Get your Dexter action figure.

Possible spoilers

John Lithgow joins the cast. This should be goooooooooooood.

Ok, so I watched both Seasons One and Two.

The first season had me hooked on the plot even though I took issue with the writing and with what seemed to me to be major flaws in the story. Whenever the show attempted to get "serious" the writing got bad. And the whole premise just doesn't add up: Dexter has no feelings or sense of morality at all, which is why he can kill the way he does, and yet he has enough feelings and a sense of morality to pick out the "bad guys" to kill...? The whole show teeters on this contradiction, and never seems to question it.

Plus the way the viewer is made to identify with this supposedly non-feeling, non-moral killer in a way that requires feelings (empathy) and a sense of morality just seems down right weird.

And yet the plots were so well crafted that I was hooked, enough to go on to season two....

...which I think was significantly better.

All the issues I had with Dexter's supposed "numbness" to the world and others and his blindness to right and wrong were are thematized and problematized in a way that season one refused to. This made for a FAR more satisfying experience. Now I can say I love the show. The writing did not make me cringe (as much) this time, and the plotting was even more intense. Great season!

Oh, and does anyone else think that the acting is all-around very good, but in one case only superlative? No, not Michael C. Hall's Dexter, but Jennifer Carpenter's Deb. She's an incredible actor!

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not denti, but you're honestly the first person I've heard actually praise Jennifer Carpenter. I frankly think her acting is awful, but that's only because the character of Deb is so poorly constructed and saddled with cliched Daddy issues.

He picks out bad guys because his adopted father taught him to do it. Dexter calls it "Harry's Code," meaning it's not Dexter's code, so it hardly matters if he has morals or not.

The whole thing is loopy, but it's clearly not trying to be a realistic show, so that's fine.

I think, given her character, Carpenter plays it well. But all of the major secondary characters - outside of Doakes and Rita and her kids - I can't stand, everytime the show gets wrapped up in a subplot involving Angel, Deb, etc. I find myself bored to tears and longing for the story to get back to Dexter. I do enjoy the season-long secondary characters though - i.e. Dexter's brother, Lila.

Quite serious, actually. Never seen her in anything else before. The role isn't all that interesting, I'll agree with you there, but she's the only actor who has real range of expression just in the face. Far exceeds anyone else on the show. Everyone else acts with voice alone; Carpenter really knows how to use body language and facial expression.

I'm a little surprised to be alone in seeing that. Well, I guess the cliched role might throw you off, but otherwise ...

Sausage: the notion of Harry's code is all fine and well, but the show still shows Dexter acting on emotion and a sense of right and wrong. It wants to have it both ways (in season one, at least), and gets itself all mixed up for it.

I don't remember season one all that well, so fair enough.

Season 4 trailer.

FYI, the first episode of season 4 has leaked online.

What??!! Four episodes into S4 and not a peep about it here? For shame Criterion whores, for shame!

For me (a diehard fan of the show since its first season, although that doesn't mean I don't see the many shortcomings left and right or become disappointed from time to time with various scenes/characters/episodes) it wasn't until last night's "Dex Takes A Holiday" (co-written by Melissa Rosenberg, the show's best staff writer) that the gears started clicking for the season and the John Lithgow storyline truly began to make sense. The bulk of the episode had Dex pitted against a more difficult-than-average killer to nab, one that I could actually see taking Dex down had the opportunity presented itself. Rita and family life have been a drag on the show (how many sleepless babies and emasculated family man jokes can a show make?) so having them away for a while to let Dex be Dex was a battery-charger for lead character and viewer alike. And despite getting a ton of hate online the 2nd episode, "Remains To Be Seen," was truly a gripping play-along episode in which you could actually walk alongside Dex's mind (Harry lives there BTW! ) and try a solve a mystery of Dex's own making. The main story arc of the season seems to be couples and their struggles: Deb and Anton/Lundy, Rita and Dex, Laguerta and Batista (makes sense that these loser friend cops would hook-up), Quinn and the female reporter, etc. Mazuka seems to be the only exception but that's OK, more free time for him to work on his set of wheels... Ultimately this has to be coming to a Dexter versus Trinity match of wits/fists, and so far ground work laid for that is going to begin detonating like a motherfucker on next week's episode. Can't wait, these four episodes (flawed as they are) already run circles around the entirety of Season 3.

Everyone I know was bitterly disappointed by everything after the S1 finale, but just speaking for myself, I got two episodes into s2 and just lost my interest, despite the really interesting hook that began in episode 1, season 2. I think it just turned into a cliched working out of a formula that got very boring. I eventually went back and slogged through s2, completely hating the Lila character (acting, accent, just so irritating). I then, still as a tribute to my love and addiction to Season 1, slogged through season 3, basically feeling the whole time as if it was being structured by promising some interesting killing was coming, then cornying my whole world up with piss-poor corny acting from Rita, heavy breathing, irritating dialogue... The writing just always failing to take advantage of the undercurrent that she was living with a serial killer! Those moments when that aspect was worked into their relationship were great



But only once in a blue moon. What do we get instead? Traditional working-through of a Hollywood relationship, with no sense of irony... After such a promising start, with such a great premise, I just think the verve of the original writers of S1 took the concept to its completion, and then because there was so much interest (read: money) its just drawn on and on despite a dearth of inspiration.

And please don't ask my why I'm posting here when I hated so much of S2-3... I loved Season 1, and I was scarred byhow much I hated the rest. So, in that sense, I care.

I just finished catching up with season 4 yesterday. Lithgow has been really impressing me with the range of stuff his character's shown so far.

I'll second that, after reading this I saw what you meant when I was catching up on the current season last week. It should be noted that Lithgow's body language during this season has been impressive as well as intimidating. I have no doubt that when all is said and done, he's created the show's ultimate villain.

WOW! Catch-up on S4 ASAP before you hear what happens at the end. A stunner of an ending that utterly up-ends the series to its core. Lithgow is a shoe-in for an Emmy nomination next year (he might win an Emmy for "Dexter" before Michael C. Hall, which is just plain nuts!) and overall it was a steep increase in quality compared to S3 and almost (though not quite) on the same level as Seasons 1 and 2. Part of me wants "Dexter" to end next season so they don't ruin a good thing by stretching it too thin, but I also want this show to run forever!

Sounds like it all turns out to be a dream. :p

Twists are so ridiculous.

This season certainly has proven, if not to be the best, certainly the most shocking. Trinity is the most formidable foe for Dexter, and Lithgow's haunting body language and dialogue made the character probably one of the best villains on TV ever (or at least that I have seen).

And for those that didn't see it so far, I'd heed dad1153's advice and catch up on the entire season before reading the numerous spoiler articles that are out now.

Season five as a whole was without question one of the worst streaks of dramatic television I've ever witnessed (with one obvious exception), so, uh, good riddance

Peter Weller makes everything better. I never really liked the show, but they sure know how to use their odd guest starring parts.

For what it's worth, AV Club gave the season premiere a slightly higher rating than the Homeland premiere. I disagree with that, but it was a more promising episode than anything of the past two seasons which may have been some of the most lackluster TV I've seen. Judge for yourself.

Last night's episode was surprisingly as good as last night's Homeland. I don't know if I have any higher expectations for the season as a whole to do well as it did last night, but I didn't feel it was time wasted.

Is anyone here other than me impressed with where this season is going? It's a vast improvement over the last two seasons so far, with few signs of letting up.

They ought to subtitle this season: The Corruption of Debra Morgan.