Dexter S4

For me DEXTER is without a doubt the best show on television. Its acting, writing, directing and producing are so above anything else on tv. The mere fact that the main character is a serial killer we root for is the first thing to tell you how great the show is. Episodes are shown and stories told all with the voice-over of Dexter, who is so expertly played by Michael C. Hall. We hear all his feelings and thoughts as he chooses the actionsd he must take. Through these voice-overs and flashbacks to his father we learn all about how he developed as a person and why he has such a difficult time with emotions and needs to take the actions he does. This season is by far the best thus far. We are introduced to the Trinity Killer, aka Arthur Mitchell, right away in the first episode. This character is superbly played by John Lithgow and the cat and mouse game that takes place between the Trinity killer and Dexter is at the edge of your seat tv at its best. Dexter puts himself into Arthur's personal life and the results are spellbinding. All other main characters are fully fleshed out and loose no substancce while this major story line takes place. Rita, Debra and all are given great plots as well. This season is so full of twists and turns that to give away any more of the plot would be a sin for viewers who have not seen it. And as for the blu ray. Wow, wow, wow. DEXTER is the only series that I buy on blu ray. Many shows are now on blu ray but the quality is often not much better than that of the dvd. With DEXTER it far surpasses the dvd and takes full advantage of all blu ray has to offer. Much of the audio is front speaker driven but all audio works perfectly. Dexter's voice-overs are strong and clear. They possess a very haunting quality and you feel as if you are truly in Dexter's mind. All music and action noise fully uses all other speakers for full effect. Back speakers will often have you jumping out of your skin. And the picture - if you love DEXTER you owe it to yourself to see it on blu ray. Colors, clarity and black/white ratio are all amazing. The Miami shots are so crystal clear. Ripples in water, facial close-ups, everything is better than you can imagine. This is blu ray video at its best. DEXTER is a series that has definitely grown with each season. Cable series have only 12 episodes and DEXTER manages to provide awe inspiring plots each season while character development never misses a step. I highly recommend DEXTER, particularly on blu ray and particularly this season. A +++

After three seasons of compelling and surprising stories, and just when you think they couldn't possibly come up with anything as exciting as what's come before, the creative team behind "Dexter" outdoes itself by carefully crafting an unendingly surprising and multi-dimensional story arc that has no extraneous moments -- EVERY piece of it fits carefully into the whole. They keep leading you in one direction only to whip you around to an entirely different and exciting path and the circumstances keep shifting on many fronts. During broadcast, I kept thinking to myself, "I have to wait another WEEK to find out what happens next?!" And on top of all the carefully plotted and supremely acted story lines, they manage to ask and explore really deep questions about identity and fate and human nature. Absolutely brilliant, and while I'm delighted that John Lithgow was recognized for his fearlessly fantastic performance as Arthur Mitchell, and I appreciate both Bryan Cranston and Mad Men, I gotta say that I felt that the Emmys should have gone to Michael C. Hall and Dexter. Anxiously awaiting Season Five.

I not only loved Dexter 4, I LOVED THEM ALL AND THEIR RATINGS are ALL 5, and if I could, I would give them all a 10. I have watched the series from Season One, on up to six! Now I am patiently waiting, for Season 7. Michael has captured many of my friends and sibling, that we buy seasons for each other and trade off the ones we have already watched, and turn someone else on to so that they too can see what I am talking about. Michael makes the show so interesting and so OUTLANDISH, and still the reason for what he is doing is a true blessing to the society. It's a series but a series you can't hate, or be sick or mad at, it makes you love the character all that much more, that you love to watch because it captures your whole inner self! Yes, it is just a TV series, but not too many can match the energy Michael and the cast members, gives out to their true fans! I LOVE DEXTER!!!! <3 Keep up the good work and the story lines are awesome!!! Thanks to all who have put their time and effort into this great series! I am a true fan of DEXTER! Hope it never ceases!!!

