Customer Reviews

Dexter: The Complete First Season (Bilingue)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I found Season 1 of "Dexter" in a used record store about 2 years ago for a great price.

I put off watching it because of my apprehension about its violence and gore but after viewing the complete Season 1 I realize all my fears were unnecessary.

I loved Michael C. Hall's portrayal of uptight David Fisher in "Six Feet Under" and he has the acting ability and personality to pull off essaying a character as complex as Dexter Morgan.

At first, I despised Lauren Velez as Lt. Maria Laguerta because of her self-serving attitude and nasty power-tripping but she has become a very likeable character. The writers have slowly peeled back the layers of Maria and let her vulnerable, human qualities come to the surface.

C.S. Lee as Vince Masuka is hysterical to watch as he makes lewd comments to any females in the vicinity that border on sexual harrassment.

The acting and writing on "Dexter" is all top-drawer.

I feared the story content and locale would borrow from the CSI franchise, which I have seen and cannot say I enjoy at all. The murky photography and MTV-style editing do not sit well with this viewer. I was glad to see "Dexter" does not share these negative traits.

Though it took a few episodes to get hooked, once the Ice Truck Killer plotline kicked in, I was addicted and had to pace myself to one or two episodes a night until I got to the gripping Season Finale. I did have an inkling of the killer's identity though, due to the way the character was introduced.

The creepiest scenes were in Episode #10 ("Seeing Red") where Dexter encounters a horrificly bloody crime scene which unleashes some disturbing repressed memories. (The hotel room rivals the infamous room 237 from "The Shining" featuring those creepy twin girls).

Thankfully, there is not a lot of gratuitious gore in the series, considering it's a cable property.

If you are unsure of this series due to its premise, the gore is minimal and is as tastefully handled as can be. I highly recommend "Dexter" as one of the best current offerings on TV.

Author,Jeff Lindsay had an inspiration upon looking at a crowd "serial murder isn't always a bad thing." Dexter is a blood splatter specialist who works for the Miami Police, he spends some of his off time hunting, confirming the facts of the subjects crimes, then the killing and disposal of someone who kills the innocent. Dexter is a serial killer who targets serial killers using the 'Code of Harry' inspired by his dead adopted father. Season one of Showtime's Dexter is based upon the first of Jeff Lindsay's books, with the 'Ice Truck Killer'. The series and the books eventually begin to part ways, without going into the differences and similarities of the series and books I have only one fan reaction, it's the best cable series I've seen. Michael Hall was great in Six Feet Under but I prefer him as Dexter Morgan. I think that Dexter attracts and repels as you may root for a truly bad person being erased from the world while at the same time wondering about the methods used to trap them. The strongest feature of the show is Dexter's growing involvement in the world around him which includes his sister Deb (a cop initially trapped in a 'sex suit' working as a vice cop), his girlfriend Rita (damaged by an abusive husband), and his co-workers. Dexter is a new kind of monster, one I'm not ashamed to watch shrink wrap his way into a second season.

My only complaint is that the DVD has only 2 commentaries first on disc 2 the episode 'Return to Sender' and the second for the season one finale 'Born Free'. The Slim set is my preferred packaging, each disc not just floating around to fall on the floor when the package is opened.

This series is awesome! The first coulpe of episodes move a little slow, but they are trying to establish the characters.Keep on watching, it gets so good.iwatched the whole season in a weekend, now on to season 2!

Cette saison est vraiment débile du début à la fin c'est une série à regarder encore et encore morbide et drôle !!!!!!!!!! :)

You can believe all the superlative comments on the 5 stars-reviews. My brain grew lips of its own to produce a hidden grin of vicious pleasure while watching the episodes of this series. It is to TV series what H.R. Geiger is to visual arts: Not beautiful, definitely gory, not really ugly, but oh so fascinating you just can't stop watching.

Dexter is the critic's darling show, and one can see why; it is generally well-written, well acted, and well directed, with an EDGE, that critics love -- you know "pushing the boundaries" and all those other cliches...

