TV Review: Dexter

Behind the times? Perhaps. I don't have an antenna.

Quick summary of the show: it's about a serial killer who kills serial killers.

Grander summary (and this is about all I can give you without spoiling major plot points): Dexter Morgan is a blood spatter analyst for the Miami PD, and in his spare time he hunts down those who have managed to escape justice, but not because he wishes to balance the books. At a young age he was witness to something horrific, something that changed him. His foster father, Harry Morgan, tells him, "They cut into you too early. They cut too deep." Dexter is completely devoid of emotion and is consumed by the need to kill. Harry trains him in how to quiet his urges without getting caught.

To give you more would ruin things. All of this is revealed in the first episode, but how he became what he is today unfolds throughout the story, weaved together with the tale of the Ice Truck Killer, the most horrific serial killer in Florida's history. The supporting cast is rich, each character distinctly human, both likable and unlikable in their own ways, and exceedingly human.

What got me was that this man, Dexter, is a serial killer. They don't pull punches. He's brutal, vicious, and takes a trophy of each kill. He is unable to relate to anybody and fakes every human interaction. Yet I connect with him. How often do we in our own lives fake social niceties? Smile at that coworker you despise, or show up to family functions when you'd rather just be running yourself headlong into hard things? Put up a false front to preserve what's going on behind the scenes? It's a very existential theme, this constantly feeling on the outside of society, and it's a feeling we can relate to.

That's what made me love the show. Other than how well scripted it is and the perfectly coordinated visuals. But when I stepped back and realized, "The writers just made me cheer on a serial killer," I was hooked.

I can't recommend this any more. There's no way for me to communicate how incredible this show is. It's on DVD. Go buy it.