Dexter:
The Complete Series + Dexter: New Blood review by Bobby Blakey
There have been so many great series over the years, but none were quite like Dexter when it was released in 2006. The series brought a new take on the crime drama, but sadly after eight seasons the show came to an end. Thankfully everyone’s favorite serial killer is coming home with Dexter: The Complete Series.
Dexter follows Dexter Morgan, a forensic blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who is also a serial killer who targets only other killers. How he came to be a serial killer and develop his unique Code of morality is revealed in flashbacks throughout the series as well as how he tries to live an ordinary life outside of his dark secret one. The series features a great cast including Michael C. Hall as Dexter as well as Jennifer Carpenter, Desmond Harrington, C.S. Lee, David Zayas, Julie Benz and James Remar. Like most series this one had its ups and downs, but the intrigue level never wavered. The first season really knocked it out of the park bringing viewers into this dark world and giving them the insight of this loveable serial killer. It constantly did an excellent job as it progressed at not only allowing the ongoing case of the season to mesh to perfection with Dexter trying to build as personal life and hide his own double life.
Everyone in the cast did a great job throughout, but it was the early seasons featuring Michael C. Hall and Erik King’s Sgt. Doakes going head to head.
It was this ongoing love hate and then turned suspicious relationship that really kept the tension going. Once they ended that aspect of the series it struggled a little here and there trying to find another direction to torment Dexter’s personal life outside of the cases and normal struggles but never found one that was ever as good as theirs. With each season they stepped things up with the case of the season, but not all fully delivered. What is great about this show is that even the weaker seasons were still better than most other shows on TV at the time and really hold up well. Hall had something special in this show and manages to keep you interested in the character and actually worrying about anything happening to him or his family despite the horrific things he does. Throughout the series run they also brought in some great supporting cast for each story including Colin Hanks, Yvonne Strahovski, Sean Patrick Flanery, John Lithgow, Edward James Olmos and more.
Each season leaves fans with a twist or cliffhanger that will have them eager to jump right into the next season and thankfully with this collection you don’t have to wait long. Like most I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending, but there is so much greatness here that it is a small bump to a series that kills it with every season.
Thankfully in 2021 we got the chance to return to the world of Dexter with the new chapter titled: Dexter: New Blood. that follows Dexter Morgan 10 years after he went missing in the eye of Hurricane Laura, who is now living under an assumed name in Upstate New York, Iron Lake, far from his original home in Miami.
This series really had no reason working, but I really ended up loving it. IT was a wise choice that they didn't out right kill him in the original series as it allowed them to revive the show in a unique refreshing way. I wasn’t sure it was going to work especially with the return of Jennifer Carpenter, but I loved that aspect of this new limited series as it evolved it and Dexter in a new direction of sorts.
Of course one of the most annoying aspects of the entire Dexter series was the convenience of another killer to contend with that worked much better with his forensics job to set up, but this time we don’t have that luxury. This aspect of the show is what we expect from the series, but also the part that kind of makes you roll your eyes a bit since it just happens every time. You have to let that part just go and then dive into the fun of it all.
I wasn’t expecting the direction and connection to his past that would be the
catalyst to the story and also make the series title very fitting. This allows a new direction should they decide to do more, but also just to evolve and complete the story fans have been following since 2006. Michael C. Hall dives right back in to perfection and even though he is still the same character we love you can see there is a little something different about him and it make him all the more compelling. Carpenter brings her loud boisterous Debra back with a vengeance in a new way that gives her some fun new ground to cover.
This show keeps everything intact that fans love about the show while still bringing something fresh that makes you fall in love with Dexter Morgan all over again. For those wondering you do in fact need to see the original series for this one to fully make sense since it is not a reboot but a continuation. In addition to all 10 episodes of the series this release offers up bonus content including featurettes that take you behind returning to the kill room and the world of Dexter.
Grab your copy of Dexter: The Complete Series + Dexter: New Blood altogether in one complete set available October 4th from Paramount Home Entertainment.