brendan2's Full Review: Dexter - The Complete Third Season
When Dexter first premiered in 2006, it was hailed as one of the best shows on TV. As it was airing on Showtime, and I don't have cable, I had to wait for the DVDs, all the while doubting it could live up to the hype. Well, it did, and I was hooked, devouring the DVDs of season one and two. I was able to watch season three on OnDemand at a family member's house - 12 episodes over the course of two days. After viewing all the episodes, I was even more excited for the DVD release. After a rather iffy season two, season three of Dexter blew me away.
Ahoy, there be spoilers ahead! Those who haven't seen the previous seasons beware.
Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a blood spatter forensics expert working for the Miami Police Department. He also happens to be a serial killer. But he follows a code taught to him by his foster father Harry, only killing murderers who've gotten away with their crimes. During season two, the bodies of Dexter's victims were discovered, and the police began searching for the man they dubbed the Bay Harbor Butcher. Sergeant James Doakes, who was always suspicious of Dexter, unearthed evidence tying him to the murders. Dexter planned to frame Doakes for the killings, but Doakes ended up being offed by Dexter's skanky ex-girlfriend Lila. Season three finds most people believing Doakes was the Bay Harbor Butcher, but Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Velez) wants to believe he was innocent.
As in previous seasons, Dexter's frequent voiceovers allow us to glimpse what he's feeling (or not feeling, as the case may be); this season, his father Harry shows up not in flashbacks, but in dream-like sequences, to advise and guide Dexter. A search for a serial killer called the Skinner dominates much of the season, but that story takes a backseat to the interpersonal drama. Relationships between the characters continue to develop, especially between Dexter and his girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz). And Dexter finally makes a friend in Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado. Their relationship starts off with Dexter keeping secrets (including a major one involving Miguel's brother), but he starts to really open up, finding a real friend for the first time in his life.
Michael C. Hall and Jimmy Smits make a wonderful team. Hall has always overshadowed the other cast members, which is understandable, as it's his show and all, but Smits gives him a run for his money. Watching the ups and downs these characters experience makes for terrific TV viewing. During the season's later episodes in particular, I was literally on the edge of my seat, barely resisting the impulse to fast-forward to the end and see how it all worked out.
The first two seasons of Dexter were stellar, but this season manages to improve upon an already great beginning. Season one had a villain-of-the-week vibe, with Dexter offing roughly one criminal an episode, and season two's Lila-Dexter-Rita love triangle was too soap opera-y for my tastes. Season three, though, is brilliant: a tense, thrilling look at Dexter's battles with his own demons and some very real world antagonists. Dexter - The Complete Third Season may be the best season of what is easily the best show on TV.
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