Dexter – Season 1 – 8 [2006 – 2013]

Watching Dexter almost a decade after it ended put things into perspective. The show and Michael C. Hall deserved better.

Head’s up, since this is a review for 8 seasons, we’re going to skip some details. Watch the show if you’re really interested.

Long story short, Michael C Hall plays Dexter Morgan, a Miami-based blood splatter expert who doesn’t just solve murders; he commits them too. In fact, he’s a serial killer. In fact, the 8 seasons can be divided into 2 parts.

From seasons One to Five, the show delivers some dark but compelling, elegantly crafted horror-drama.

As it finds its footing around the end of the first season, the show gets even more suspenseful and darkly hilarious. I instantly fell for the serial killed. Dexter Morgan is just a great character that is using his “Dark Passenger” as he calls it to do it. Sadly, not everyone agrees. Even his sister, Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter) finds it hard to process it.

Touting monster of the week mixed with monster of the season and family drama, the shows prove itself as a must see with the third to fifth seasons delivering deliriously twisted entertainment. With the peak being the fifth season, Michael C. Hall’s remarkable performance invites viewers into Dexter‘s heart of darkness in a sorrowful season that explores whether a hollow man can become a real boy.

However, it’s all downhill from there. It’s like the show changed writers and showrunners, and the new team had no idea what they’re doing.

Heavy-handed symbolism, an unimpressive villain, and a redundant arc for my favorite serial killer all conspire to make Dexter’s sixth season its worst. That’s where the show should have ended. Sadly, greed got it renewed for a seventh season that was willing to take risks which made the show bearable.

Finally, the final season should be removed from history. Deleted from existence. The nicest thing I have to say about it is that it’s disappointing. Instead of punishing the serial killer for his deeds, we, the audience, gets punished for loving a serial killer.

Hopefully, Showtime learned its lesson and the new limited series Dexter: New Blood redeems the original show’s ending.

Should you watch it?

If you’re into thrillers, you should watch. However, feel free to stop at the end of the sixth season. It’s just a trainwreck unraveling from there on.

Where can I watch it?

You can stream all seasons of Dexter exclusively on Showtime in USA and Crave in Canada.