Dexter

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)

Season 1 - 85% - In the core, a small, pleasantly escalating case where too many personal coincidences happen around the main character. And in the bigger picture, it's the first step of a sympathetically sophisticated series that intoxicates viewers with a sweet feeling of knowing more than everyone around the central character, while still being led by the footsteps of an unknown killer. In the end, it's a relaxed and gradual spectacle that once introduced me to the world of cable TV and gave me a criminally grateful character with purely logical thinking and somewhat noble intentions. However, nothing is black and white, and there are many twists yet to come. Season 2 - 90% - Cold logic starts to crack due to the animalistic force in the form of a seductive stranger, sympathy is increasingly stolen by the uncompromising Debra, and the deserving place in the spotlight belongs to the charming Julie Benz as Rita, who is unnecessarily scorned by viewers. In this season, the creators found the ideal balance that guaranteed the show's position for a few more years, a show that everyone watches (or at least plans to start watching at any moment). And it must be said, deservedly so, because the dynamics of relationships between Dexter-Doakes, Dexter-Lila, or Debra-Lundy can captivate viewers. Season 3 - 70% - Surprisingly stumbling at a time when all storylines should gain strength. Laguerta, despite occasionally emphasizing her importance too much, fails to impress, and she can't compete with the consistent performances of Deb or Rita. Dexter himself battles with an almost anonymous enemy and embarks on further endeavors with a rather problematic sidekick, Miguel. Here, in the third year of Miami escapades, I had the feeling that the script can dangerously waver and, in the wrong hands, could lead the entire series into unexpectedly murky waters. Fortunately, that didn't happen, and the Skinner case was concluded with credit, leaving only the anticipation for a more nourishing prey, which didn't take long to arrive. Season 4 - 100% - The pinnacle of the whole bloody show, which cannot be surpassed in terms of uncompromisingness, nervousness, or breathlessness due to unexpected twists. The Trinity Killer became a symbol for Dexter, the epitome of a first-class villain whom everyone subsequent will strive to match - and they will never succeed. When the storylines around Batista and Joey Quinn finally work perfectly, the outcome is determined. It's a (30/01/2008)

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)

Dexter is a series that relies on a charismatic character, and we have not seen this type of interesting serial killer with such a well-constructed and audience-appealing nature since the days of Doctor Lecter. The series has everything - tension, crimes, intrigues, passions, perversions, well-written typified characters, and a series of unexpected twists. It's a top-notch, cleverly structured commercial product that earns points primarily due to the atmosphere and Dexter's internally detached ironic commentary. Do you like cool entertainment, provocation, and deviation from the mainstream, but at the same time nothing that is profound and hard to digest? Give Dexter a watch. That is, assuming you don't mind the moral relativization that goes very far in the series. To understand, Dexter is a psychopath and a serial killer who is fortunate enough to work as a forensic investigator for the Miami police, and from his position, he has a unique opportunity to hide his tracks, regardless of his intimate knowledge of police methods. Apart from the two mentioned minor flaws, Dexter is a nice guy with good manners and a carefully maintained appearance, who sincerely serves the purpose of becoming normal, starting a family, and overcoming his handicap. At least he still adheres to the code - torturing and killing exclusively those who deserve it, i.e., criminals and immoral people. To make it even easier for the viewer, they are generally unsympathetic people, additionally shown in unfavorable situations - simply characters that you won't miss and won't sympathize with. Dexter's battles with underworld opponents are as thrilling as the knowledge that Dexter is treading on dangerous ground within the police district, and the screenwriter occasionally exposes him to dangerous tests. Granted, from a psychological standpoint, the concept of the character is absolutely nonsensical, and the resolution of the first season is insultingly stupid, or as if it was something out of a crazy parody. The successful plot is constantly recycled in all the seasons, and the series ends in the most banal way just when the audience is tired of it and its ratings are declining. Overall impression: 60%. (16/08/2017)

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)