"Dexter: The Fourth Season" came in last week. I wanted to watch one episode at a time, but sooner than one per week as TV viewers must do to get their fix of Dexter. I lost. I watched the four-set DVD series in two days. That's how enticing/intriguing/thrilling/demanding the series is. The viewer HAS to know what happens next. Anyone reading reviews of any season of Dexter knows how fanatic Dexter's fans are. The episode in Season Four which ends with a car crash was just about the cruelest cut of all for those fans! Who in their sane mind (among Dexter fans) could live an entire week not knowing what happens next? So, of course, I hit the play button. Had to know!! And good ol' Frank Lundy, the FBI-serial-killer hunter returns to this season and adds such a rich dimension to the story. The episode which ends with Lundy and Deb (Dexter's sister) forces another must-know, must-watch next episode. From that point on, NOT watching the series was no longer an option. So we had a Dexter marathon at my house in those two days. I even dreamed about Dexter (the series, not the man--although, let it be said, Michael C. Hall is an attractive man). A prominent feature of this fourth season is Dexter's devoted wife. However, with the advent of a crying baby, she develops into a control freak--or perhaps this trait of control has always been present, providing proof positive that Dexter loves this woman and his family, that he is, indeed, connected despite his Dark Passenger, Perhaps with time he can boot DP, but, of course, the season finale precludes any such event. In fact, the finale perhaps foreshadows a partner in some future day. After all, many serial killers are successful for years and years. Thus enters Arthur (John Lithgow), hiding behind the schoolteacher/deacon facade. Other reviewers strongly praise Lithgow's performance. I will, as well, but won't single him out. He joins a cast of equally powerful actors portraying equally evil killers. He does skilfully portray the chameleon facade of the psychopathic killer, even showing us the origin and root cause of his behavior. Unlike Dexter, Arthur does not have a benevolent father instructing him in ways of discovery avoidance. In fact, his drunken, destructive, abusive father pounds Arthur literally and figuratively into the makings of a serial killer. The season finale is catastrophic and so unexpected, showing that history CAN repeat itself. I'm thinking maybe I will add Showtime to my television programming. I'm not sure I want to wait another year just to get the entire season in one package. Maybe the serial wait is not so bad.

MAJOR SPOILERS ALERT! BE WARNED! I don't subscribe to Showtime, so I always look forward to a new season of "Dexter" on DVD, and this, the fourth, didn't disappoint (although I did have a few issues that I'll mention in a moment). First off, the good: John Lithgow. Believe the hype (and the Golden Globes and Emmy win); he's amazing as the Trinity killer, a 3-plus-decades-long murder machine. The scenes with his family are beyond creepy. Other reviewers have mentioned the Thanksgiving episode, and I agree that it was the best of the season. When things start to go awry at the dinner table and Lithgow suddenly blurts out to his wife, "Shut up, c*nt," my mouth fell open. Although his story arc ends, he was vital to this season's excellence. More good: Dexter's foul-mouthed sister Deb, who really came into her own this season; the romance between Batista and LaGuerta; the adorable baby they used as Dexter's new son. And for the not-so-good: the writers really need to work on the domestic scenes. Dexter's wife Rita has become a one-note character, expressing frustration in almost every scene with Dexter's inability to open up to her. Everytime we see her, she is either driving somewhere, holding a baby, or pushing a stroller. So, whereas I wasn't exactly thrilled she ended up dead in a bathtub at the end, I will be interested in seeing where the story goes next season without her presence. One last not-so-good: I notice that "Dexter" tends to drag just a little bit in the middle of each season. If you don't believe me, compare the last two or three episodes with, for example, the fifth or sixth. The same thing happened last year with the Jimmy Smits storyline. I suppose it's just the nature of the storytelling, but some tighter writing might liven things up a bit. All in all, time well spent. The new season starts in September, and while I won't see it until it arrives on DVD, sometime next year I suppose, I can't wait to see what they have in store!

Great show

I am not a fan of CSI or medical shows, per se. I don't like dark cinematography, moody music and gruesome body parts. Dexter is so different. It has some of this but does it the way it should be done; i.e., artfully and without insulting the intended audience. When I read about how great John Lithgow was in season 4, I was excited. Then, as the season began, I thought, 'well, he's ok....' But boy does he surprise. He just gets better and better and actually makes a serial killer somehow more humane. There are so many great scenes. I am on a pretty tight budget but I bought all four seasons. Season 4 is probably the best. The scenes with John Lithgow, from every detail, right down to him getting upset at the chatting girls at the library to the horrific, vile vitriol he spews at his family, are so engrossing and enjoyable, I believe he earned several awards for the portrayal. This is simply the best show on television right now.

I've been a major fan of the Dexter series since its inception, and have also thoroughly enjoyed two of the novels upon which the show is based. Due to economics, I lost cable service after the first three episodes of Dexter's fourth season, and have been patiently awaiting the release of DVDs. I received my order from Amazon on the same day the show hit the stores, and at a significant discount. My wife and I have gotten so much enjoyment and entertainment from this program; the writing, acting, and cinematography are all top notch, and the character concept is absolutely amazing. John Lithgow's addition to the season 4 cast was unexpected and marvelous, as his years experience are cetainly an asset to any film I've seen him in (and he always plays incredible "creeps"). I don't keep up with awards shows, but Jennifer Carpenter should most definitely be recognized for her work with the character, portraying every emotion imaginable to the utmost...she is just fantastic! This program is certainly worth a watch if you like intesity, imagination, a bit of gore (necessary to the story), and seeing the "bad guys" get their just desserts, which so often does not happen in real life. This is some truly heady escapism.