Lauren Velez as LT. MARIA LAGUERTA David Zayas as ANGEL BATISTA James Remar as HARRY MORGAN Jaime Murray as LILA TOURNAY Not Rated Studio: Showtime Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a sociopath and a serial killer. However, his foster father Harry (James Remar) noticed these tendencies in him at an early age, and he directed Dexter towards a greater good. As an adult, Dexter works as a forensic blood analyst in the Miami Police Department, and he uses these connections to murder only those who deserve it – rapists, murderers and molesters. Dexter balances his “hobby” with his foul-mouthed, zealous sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), who is also a cop with Miami PC, and his emotionally-crippled girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz).
In the second season of this hit Showtime series, Dexter is being relentlessly pursued by Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King), who seems to be the only person who notices something isn’t quite right. Dexter also deals with a tense relationship with Rita after her husband is killed in prison and he is manipulated into attending Narcotics Anonymous. Dexter’s sponsor Lila (Jaime Murray) makes advances to him, which puts further strains on his relationship with Rita. Finally, a diving crew stumbles across Dexter’s underwater dumping ground, and Miami PD launches a manhunt for the “Bay Harbor Butcher,” which also brings in the FBI to assist.
WHAT I LIKED
Does it bother anyone that I really like this show? Not that it’s a bad show at all. It’s incredibly well done, well acted and tightly plotted. But I have to admit that when friends of mine tell me how much they like it, I have to feel a little nervous.
What makes “Dexter” shine is that the title character represents ourselves as a society. Who isn’t frustrated at how hard it is to convict and punish the guilty? Who doesn’t wish we could take the law into our own hands? Who doesn’t wish that criminals would turn on themselves as they do in such a cut-and-dried way in this show? Ultimately, my fascination with “Dexter” – which I imagine is mirrored by others out there – is that Dexter Morgan does what we would all like to do to the dregs of humanity... and he does it with a smile on his face.
“Dexter” taps into our own dark side. Even in this season, which really blurs the line of morality, we cannot help but look at a mass murderer like Dexter Morgan as a hero. This is even addressed in the Bay Harbor Butcher storyline, going as far as suggesting that Dexter’s work is that of a Batman-esque superhero.
With a series like “Dexter,” the writers (and ultimately the audience) can fantasize about doling out our own form of punishment to those who seem to go unpunished. It’s a challenge to make a sociopath a sympathetic hero, but the writers, directors and producers of “Dexter” have done it.
Being a Showtime series, there are far fewer restrictions on subject matter. Plenty of violence and sex is literally splattered onto the screen here. “Dexter” is a show for adults, so send the kids out of the room while you watch this. Otherwise, you’ll have to explain why you like watching shows about murderers, along with plenty of sex scenes featuring Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter and the sizzling Jaime Murray.
I recently discovered “Dexter,” and count me as one of the converted.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
As much as I am fascinated with Dexter’s storyline, I did find myself a bit bored with the B- and C-character arcs. The storylines that focused on Sgt. Doakes were interesting when it involved his pursuit of Dexter. However, when he was dealing with his own demons and his shaky relationship with Lt. LaGuerta, I found myself a bit bored.
The same goes for the character of Dexter’s sister Debra. Jennifer Carpenter is a fine actor who has been afforded a meaty role in this series, and she’s a very attractive woman (although she could stand to eat a sandwich now and then, like her on-screen persona). However, her non-Dexter storyline just seemed a bit too normal and mundane for my tastes.
DVD FEATURES
The three-disc Blu-Ray set comes with all twelve episodes from season two in high definition and 5.1 Dolby TrueHD sound. The third disc includes an interactive set-top game which introduces the viewer to the viewer to the instruments of Dexter’s hobby. Using your remote, you can put the cutting tools away in his case, learning what each one is used for – both by intention and by Dexter’s unusual trade.
Using the BD-Live feature, viewers can access more than a dozen videos, including the first two episodes of Showtime’s new show, “The United States of Tara,” which features Toni Collette as a suburban housewife with multiple personality disorder. There’s also a short featurette about a touring blood fountain that was used to promote this season of “Dexter.”
Other BD-Live featurettes include interviews with cast members C.S. Lee, David Zayas, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Velez, Erik King and Michael C. Hall. There’s also webisodes off the “Dark Defender” series, which builds off the superhero angle of the Bay Harbor Butcher storyline and gives background for the victims in the case.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Anyone in touch with their dark side.
