Have you ever wanted to get into the mind of a serial killer, all while working in a police department? Dexter is an 8-season crime drama that began in 2006 and lasted until 2013. There are also spinoffs made in 2021, 2024, and this year. Revolving around the life of Dexter Morgan, a forensic technician specializing in blood spatter analysis for the Miami Metro Police Department, he has a deep secret. He’s an active serial killer; worry not, he only goes after the bad guys. Murderers, drug dealers, predators, and more all meet their end through his ritualistic killings. He kills people, cuts them up, and puts them in bags; But at least he’s neat.
After being adopted by an active police officer, Harry Morgan, Dexter was raised in a supportive family, including a sister he keeps near and dear. As he grew older, he felt an urge to kill something. Harry realized the path he was going to take and decided to teach him an extremely specific code. A set of rules to follow which would keep him from getting caught. The code is built on two fundamental rules; never get caught and never kill anyone who does not deserve it.
In a series of flashbacks, Dexter reveals many of the memories that made him the killer he’s become. With Harry teaching him the rules of killing before he died, Dexter knew what and what not to do, from the view of a top-ranking police officer. With this advantage, he decided to take up a career in the police force; the forensics department. For some reason unknown to Dexter, he felt drawn to blood. He followed the path of a blood spatter analyst, landing a job at the Miami Metro Homicide Department.
Dexter continues to live his life, solving murders, and murdering those who are deserving. He slowly realizes that he cannot live a regular life, having a wife and kids while taking people’s lives. He feels as though his mask is slipping, and he can’t continue to kill. The only other option is leaving his family behind and staying true to what he knows. In the show, Dexter refers to himself as a sociopath, but he seems to be more of a psychopath. He often feels an absence of empathy, shows little to no emotions for those around him, and never has any remorse for his killings.
My Takeaway
After watching this show twice, once in 2023 and again in late 2024, I have taken a liking to many aspects of the show. I enjoy the storytelling, there is never a boring episode, with the average episode time spanning 55 minutes across the whole series. Whether the episode focuses on Dexter himself, or some of the many interesting side characters that play a big role in the show, there is always an attention-grabbing plot behind each professionally crafted episode. Starring celebrities such as Michael C. Hall as Dexter, Jennifer Carpenter as Debra, James Remar as Harry, Julia Benz as Rita, and more.
The earlier half of the show is often regarded as the “better” half of the show, but I feel many of the best 10 episodes are in the latter half of the show (Seasons 5-8). Although many of the beloved characters appear less as the show goes on, the amazing casting & storytelling make up for the lack of any one person. The first time I finished Dexter; I rated it an 8.7/10. I took off points because of the ending, but I thought I rated it too high. After my second watch, and after a lot of thinking, I changed my rating to a 7.9, mainly because of the very abrupt ending.
I think Dexter is a great show to watch if you’re bored, or if you have an interest in any kind of forensic science, as it also ties into that field very often. It shows lots of behind-the-scenes in forensics, and more importantly, homicide labs and crime scenes. It is a drama show with its moments, being scary, funny, or even relatable. If you’ve ever wanted to get into the mind of a killer, this is your show.
