Dexter

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. (28/09/2013)

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. (07/12/2013)

Dexter definitely isn’t like the classical crime shows there were so many around at the time when it aired. Of course, it isn’t, it was supposed to be different and it was. And that was the very reason why I started watching it. However, I stopped after season three because I was no longer enjoying it and it took another five years before the series was over, which forced me to get back to it and finish watching it, so that I could post an objective review here. I have to admit that I was really excited about Dexter. Finally, there was a show that was original and unconventional. It doesn’t happen often that you would root for a serial killer, but so be it. But as time went on, I kept noticing the show was pretty repetitive. It was no longer original. In the end, I have to say that the series ended quite well. I’ve seen better, but also much worse series finales. And this will definitely be one of those I will never forget, which is good. You can clearly see that everybody has only one karma. I don’t want to spoil it for you so I will leave it at this. I think that a four-star rating is pretty appropriate. If it was a bit shorter, I wouldn’t mind at all, but it’s clear that the authors were forced to drag it on a bit. (29/01/2014)

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. (13/09/2010)

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. (21/12/2006)