After gaining critical praise but little international fame with bold shows like Queer as Folk and the prematurely terminated Huff, Showtime has finally imposed itself as a cable channel to rival HBO with its bravest project yet, an unconventional take on the cop series, inspired by a novel by Jeff Lindsay. Then again, the success of Dexter shouldn't come as a surprise, considering many important people working on the show are HBO veterans, like series creator James Manos Jr. (a former Sopranos writer/producer) and actors Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under), Lauren Velez, Erik King, David Zayas (all of whom appeared on Oz) and James Remar (Sex and the City).
Hall is the show's star, Dexter Morgan, a most peculiar man: the first we see of him is one hell of an opening scene where he states "Tonight's the night" before kidnapping a businessman and dismembering him on the grounds that he raped and killed three boys. So is he a vigilante? Not exactly: Dexter has had homicidal urges since he was a child, and the only person who noticed this was his stepfather Harry (Remar). Under the guidance of the latter, who was a cop, Dexter developed a "moral code" according to which he only kills murderers who manage to get away with it, following a specific ritual: a sample of the victim's blood is collected and placed on a glass slide, the act itself is committed somewhere safe, so that our "hero" won't get caught, and the remains are dumped into the ocean.
Of course, this only occurs during the night. By day, Dexter works for the Miami Metro Police Department, just like his stepsister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), a Vice officer. To be specific, he's a forensics blood specialist, and frequently uses his skills to give valuable clues to Det. Angel Batista (Zayas) or Lt. Maria Laguerta (Velez). The only one in the precinct who just won't get along with him is the suspicious Sgt. James Doakes (King). It's a very calm daily routine, soon shaken up by a new challenge for the police: a serial killer who mutilates prostitutes with a unique method, leaving no blood in or on the bodies.
The tricky aspect of the series was getting away with the fact that the main character is a psychopath with no emotions, especially when he's played by someone best known for portraying an introverted gay man. As it turns out, there was no need to worry: Hall nails the role from the first frame, his paced voice-over being a fundamental tool in expressing the thoughts and feelings (or lack thereof) of one of contemporary TV's most original creations. A similar casting gamble occurred with the main female role, that of Dexter's girlfriend Rita, a fragile single mother who used to get repeatedly raped and beaten by her ex-husband, who's now serving time in jail. Normally, network execs wouldn't think of one of television's most famous villains, the vampire Darla of Buffy and Angel fame, as the ideal choice for such a complex part, but Julie Benz gets it right instantly, especially in her scenes with Hall, making the relationship between the two oddly moving.
This has all the ingredients of what is set to be an excellent series: an intriguing premise, strong writing and solidly built characters. Not to mention a healthy dose of black humor. Line of choice? Dexter's remark about a bizarre food-related tradition that takes place at a fair: "Needless to say I have some unusual habits, yet all these socially acceptable people can't wait to pick up hammers and smash their food to pieces. Normal people are so hostile". How can one not love a character like that?
Hall is the show's star, Dexter Morgan, a most peculiar man: the first we see of him is one hell of an opening scene where he states "Tonight's the night" before kidnapping a businessman and dismembering him on the grounds that he raped and killed three boys. So is he a vigilante? Not exactly: Dexter has had homicidal urges since he was a child, and the only person who noticed this was his stepfather Harry (Remar). Under the guidance of the latter, who was a cop, Dexter developed a "moral code" according to which he only kills murderers who manage to get away with it, following a specific ritual: a sample of the victim's blood is collected and placed on a glass slide, the act itself is committed somewhere safe, so that our "hero" won't get caught, and the remains are dumped into the ocean.
Of course, this only occurs during the night. By day, Dexter works for the Miami Metro Police Department, just like his stepsister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), a Vice officer. To be specific, he's a forensics blood specialist, and frequently uses his skills to give valuable clues to Det. Angel Batista (Zayas) or Lt. Maria Laguerta (Velez). The only one in the precinct who just won't get along with him is the suspicious Sgt. James Doakes (King). It's a very calm daily routine, soon shaken up by a new challenge for the police: a serial killer who mutilates prostitutes with a unique method, leaving no blood in or on the bodies.
The tricky aspect of the series was getting away with the fact that the main character is a psychopath with no emotions, especially when he's played by someone best known for portraying an introverted gay man. As it turns out, there was no need to worry: Hall nails the role from the first frame, his paced voice-over being a fundamental tool in expressing the thoughts and feelings (or lack thereof) of one of contemporary TV's most original creations. A similar casting gamble occurred with the main female role, that of Dexter's girlfriend Rita, a fragile single mother who used to get repeatedly raped and beaten by her ex-husband, who's now serving time in jail. Normally, network execs wouldn't think of one of television's most famous villains, the vampire Darla of Buffy and Angel fame, as the ideal choice for such a complex part, but Julie Benz gets it right instantly, especially in her scenes with Hall, making the relationship between the two oddly moving.
This has all the ingredients of what is set to be an excellent series: an intriguing premise, strong writing and solidly built characters. Not to mention a healthy dose of black humor. Line of choice? Dexter's remark about a bizarre food-related tradition that takes place at a fair: "Needless to say I have some unusual habits, yet all these socially acceptable people can't wait to pick up hammers and smash their food to pieces. Normal people are so hostile". How can one not love a character like that?