Dexter isn’t just America’s favorite serial killer, he’s one of the most charming and strangely lovable characters you’ll ever meet. A great ensemble, smart writing, super-stylized filming and radically mixed tone (just watch the titles!) all make this possible, but let’s be honest… Michael C. Hall is god’s gift to the tube.
If there were ever a greater departure from Six Feet Under’s neurotic, conservative, semi-closeted David Fisher, it’s creepy, blood-lusty Dexter Morgan. And Hall has played them both (the only highly exposed roles of his career) to a level of perfection the characters’ creators probably never dreamed possible. Dexter is not without its issues though. How does a serial about a serial killer ever hope of topping a first season where his soulmate/nemesis is killed off after just 12 episodes? The answer is: surprisingly easily.
Showtime loves to offer season premieres online before their airdate, and the recent epidemic of torrent leaks has been Dexter heavy, so if you’re at all a fan of the show, you’ve probably already seen Sunday’s episode. Season two finds Dexter with a slew of problems. Sergeant Doakes is on to him. His victimized sister is living in his small Miami apartment. And his girlfriend, Rita, is having suspicions of her own. Fulfilling his desire for ritualistic murders is hard enough, and now he has to deal with a curious loss of libido.
These obstacles alone can’t provide a suitable arc for a show that’s already set such a high standard for tension and mystery, so Dexter’s underwater dumping ground for victims is unearthed to a media firestorm in the first episode. His reaction? Grim delight! This season Dexter will flirt even more with the notion of getting caught and find something he prophetically mused on last season: fans! When the unsavory identities of the mystery killer’s victims come to light, Miami is polarized by their desire to capture a deviant and salute him for ridding the city of its worst scum. They’re just as conflicted over what should become of him as we are. I couldn’t have less of an idea what will happen; Dexter is that good at keeping me on my toes. So if you’re looking for something to transfix you this season, look no further.
Dexter airs Sundays at 9pm on Showtime