Dexter

Dexter immediately captivates with its original premise of a “good” serial killer who works on the police, murdering evil serial killers while leading a normal family life, and entertains with its take on silly soap operas as the main character tries to balance his dual life as a killer and family man. Most of the ironic humor rests on Dexter's memorable internal monologues, which he uses to sarcastically crash any melodramatic situations. Personally, I'm not a fan of voiceovers, but I can't imagine Dexter without them. Without them, the inner contradiction of a character who has no emotions and tries to pretend he's just like everyone else could never work. Dexter also amusingly satirizes the usually serious forensic investigations of procedural crime shows like CSI. However, from about halfway through (after the departure of the original showrunner) it starts to suffer from what a lot of long-running shows suffer from: the proliferation of side plots from the lives of minor characters that nobody cares about, as well as the unintentionally comical pathetic moments that the series initially made such a mockery of. The story becomes less and less believable and, as a result, less and less suspenseful. In later episodes, Dexter doesn't adhere so strictly to the strict code that helped him not get caught. He's getting more and more lax, but he still gets away with it. Some major events don't even have the expected serious consequences and are brushed off too quickly. And if that wasn't enough, this is one of the worst endings of any series ever. I don't know anyone who wasn't upset by it. But don't let that put you off, the first four seasons are top-notch. (2013-12-07)

The first episodes were slightly above average, but over time it turned out to be an affair to which it’s not difficult to develop an addiction. There’s simply no other series as good, with such a sophisticated psychology and at the same time so masterfully strumming the dark side of the human soul. Review of the final season: it should be said that this is the weakest season. The screenplay is clueless, clumsy, with nonsensical random situations, with even more nonsensical plot twists, and with a logic that has more holes than a Swiss cheese. But then came the final episode, which at least partially corrected the dull impression, when the resolution of Dexter's and Debra's fate got a fantastically emotional charge and was the most logical and only right one (although if I were in the creators' shoes, I would’ve been even more uncompromising). It's admirable how believable the psychological development of Dexter was throughout the series, which has maintained (with some rare exceptions) a continuous quality that many competing TV series could only envy. (2013-09-28)

Season 1: A small, kind and addictive audience scam that looks terribly radical, but is actually just a black-humor throw-down of many accepted clichés. Dexter is not nearly as dark a figure as he would like to be - in fact, he quite obediently conforms to audience expectations and does not embark on the thin edge of ethics – inevitably, Doakes' "post-war" revenge on the Haitian criminal is much more problematic than his rampage. Who would want to judge that adorable darling (the teddy bear my girlfriend dubbed him to be)? Dexter entertained me in the first season, despite the relatively early revelation of who the ice truck killer is and what the deal is with him and the main protagonist. The weird feeling is compensated by excellent actors and perhaps even better written minor characters. And I really enjoy Dexter's family life. I'm not saying that more could not be gotten out the character of a murderous sociopath with a reputation as a great guy, but what the creators have made works and entertains. (2010-09-13)

Season 1 - 85% - In the core, a small, pleasantly escalating case where too many personal coincidences happen around the main character. And in the bigger picture, it's the first step of a sympathetically sophisticated series that intoxicates viewers with a sweet feeling of knowing more than everyone around the central character, while still being led by the footsteps of an unknown killer. In the end, it's a relaxed and gradual spectacle that once introduced me to the world of cable TV and gave me a criminally grateful character with purely logical thinking and somewhat noble intentions. However, nothing is black and white, and there are many twists yet to come. Season 2 - 90% - Cold logic starts to crack due to the animalistic force in the form of a seductive stranger, sympathy is increasingly stolen by the uncompromising Debra, and the deserving place in the spotlight belongs to the charming Julie Benz as Rita, who is unnecessarily scorned by viewers. In this season, the creators found the ideal balance that guaranteed the show's position for a few more years, a show that everyone watches (or at least plans to start watching at any moment). And it must be said, deservedly so, because the dynamics of relationships between Dexter-Doakes, Dexter-Lila, or Debra-Lundy can captivate viewers. Season 3 - 70% - Surprisingly stumbling at a time when all storylines should gain strength. Laguerta, despite occasionally emphasizing her importance too much, fails to impress, and she can't compete with the consistent performances of Deb or Rita. Dexter himself battles with an almost anonymous enemy and embarks on further endeavors with a rather problematic sidekick, Miguel. Here, in the third year of Miami escapades, I had the feeling that the script can dangerously waver and, in the wrong hands, could lead the entire series into unexpectedly murky waters. Fortunately, that didn't happen, and the Skinner case was concluded with credit, leaving only the anticipation for a more nourishing prey, which didn't take long to arrive. Season 4 - 100% - The pinnacle of the whole bloody show, which cannot be surpassed in terms of uncompromisingness, nervousness, or breathlessness due to unexpected twists. The Trinity Killer became a symbol for Dexter, the epitome of a first-class villain whom everyone subsequent will strive to match - and they will never succeed. When the storylines around Batista and Joey Quinn finally work perfectly, the outcome is determined. It's a (2008-01-30)

At a time when the word "series" is becoming almost an annoying concept, from the depths of inconspicuousness comes a stylish blockbuster that is three levels above its contemporaries. Dexter - the absolutely divine Michael C. Hall - will wrap anyone interested in his adventures around his finger with his cynically black-humored look into the soul of a cold-blooded killer who wears a police badge around his neck. The series then radically changes its image after this brilliant maneuver into a detective story that will make the viewer taut as a string, to reveal, piece by piece, more secrets, the discovery of which not only brings no relief but also, through its subtlety, leaves the audience in a state of total consternation, from which it only wakes up when the credits of the last episode roll. After the end of the first season, I can safely say that in the current flood of series, Dexter is among the very best! There are certainly things to criticize in the subsequent seasons (the predictable crime storylines, underdeveloped characters, lapses in logic), but Dexter's reflections on life (the fantastic flirtation with religion and faith in the sixth season) are simply incredible and keep pushing the series forward. Unfortunately, the final eighth season is something that shifts the series into the science fiction genre, written by the screenwriters of a family soap opera. The development of the main character was fascinating until someone rubber-stamped the creators' approval of Dexter's lobotomy. (2006-12-21)