Yet, the show is troubling, one that gets the viewer to see the world through Dexter's eyes, identify with him on several levels, and then experience him -- now us -- kill an individual in a vicious and explicit way...

While M. Hall, and the other actors and producers can dismiss its desentizing effect on viewers -- and its potential to create a few killers among those who are mentally unstable -- sensible (not right wing censorship advocates) know better...

One wonders when they will show actual dismemberment (of fake bodies of course), etc...

When does "pushing the envelope" end? Live executions on TV?

Alright, I have been waiting for this review. I read all three of Jeff Lindsay's Dexter novels and have seen the first two seasons of the hit TV show and I can't express in words that this is the best show on television and possibly one of the best shows ever. Mind you everyone seems to enjoy a good comedy (Seinfeld) but for me to put this show in that elite category I need to justify my stance. For a show to make me talk to my self while watching it and get me from lying down, to sitting down, to being on the edge of my seat, to standing up, to kneeling by the television and once it ends watching it again on a later telecast or on demand - I have never ever had a sitcom or a movie elicit such gripping emotion and other than making me laugh, no comedy has ever made me sweat watching it. Putting aside the writing and the acting, the sheer emotion is why this show has to be ranked amongst the best ever.

Dexter is brilliant and intelligent and best of all not for everyone. The writing is the best I have ever seen and the acting especially from Michael C. Hall is as "real" and as genuine as acting can be. The show is an indirect spin off of the first novel with the same characters in a similar but actually better story line than the novel. If you read the novel(s) then you have to see the show and if you saw the show you might be a little disappointed in the novel(s). I was. I can't wait to write the review for the second season.

I bought this show on a whim, because of the price and I had heard that it was pretty good. As soon as I started watching it, it became one of those shows where you have to finish it right away - I think I was done within 2 or 3 days!

The characters and acting on this show are amazing! Michael C. Hall as Dexter is one of the most brilliant characters on TV in the past decade. He makes you believe that he is Dexter - and you actually feel for him - even though he is committing murder after murder!

Another great character is Doakes, the way he treats Dexter is horrible, but the actor is so good at making you despise him that in the end, you also somewhat feel for him as well. The chemistry between him and Dexter is amazing, they play off of eachother so well. They are truly a great pair to watch!

These 13 episodes are some of the most entertaining 50 minutes that are on TV. Everyone should see it, and marvel at the wonder that is DEXTER!

This was a Christmas gift for a Dexter fan. I will say that it was good as she bought other seasons in order to watch.

Everyone knows that Dexter features a serial killer who only preys on other killers, but what it's 'about' is so much more than that. This series gives us one of the most subversive, complex, and challenging looks at morality on television and, for my money, the first season does it better than any other. Subsequent years would see improvements in acting, writing, etc., but I dare anyone to find tighter plotting or character development over twelve episodes.

Dexter's pursuit of the 'Ice Truck Killer' grabs you the throat in the first episode and doesn't let go until the incredible conclusion. Along the way we're treated to a wonderfully twisted take on the super hero origin story as Dexter struggles to relate to other people while doing what he 'needs' to do. A series this dark isn't for everyone, but anyone that gives it a chance will be treated to some of the best writing and acting on TV.

Extras
The two commentary tracks are more self-congratulatory than insightful, lots 'ooo, this is a great scene' with Michael C. Hall's absence being truly unfortunate. Beyond that we get two 'meh' featurettes and a two 'bonus' episodes of Brotherhood. All due respect to that show, I think most fans would prefer the disc space go to material on the show they bought rather than to promoting another one.

Presentation
The transfer is about as good as you're going to get without going to Blu-Ray. This show was never about blistering visuals, but its unique colour palette and cinematography come through well here along with the cringe inducing sound-effects of Dexter's trade. The menus are fugly but functional.

Bottom Line
Substandard extras just aren't enough to drag a series this good down. Dexter really is one of the best things on television and if you're only going to own one season, it needs to be the first.