The Good

Dexter is easily the best show on television.

The Bad

The extras are paltry.Dexter: The Third Season is different from the other seasons in that it seems to take more of a cerebral look at the life of America's favorite serial killer. Rather than focusing on the kill room, how Dexter victims, the backgrounds of his victims, etc, this show seemed to go more internally philosophical as it focused on the Deb (Jennifer Carpenter), Rita (Julie Benz), Batista (David Zayas) and a new D.A. (Jimmy Smits) who becomes quite cozy with Dexter. Hell, even Masuka (C.S. Lee) has a character arc!

This season features a killer called The Skinner. The police think that they may know who this person is but what he represents is a gateway into the other plots of the show. Those being Batista's new relationship, Deb's new liaison with someone involved in the Skinner case, and Dexter's relationship to the D.A. and Rita. Lets also not forget that our favorite killer has a marriage looming and a child on the way, and it makes sense that this show would become something different, right?

When I first heard about the direction that Dexter went in for this season, I couldn't help but feel a little let down. Afterall, the big reason so many of us like this show is because Dexter represents a very interesting dichotomy. He isn't a bad guy... or is he? Is what he is doing something that society needs, or does he have no right to act as judge, jury and executioner? Probably the most interesting aspect of Dexter is just how much different his life is in this third season. When I started watching season one, I was prepared for it to never get better than that. With all the plot twists that the Ice Truck Killer storyline presented, they could have just ended the show there and I would have been satisfied. However, I like the evolving relationship that Dexter, Rita, Deb, and his co-workers have. Even more interesting, is how Harry (James Remar), has gone from being Dexter's dad in past memories, to somebody that he now has a living breathing relationship with. Even if it is only in his head.

Dexter: The Third Season is different than the previous ones but in many ways I think that makes it a little better.

Features

Cast Interviews

Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter and other members of the cast sit down and discuss making this show. I could go into everything that this BD-Live feature has to offer, but I am not going to because chances are, only the hardcore fans are reading this review. Afterall, how many people are going to come into a show about a serial killer during the third season? So, as I was watching this I realized that I now need to go back and get the previous seasons. Well, at least the first one because that is when this character and this show was probably something fresh for the actors to talk about. Not that they are stale during this season, but lets be honest with ourselves, how much can these people really say in the bonus features on this release? Check this out but do so knowing that not much else about the show is really going to be illuminated.

Dexter By Design - Book Excerpts

Really Paramount... you use a Blu-ray disc to promote BOOK EXCERPTS!!!!!!! I am sorry but if you aren't going to put any more than that into the extras, than I am not going to put any more than a few lines into writing about them.

Video

1080p High Definition. The picture on this release is awesome. I had seen the other episodes on an HD TV and on my 24" iMac screen via Netflix. I thought the quality was pretty darn startling there, but this Blu-ray release takes things to an even higher level. Since this show takes place in Miami, it has a rich visual palate that comes across very nicely in the high definition format. There are times where this footage seems like it could be recut and used as a promo for visiting Florida. Also, with such directors as Keith Gordon and Marcos Siega, this show seems to have a distinct visual look that is seen through many sets of eyes. That it can hold up and endure says something about the vision behind this show. I noticed no times where the colors seemed to fade, or where the interiors shots and the exterior shots clashed composition-wise.

Audio

English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD/Spanish 2.0 Surround. Subtitles: English. The audio on this show was solid but there isn't anything in it's design that makes it overly stand out. Now that might come as a let down to some, but I think, if you have read what I wrote above, that speaks to the more conversational nature that this third season is imbuing. The music is steadily creepy, but there isn't too much about it that it really needs some amazing audio enhancements. A lot of this season focuses on dialogue and plot as opposed to Dexter and his private world of killing. It is because of this that the audio can get away with not blowing me out of my seat.

Package

Dexter, looking a bit a too dressed up, is again the only face on this slightly blood dotted Blu-ray cover. The back features a nice description of what this show has to offer, a Special Features listing, a cast list and technical specs. The packaging is solid but I think the subject matter of this show lends itself to a bit more pizazz. Come on Paramount, take some chances here!! Would it be so bad if these things became collector's items?

Final Word

I know that seeing a review for Dexter is a bit odd coming from the Mush. I usually review TV shows that are A) in black and white or B) were not made in the 21st Century. I was highly skeptical coming into this show. I was told how I needed to see it, how it seems to carry its plots from season to season, and ultimately, how there wasn't and hadn't ever been anything like it on television. So of course I stayed away from it because nothing could be that good, right?

As usual, it turns out that I was 100% wrong. While it took me about 3 episodes to really get into this show, I was able to watch all of the first twenty four episodes back to back via Netflix's On Demand viewing option. (If you are a movie/TV lover like I am, for $10 a month this is a necessary expense). I was amazed at how into this show I had gotten. I couldn't believe how much I cared about Dexter and the other characters on the show. In fact, during the second season, I was very sad to see one of Dexter's "enemies" bite the big one. However, knowing that I still had a third season and soon a fourth (it starts on Showtime on 9/27!), I was able to contain my grief.

There are people that aren't going to like this show. They are going to dismiss it out of hand as simply being implausible. Even I am reaching a point where I feel that Dexter could cover his tracks a lot better. That said, I still find myself glued to the TV and continually surprised at the choices, decisions and directions that my friend Dexter makes.

Look at that... current, popular television has me referring to a serial killer as a friend.