Editorial Reviews:
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An interesting and original idea that's very skillfully executed, Showtime's Dexter is never less than watchable, often quite compelling, and sometimes thoroughly riveting. As the 12 episodes from the show's first season (packaged here in a four disc set) reveal, it's also the epitome of "high concept," a kind of Silence of the Lambs for the C.S.I. generation. Creator-executive producer James Manos Jr.'s title character, one Dexter Morgan (played by Michael C. Hall of Six Feet Under renown), works for the Miami Police Department as an blood spatter analyst, visiting crime scenes and helping figure out what happened. He has an avocation, too: during his off hours, he tracks down some very, very bad people who for various reasons have eluded the proper authorities. Seems his adoptive father, a cop himself, taught the kid how to channel his dark side in a "positive" direction; and so, having captured these evildoers (including a child molester-murderer and a recidivist drunk driver with a trail of bodies in his wake), Dex dispatches them with clinical precision, thus making him a serial killer who snuffs serial killers. But there's more--much more, as it turns out. By his own description, Dexter is "a monster," an empty shell who fakes all human interactions and admits to no real feelings for anything or anyone, including his foster sister (Jennifer Carter) and his nominal girlfriend (Julie Benz), a former crack addict and battered spouse who's as uninterested in sex as he is. There's an explanation for Dexter's weirdness, of course, one so deep and traumatic that even he isn't aware of it. It's gradually revealed over the course of the season as he and the cops (who include Erik King, Lauren Velez, and David Zayas, all first-rate) track down the so-called "Ice Truck Killer," a fellow monster whose grisly m.o. both fascinates and taunts our hero, leading to a genuinely shocking and squirm-inducing finale. Dexter can be a bit arch, with an ironic, too-hip-for-the-room tone that get a little old. Still, it's a safe bet that anyone who views this first season will be salivating for the second. Extras include audio commentary on two episodes, a featurette about real-life blood spatter analysis, and a variety of DVD-ROM items. --Sam Graham Beyond Dexter 
More TV Head-cases on DVD | 
The Book that Started It All | 
More from Showtime | Stills from Dexter: The First Season (click for larger image)
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Gift for G/F
Comment: My girlfriend is a HUGE fan of the crime series like CSI and such. This show she caught from time to time and always tried to explain it to me. rather than listen to her attempts at explaining, i just surprised her with a gift wrapped DVD, Thanks Amazon! One of her most favorite gifts ever recieved...until season two ;)
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Ultimate Outsider
Comment: What I like most about this show is Dexter's efforts at (& confusion over) emotion. Since he has none of his own, he is always observing and sometimes wondering why people do the things they do. I feel like I can relate to that as I sometime wonder at the behavior of my fellow humans. To be honest, I find that more intreresting than his weekly pursuit of justice.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Dance with Dexter's Devil
Comment: Dearly Damaged Dexter....This series takes the idea of the anti-hero to a whole new level. Dexter is humble, self-efacing, darky sarcastic, and quite deadly. He also holds to a high moral code, Harry's Code. Yes, he manages to be a hero & a serial killer. What's more, he is a reflection in the glass of our darker self, the side we may not wish to acknowledge. Like Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal", this is a dark satirical look at human nature, taken to extremes to bring that darkness into the sun light.
Michael C. Hall's performance in this role really bring's Dexter to life, His low key, very human approach to playing a monster with a code is almost enthralling.
I am a late comer to the Dexter fan club, but I am eagerly awaiting the next DVD set. I can't wait to see what my favorite monster has in store for us viewers.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Dark but interesting show
Comment: I enjoyed the first season and I am waiting for the second to come out.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Dexter is a winner!
Comment: The first few episodes were a bit slow as the stage is being set for the series. After episode six, it starts to pick up and really gets exciting around episode eight. After that, it was a rush each night to get home to watch Dexter. Season two is even better than season one! I now have Showtime because of Dexter!
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