So you still haven’t seen Showtime’s original series Dexter… why not? Paramount Home Entertainment has released both the first and season season on both DVD and Blu-ray, therefore you have no excuse to have no checked out one of the best shows on TV. Today David Harley submitted his review of the second season’s Blu-ray release, read on to see what he thought.
It’s been 38 days since Dexter (Michael C. Hall) saved his sister Deborah (Jennifer Carpenter) from the cold clutches of the Ice Truck Killer and despite the fact that he should feel like a hero, he just hasn’t been himself lately. Doakes (Erik King) has become more suspicious of him than ever, trailing him after work on a daily basis, giving Dexter little time to unleash his dark passenger. In an attempt to appear normal, he’s joined a bowling team (curiously named “Bowl Till You Bleed”) and has even begun giving into his carnal desires with Rita (Julie Benz). But all the effort put into hiding his deepest, darkest secrets is suddenly in vain when a handful of underwater explorers have uncovered the garbage-bagged remains of Dexter’s victims. Slowly, he becomes unraveled more than ever before, questioning his relationships and the code his father Harry (James Remar) instilled in him. Luckily, the new woman in his life, Lila (the gorgeous Jaime Murray), is a calming force, seeing through the veneer of his fake personality and accepting him for what he truly is. But is that a good thing?

After watching the first season of Dexter last year, the big question running through my mind was, “How could they possibly top this?” And I was right, it was impossible, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t impressive that the creative team behind the show managed to craft something as equally engaging and entertaining. I was a bit wary when it was announced that the writers wouldn’t even be basing the new season on any of the books (like season one was) but rather taking complete creative license and going in a different direction. Luckily, they’ve managed to keep the tone of the show and in some ways, improve on the faults of the first season (of which there were very few).

My biggest problem with season one was that Jennifer Carpenter and Erik King paled in comparison to the other astounding performances on the show (most notably, of course, Michael C. Hall). Their character flaws became increasingly more obnoxious over the course of the show, though their dialogue did improve drastically. I realize they’re written like that in the book but I also found them to be a bit tedious in the show. The second season, however, lets Carpenter shine, even though her story-arc is more of a subplot, and King really steps up his level of bad-assery, even though Doakes is still a bit ostentatious.

What I feel makes this show fall just short of perfection this season is that halfway through, I was able to pick out the major story beats without a hitch, leaving the last episode to be an almost perfunctory experience. It’s true, the first season gave away the identity of the Ice Truck Killer midway and the relationship between him and Dexter became more and more apparent as the final few episodes progressed towards the big reveal. But, the acting was still great, the scripts were fantastic and I enjoyed almost every second of it. The same goes for this season, I just wish certain plot points weren’t as obvious as others. These are all very minor complaints though, since every element of the show pales in comparison to the one reason I keep watching.

“Am I a good person doing bad things? Or a bad person doing good things?”

The moral dilemma of Dexter is one the most complex and thought provoking interpretations I’ve seen of the ideology behind a black and white world. Throughout their lives, everyone will come across certain situations which call for a different approach to their proceedings. Should you lie to your girlfriend and tell her she looks great in her new dress or be honest? Should you throw that punch in self-defense or back down gracefully? Dexter is the ultimate and extreme exploration in doing things, how Hot Fuzz puts it, “for the greater good.” The high point of season two is that Dexter actually feels guilt and fear and begins to develop a more human-like disposition in his journey to become “normal.” His moral standpoint (Harry’s code) becomes so skewed during the course of the season that the final few episodes act as a exercise in self-discovery, rather than being plot driven. That is, what I feel, makes Dexter the most riveting show on television since The X-Files and Twin Peaks.

CBS’s Dexter: The Second Season 1080p transfer outdoes the previous season’s by quite a bit, never producing an image inferior to its standard definition counterpart. Although grain is apparent throughout the episodes, at least it is consistent (there’s nothing that ticks me off more than an uneven transfer). Colors are bright and distinct, going as far as to make the Miami skyline look more attractive than it is in real life a few times. Skin tones are natural looking, reds are vivid (go figure) and blacks are deep and rich, although outdoor scenes and the blackness that accompanies them are usually where grain seems to be somewhat heavy; however, I am inclined to attribute that to the original source and not the transfer. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack included here outshines the previous season’s track, being more intense and full sounding. The score, predominantly written by Daniel Licht, is more pronounced than ever and is used to great effect on surround sound channels. Sound effects put you right in the thick of things, giving viewers a more intimate and immersive Dexter experience than ever before. The only complaint I have is with the dialogue levels, which are strong for the most part but quite a few scenes contain soft-spoken conversations that are drowned out by background noises.

Special Features

CBS continues their trend of putting little to no thought or effort into creating the few scant bonus features on their latest Dexter release. The only non-BD-Live extra included in the set is a rather lame game entitled Tools of the Trade, whose objective is to, “Identify Dexter’s kill tools and place them in his bag.” I timed myself on my first run through and it took me 45 seconds to successfully complete. There’s a column on the left hand side of the screen with several tools and you have to highlight and move the correct items over to Dexter’s tool case on the right hand side. There’s no specific order you have to select them in; in fact, there’s not much thought needed to finish it, either. BD-Live features include the first two episodes of United States Of Tara (the same two that were included in season’s one BD-Live extras), cast member podcasts, season two’s Dark Defender online shorts and a featurette entitled “Blood Fountains,” which was previously available online. At the time of this review, only the menu screens were available and I was unable to actually stream any of the BD-Live content, though I have seen/heard most of them already.

Season Two: 4.5/5
Blu-Ray: 2.5/5