Everyone’s favorite do-gooder serial killer, well the only good guy serial killer I can think of, is back for another season of adventures. After last season’s revelations Dexter finds that he’s having some trouble performing. It’s not a simple matter of popping a Viagra since he’s having problems killing.
Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a serial killer. His homicidal urges appeared quite early on and his cop stepfather Harry (James Remar) knew what his son would become.
Instead of trying to stop it, Harry fostered these devilish desires into a code. Dexter would take out his murderous desires on the criminals and wrongdoers and not innocent victims.
Season one had us getting acquainted with this heroic anti-hero has he cut his way through the underbelly of Miami, Florida. To make matters more interesting, Dexter works as a blood spatter expert for the Miami police department. Things are not going well for Dexter as season two begins.
He’s losing his nerve after his encounter with the Ice Truck Killer and is having trouble getting his knife into his victims. Dexter’s sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) is also having trouble adjusting after her encounter with the Ice Truck Killer as well. She’s moved in with Dexter and is severely cramping his homicidal style.
If that wasn’t enough, his aquatic burial ground has been discovered and he’s given the lurid moniker “the Bay Harbor Butcher” and is all over the media. To make matters even more interesting – Dexter’s department is put in charge of hunting down the “butcher.”
The press attracts the attention of the FBI, and special agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine) is brought in to head the task force in charge of the case. Even more complications ensue when Dexter has to tell his girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz) that he’s a drug addict to cover up his setting up her ex-husband.
To keep the relationship Dexter has to start attending a twelve-step program. However, Rita starts to regret forcing him into the program as his sponsor turns out to be the hot Lila (the hot Jaime Murray). Meanwhile, Sgt. Doakes (Erik King) is getting suspicious of Dexter and making his nighttime “hobbies” a bit difficult as well.
Dexter is one of the best shows on television and positively addicting. It’s nominated for two Emmy Awards this year (Hall for Outstanding Actor and the show for Best Drama Series) and I hope that they see gold come September.
Michael C. Hall is a fantastic actor and puts the heroic anti-hero Dexter way up there with his excellent portrayal. Although he is fantastic the supporting cast also contributes a great deal, and the show has one helluva one.
Jennifer Carpenter is great and even gets her own “Harry” in the form of Special Agent Lundy, played with aplomb by Keith Carradine.
Dexter may be doing the Lord’s work, if he believed in the Lord that is, when he’s dealing with the world of criminals under Harry’s code but he begins to doubt the code and Harry as he discovers more about his past. In doing so Dexter starts to take a ride with his dark stranger and this affects some of his likeability.
I also have to confess that casting my favorite gal from Hustle, Jaime Murray, never hurts either. It’s an excellent show, where the set lets down is in the special features department – downright annoying.
Dexter is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include two episodes from the second season of Showtime’s Brotherhood.
The “Sneak Peek at Dexter Season 3” is just designed to make you mad since it refers you to purchase the second season release of Brotherhood that comes out on October 7, 2008 to get it! Well, I must give them a tiny bit of slack since they put a sticker on the case that said that, but that menu option is just a tease. Finally the discs contain biographies on the cast and a photo gallery.
However, as with the first set, many of the listed special features (Hall interview, two season two episodes of the Tudors, and an episode of Californication) are only available by putting the disc in your PC and going online. I guess what irked me a tad was that my PS3 can go online and yet it did zip when I put in the last disc.
I might’ve been a little lenient if the PS3 would’ve understood that and went online for the content. I don’t like being teased by the back of the box and I really didn’t like it when I was trying to watch the Hall interview and it kept buffering – argh!
Dexter is an excellent show and season two only continues the excellence. The DVD set, however, only continues the frustration as the first set also featured some special features that you had to hunt for.
I’m still going to give the show five stars, but I nearly knocked off a half of a star because of being annoyed by the lack of special features and the hunt for the ones that the set had. It probably didn’t hurt that I might imagine Dexter hunting me down for knocking off a star.
Dexter - The Complete Second Season is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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