Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-05-19
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Formats: Box set, Colour, PAL, Subtitled
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 626 minutes

Amazon.co.uk review

An interesting and original idea that's very skillfully executed, Dexter is never less than watchable, often quite compelling and sometimes thoroughly riveting. As the 12 episodes from the show's first season reveal, it's also the epitome of "high concept," a kind of Silence of the Lambs for the C.S.I. generation. Creator-executive producer James Manos Jr.'s title character, one Dexter Morgan (played by Michael C. Hall of Six Feet Under renown), works for the Miami Police Department as a blood spatter analyst, visiting crime scenes and helping figure out what happened. He has an avocation, too: during his off hours, he tracks down some very, very bad people who for various reasons have eluded the proper authorities. Seems his adoptive father, a cop himself, taught the kid how to channel his dark side in a 'positive' direction and so, having captured these evil doers (including a child molester-murderer and a recidivist drunk driver with a trail of bodies in his wake), Dex dispatches them with clinical precision, thus making him a serial killer who snuffs serial killers.

But there's more--much more, as it turns out. By his own description, Dexter is 'a monster,' an empty shell who fakes all human interactions and admits to no real feelings for anything or anyone, including his foster sister (Jennifer Carter) and his nominal girlfriend (Julie Benz), a former crack addict and battered spouse who's as uninterested in sex as he is. There's an explanation for Dexter's weirdness, of course, one so deep and traumatic that even he isn't aware of it. It's gradually revealed over the course of the season as he and the cops (who include Erik King, Lauren Velez, and David Zayas, all first-rate) track down the so-called 'Ice Truck Killer,' a fellow monster whose grisly m.o. both fascinates and taunts our hero, leading to a genuinely shocking and squirm-inducing finale. Dexter can be a bit arch, with an ironic, too-hip-for-the-room tone that get a little old. Still, it's a safe bet that anyone who views this first season will be salivating for the second. --Sam Graham

DVD Description
The Emmy award-winning and Golden Globe nominated TV series Dexter is based on the story of Dexter Morgan. Orphaned at the age of four and harbouring a traumatic secret, Dexter (played by Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor Michael C. Hall of Six Feet Under fame) is adopted by a police officer who recognises Dexter's homicidal tendencies and guides his son to channel his gruesome passion for human vivisection in a constructive way - working for the Miami Police Department as a blood spatter analyst, visiting crime scenes and helping to solve murders. However, during out of hours (and with the support of his father), Dexter focuses on capturing the heinous perpetrators (including a child molesting-murderer and a drunk driver with a trail of bodies in his wake), and dispatches them with clinical precision, thus making him a serial killer who murders serial killers. By his own admission, Dexter is "a monster", an empty shell who fakes all human interactions and admits to no real feelings for anything or anyone, including his foster sister (Jennifer Carpenter, The Exorcism Of Emily Rose) and his nominal girlfriend (Julie Benz, Rambo), a former crack addict and battered spouse who's as disinterested in sex as he is. There's an explanation for Dexter's weirdness, of course, one so deep and traumatic that even he isn't aware of it. It's gradually revealed over the course of the season as he and the cops track down another fellow monster whose grisly motives both fascinate and taunt our hero, leading to a genuinely shocking and squirm-inducing finale. This box set features all 12 episodes from the show's first season. Extras include audio commentary on two episodes, a featurette about real-life blood spatter analysis, and a variety of DVD-ROM items.

Synopsis
After playing a mild-mannered funeral home director in SIX FEET UNDER, Michael C. Hall makes a smooth transition to serial killer in this original crime drama. But the twist in this smart show is that Dexter chooses to prey only on other serial killers. As a child, Dexter is adopted by a cop (James Remar) who soon realises that his new son is no ordinary boy. Since Dexter is compelled to kill, his law-abiding father pushes him to choose his quarry in a way that will best benefit society. As Dexter grows older, he works as a blood splatter expert in Miami, giving him a close view of other murderers and their handiwork. Stylish and blackly comic, this drama is adapted from Jeff Lindsay's novel DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER. This release includes the entire first series, which largely focuses on Dexter's pursuit of the coldblooded Ice Truck Killer and his own efforts to evade detection.

Customer Reviews

Dark, Mysterious, Intruiging and Amusing
Having never been a huge fan of the US import TV that usually shows up on Channel 4 or ITV over here, I wasn't exactly blown away by the trailers and teasers for this one. However, whilst idly channel hopping late one midweek evening I came across it..and never looked back. Never have I breen drawn into a show quite like this, despite being a somewhat unrealistic concept (serial killer who works for the police..)the show is produced to near perfection.

The entire show is near perfectly cast, Michael C Hall puts in a creepy, disturbing and genuinely frightening performance as Dexter, and is supported by the fantastic Julie Benz who does a great job in her portrayal of a traumatic victim of domestic abuse. Other performances from the likes of Jennifer Carpenter and Erik King are also top drawer, and help provide a range of likeable, amusing and believable characters.

