Tom Goodman Review

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/29/DDGH8LDUS21.DTL&type=tvradio


"...With the dark, creepy but utterly compelling "Dexter," you could argue that Showtime has a trifecta of top-notch series worth shelling out money to see -- "Weeds," one of the best shows on television; "Brotherhood"; and now "Dexter." The pay channel has been searching for an identity for ages and is slowly proving that you can't just ignore it anymore..."

"...At least with "Dexter," starring Michael C. Hall from "Six Feet Under" and based on the novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay, there has to be a legitimate discussion of ponying up for the goods. ("Weeds" alone is worth that for some people, but a one- or two-season commitment to a series is not the way to build long-term confidence; viewers want to know they can hang onto something for four or five years. That said, "Showtime" did pick up a 10-episode second season of "Brotherhood" when the numbers hardly merited it, so that's a positive sign.)..."

"..."Dexter" will no doubt divide an audience, what with the premise being that by day Dexter is a blood-splatter analyst for the Miami Police Department -- an expert in his field -- and by night, well, he's a sociopathic killer. Also an expert in that field..."

"...The twist, as it was laid out in Lindsay's book, is that not long after young Dexter Morgan is taken in by a foster family, his foster father, Harry (James Remar in a low-key role), a Miami police detective, comes to understand that Dexter is different. He's killing animals. And chopping them up. Before he came to the Morgans, something was lost for good in the boy. As he got older, that desire to kill grew, and Morgan senior took the unique (but loving) route of teaching Dexter to direct it at those people who really deserved it -- killers, rapists, serial drunken drivers, etc..."

"...What makes the series work so well is twofold. Hall is magnificent; it's another sterling performance from him. But instead of being pent up yet emotionally explosive, like his David Fisher on "Six Feet Under," he's cool and calculated and entirely without compassion as Dexter. That makes him alluring, in a strange way. That he kills bad guys is the free pass to like him, unless you're hung up on actual justice and against, say, strapping bad people on rubber-clad, plastic-wrapped killing tables and sawing them up but good..."

"...Also, one of the clear drawbacks of the premise is addressed early. Specifically, is this really going to be a every-episode kind of arrangement? Will he kill each week? And won't that be boring, not to mention a deal-breaker at the church social? "You watch what? And you like it?...""

"...A mystery that involves a serial killer unfolds and ensnares Dexter in it. The killer begins to leave messages and hints, taunting Dexter to solve his bloodless crimes. Dexter, in turn, is very impressed. And very curious. It's impossible not to like where that's headed..."

"...So, yes, Showtime has another gem on its hands. The channel's batting average is rising, along with its standards. That may be good for quality, but it's a real pain for people who want to see high-end drama without paying for something that's not HBO."