Dexter

Dexter Morgan works in blood-spatter analysis for Miami Metro. He is helpful, well liked by most colleagues and hiding a private life that would horrify them. The original Dexter turns that premise into eight seasons of crime drama, dark comedy and increasingly awkward attempts to pass for ordinary.

Michael C. Hall is the reason the central idea works so well. We hear Dexter's private reasoning while watching him decide what to say aloud. An everyday exchange can become funny or tense because we know how much preparation has gone into appearing relaxed.

Jennifer Carpenter gives his sister Debra a very different manner: direct, emotional and often impatient. Julie Benz plays Rita Bennett, whose relationship with Dexter requires more than a convincing excuse. Erik King's Doakes is much less inclined than his colleagues to accept Dexter at face value. These people make his ordinary life worth following, rather than something to skip between investigations.

The guest cast is another strength, with John Lithgow particularly impressive in season four. The sunshine and workplace humour distinguish the series from a relentlessly gloomy thriller. There is disturbing material and violence, but much of the pleasure lies in a conversation that Dexter would rather not be having.

I recently rewatched all eight original seasons, as well as the spin-offs available so far, and still consider Dexter a great show. This page and its linked review concern the original 2006–2013 series. New Blood, Original Sin and Resurrection are separate entries, not extra seasons included in that verdict.

Read my full Dexter review. For another substantial performance from Hall, Six Feet Under is a very different kind of family drama; The Shield offers a harsher look at compromised people inside law enforcement.