I spent my Christmas and several days after that not so joyful holiday (after all) watching Dexter – all 5 seasons (I had seen the 2nd so I fast forwarded it) and I loved it! I remember liking it a while back when I watched the second season (I don’t know how I managed to make that happen) and now I finally got the time and the need to watch it from start to finish.
First of all I think Michael C Hall is amazing. He plays a guy who kills people and I like him, not all actors manage to do that. I remember seeing him in Six Feet Under (which I am re-watching because New Years is approaching and apparently I’m not very festive about this holiday also). He played the neat freak gay brother who I remember my grandmother really liked. I literally remember my granny saying: “This guy is great!” in Estonian. It’s funny, from all the characters she commented on a guy who is now TV’s most favorite killer. As Dexter he has much more muscle and he talks in a slower more controlled voice (a voice that I keep hearing in my head, god, I would like to have my own voice-overs when I’m liking walking on the street or driving a car). But he has the same a little stoic stance and very “I need to control my environment” thing going on. Plus, in both series he talks to his dead dad – what is it with killing the fathers and then bringing them back as ghosts in the persons mind? Anyway, after Six Feet Under Michael C Hall managed to get a better role that is similar to his previous role – well done Michael, you rule! (PS: He played David in Six Feet Under – D all the way, he should rename himself Michael D Hall.)
Spoilers ahead – I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself this time.
Second of all I like the 12 episodes per season, although I feel sick of waiting for shows like True Blood, Misfits and now Dexter I think that 12 episodes is better. They can fit one main storyline into 12 better that into 22/24, the story evolves faster and more excitingly, the writing is better somehow – I think it is because the writers have more free time, they don’t have to pull out 22 episodes worth of ironic jokes. Plus, 12 is my number – I am born on the 12th and I think it is a great number. On that note I’d like to say that I think that they finish every season on a high, like with the end of the 4th – they killed Rita. I knew it somehow because I probably read it from somewhere but I was still shocked. Now, the fifth ended with Quinn kind of knowing that Dexter is “bad”. I hope he doesn’t get killed off the show, I like him more than Doakes from previous seasons who was thought to be the Bay Harbor Butcher (aka Dexter) but he also (like Doakes) keeps trying to know who Dexter really is and season 6 might be the one where he finds out if he keeps looking around. Although that would mean that Dexter’s very foulmouthed sister Debra is again left alone (like Jennifer Carpenter herself, she and Michael C Hall are divorcing). What more does she need, she dated the Ice Truck Killer (Dexter’s brother Rudy – I miss him, I think he was the best killer after Trinity of course), then her older daddy-type lover Lundy got killed in front of her and now her boyfriend Quinn is trying to out Dexter as a killer.Let her be, maybe she’ll stop swearing that much – not that I have something against it, it’s just gets old at some point – sorry Deb.
I already mentioned Trinity but I want to applaud the man who humored me when I was little as the sweet and naive family dad in Third Rock from The Sun – John Lithgow. He won the Gloden Globe for his role and I’m not surprised, after his performance I think I could never watch Third Rock again, the man is a genius. The first time he was on Dexter he was killing a young woman in the bath – that gave me the creeps, the cut he made along with his emotions – shivers. I liked that season the best too, I think it was because it started with Trinity and it pretty much ended with him, like the first season. But the first was more about Dexter’s past than the killer so it doesn’t really remain in my mind as much as season 4. Plus, it had the best season finale yet, Rita getting killed and all.
Season 5 was a bit hectic in Dexter’s life since he is now a single dad – Harrison is the cutest kid ever! He has the sweetest smile and an amazing acting skill it seems. Right from the beginning Julia Stiles’ character Lumen (what is with the name?) was introduced as a woman who saw Dexter put a knife into his first victim (that season) and the entire season was about her and Dexter finding the men who raped and tortured her (like they did with 12 other women who they finally killed). I have know idea if she returns to the series but they left that part quite open – she knows but is no way going to tell anybody. I don’t really like Julia Stiles and her character was so-so to me (but she got a Golden Globe nomination, she’s not gonna win though, I think) – I hope something much bigger from season 6. Bring back a killer like Trinity or the Ice Truck Killer, and a little less running around from Dexter’s behalf, poor guy doesn’t get any sleep at all. Like I couldn’t sleep when I watched the show, not that it was too scary, I just really wanted to know what was going to happen next – what is going to happen next, season 6 is coming on September 2011 – the wait is going to be worth it.
So again I thought it would be nice to add some stills from the show and some season posters too – like always, I can’t help it, I want to make my reviews a little more colorful, but I guess this time, I just wanted to make it a little bloodier!
PS: If you can’t get enough of Dexter, watch an animated short series (has 2 seasons at the moment) on Youtube (with Michael C Hall’s voice of course): Dexter: Early Cuts.
Sati over at Cinematic Corner started a new blogathon called 
