How do I love thee Dexter let me count the ways!
This is not your typical serial killer/forensic show. Dexter is the new anti-hero deluxe--a serial killer who hunts other serial killers. As a little boy, Dexter's father identified the symptoms of sociopathy and carefully and lovingly trained the boy to channel his killing streak with a rigorous "code" that allows Dexter to kill only when the target is identified as a monster--a monster like Dexter.

But Dexter is oddly appealing. His avowed lack of feeling is contradicted by his actions to please and care for his family members. He is the perfect boyfriend, he does the dishes, packs the kids lunches and gets rid of the stalker ex-husband! At work he is the mild mannered geek working with the police doing blood spatter analysis. Dexter's blunt honesty and concrete thinking provide droll moments as his associates struggle to fit Dexter's thinking into their idea of who he is. His acceptance of his colleagues quirks, in particular his bland tolerance of constant insults from a rage-filled colleague, provide an amusing contrast between personalities. At one point he comments that normal people are "so hostile".

As for the killings, Dexter's painstaking observance of the code provides a profile of his targets, killers so foul that the viewer is saying "Kill him already, Dex!" long before the cautious Dexter has conjured his plan to eliminate the latest monster.

The show posits the eternal problems of dominance,violence and the effect of law enforcement upon decent individuals, and the alienation caused by the necessity of living in the criminal's world and minds in order to catch them. In one episode a policeman essentially executes a man who we later discover was responsible for horrendous torture and other war crimes. How different is Dexter from a sanctioned killer like this? How like a murderer does a detective need to be in order to understand his suspects and anticipate their moves? Is this the solution to law enforcement, to train potential killers to hunt their own? Is that what we are already doing?

The psychological brilliance and complexity of the show is unsurpassed. Dexter's inner dialog about not fitting in or not having as much fun as other people is something the viewer can identify with--we have all felt similar insecurities.

The characters are all well constructed and interesting. The scripts are funny, suspenseful and satisfying.

This is the first TV series that I have sat down and watched over and over again. Be prepared to be entertained!

To say this is brilliant is truly an understatement :-)
Dexter is the most amazing, clever, funny, dark and thrilling program I've almost ever seen. It is brilliant and unique and interesting and thoroughly enjoyable. The fact that we can actually like a serial killer is amazing in itself.
Michael C Hall is fantastic as Dexter. He is intelligent, lost, and almost unable to feel love for another human. The story lines are chilling and keep you on the edge of your seat - you are always guessing. The writing is superb and witty and smart. I never read Jeff Lindsays books, but now I think I'll go buy them and read cover to cover.
Trust me; this show is one that grabs you and won't let go till the ride is over. Just when you think you have things figured out, they might take a different turn. It's addictive and one of the best programs you'll ever see. It's great and I love this.

A Run-away Success!!
Wow, now I know what all of the hype is about! DEXTER is the show to watch. If you're like me, you'll watch the first two episodes and be hooked. The characters and storylines are fascenating.

Season 1 for many shows is often a season of trial and error, hit and miss. But for Dexter they hit the ground running. They had their characters down to what they wanted them to be. The actors/actresses filled those roles to perfection. The best part, a wide range of characters and personalities, not to mention nationalities. I watched Michael C Scott on Six Feet Under, within the first few episodes I no longer thought of him as "David", which this can often be hard to do once an actor has a popular series like that. But it works here, he's fabulous! This is one of the most original shows out there. It's one that I am currently addicted to, so that gives it a high rating.

I can't say enough good things about this show and the questions that it brings up. It's more than a show to me, it really gets the thoughts running. Now that's good TV. Don't miss out!

watch out for swear words
this was a great way to show a robin hood theme with a twist. Getting rid of the bad people for the good. I liked that it wasn't gory like so many other shows. They focused on the theme of who dexter was and made it thoroughly enjoyable. There was quite a bit of language such as the F word. If you watch this series with the family, make sure swear words do not bother you. We watched it with our three kids, 9, 11, and 14. They all know they are not allowed to use bad words. I was not concerned about the words as they hear them in school. All of them really enjoyed dexter's character and the carrying plot.

Gift for G/F
My girlfriend is a HUGE fan of the crime series like CSI and such. This show she caught from time to time and always tried to explain it to me. rather than listen to her attempts at explaining, i just surprised her with a gift wrapped DVD, Thanks Amazon! One of her most favorite gifts ever recieved...until season two ;)