The show focuses on the private life of the twisted and disturbed Dexter Morgan, who channels his dark urges to kill in a positive fashion by "taking out the trash" and killing only those who are guilty of heinous crimes themselves. Whilst leading this life of brutal crime by night, he gets by during the day as putting up a facade and acting as just another normal person on a day to day basis. Only when another serial killer invades his territory does Dexter become amused, inrtuiged and then anxious as the series reaches its climax.

The DVD itself contains what it says on the packaging, all 12 episodes from the first season, the only extras being a commentary on two or three episodes by two of the writers, shame that there is no commentary from Michael C Hall himself, but hey, it's not a huge problem.

Altogether this is a very different TV experience, it's dark, edgy, disturbing and it's sense of morality is dubious at best, but it's great, quite the find. Highly reccomended to those who like something a bit different.

seriously recommended
This is one of the greatest tv dramas ever made. It's ability to send you into suspense is unreal. The story is of Dexter, a guy who works in forensics for the Miami Police dept. with a specialism in blood spatter analysis. He disturbingly loves his job as it fuels his obsession with blood. He is also secretly a serial killer, although he only kills people who have done wrong. He therefore appears as a kind of vigilante, who ironically works for the police. It's an interesting premise which shows us how someone who can't help enjoy the sight of blood and death has to deal with himself in a modern society. There are many times when you think he may have just got caught but didn't. What makes it almarming in this show is that you can't help but like this guy and he is so nice to other people. However, he pretends this niceness. His foster father has taught him how to fulfil his disturbing needs whilst stil remaining an above board citizen. He kills criminals to fulfil his needs and studies blood spatter in a police station to fulfil his blood obsessions.

The series main story arc is the quest for Dexter to find the alleged 'Ice-truck killer', another serial killer who catches the eye of Dexter and appears to know an awful lot about him. It's a great story which shows how Dexter gets slowly closer to finding this killer and at the same time the killer is unravelling Dexter's history within his crimes, making Dexter unable to assist int he police's unrelenting pursuit. He is in complete admiration and awe of this killer, who takes his equal obsession out on prostitutes. The story builds to an unforgettable climax with many plot twists.

What makes the story so great is that it has so many different aspects. There are so many characters. There is Dexter himself who we slowly discover over the series and through his narration in a 'peep show' style inner voice. There is Rita, his girlfriend with 2 kids, who is ideal as she was a victim of rape and violence who never wants to have sex which suits Dexter as he has no interest for sex at all and having a partner makes him fit in with society. Her abusive husband is also imminently coming out of jail. Dexter's foster sister Debs who has ambitions to climb the ranks in the police force like her father. We also see Dexter's foster dad Harry, who is dead in the timeline of the series, in flashbacks whihc gives us insights into why Dexter is how he is and how he learned to fulfil his urges. In the police station there is Maria who hates Dexter's sister but fancies Dexter a bit and has all sorts problems with the authorities and constantly aims to crack the case to save her job. Then there is the amazing sgt. doakes who knows something is up with Dexter and always has an eye on him seeing him as rather disturbed. The comical Batista, Doakes' partner, is also great always trying to get his old marriage back on track but never succeeding as he comes across as a ladies man and Vincent, a fellow forensics friend.

Great characters and great stories which all intertwine beautifully. The only criticism is that some of the middle episodes aren't quite as good as the opening and closing ones although they are necessary to establish the great array of characters, and it's healthy that the show need not rely on seeing Dexter every 5 mins. Also, as the show deals in a great amount of suspense and tension, the first time you watch it will always be the best. But it is still brilliant and a must buy for everyone.

Fans of Bret Easton Ellis and Michael Mann take note...
Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'm not a TV drama box-set type of person (though Patrick Bateman probably owns quite a few, all of them on Blu Ray, no doubt) but I was given this one as a present - so I trust the reader will view this in context. Also, I very rarely watch broadcast TV so the DVD was my first acquaintance with this programme.

"Dexter" is kind of "American Psycho" (the novel, not the film - which is unspeakably bad) meets "Manhunter" (as in, takes one to know one). The plot is linear and the format is, violence aside, not unlike soap opera (so no need to waste valuable brainpower reading the fan sites speculating on whether it was all a dream/happened after a nuclear war/etc...yawn).

It even contains an overt reference to the aforementioned PB and visually it seems to me as though "The Shining" may also have been an influence. Nevertheless this is NOT a surrealist piece of work - think Michael Mann but with a sense of humour (indeed if only Michael Mann's films had a sense of humour, but I digress).

My only hope is that "Dexter" doesn't suffer the fate of a lot of other US TV series (or should that be "seasons"?) by having far too many episodes - otherwise I may regret writing this.

One to put on your birthday or Christmas list since, if you're like me, you won't be buying it, will you?

Footnote: B.E.E. fans will notice that throughout the series our hero is mostly wearing Hugo Boss.