What makes people good or bad? It’s a rather old and tired, overused question that makes for often clumsy drama.

Dexter Morgan, a forensic blood splatter investigator with the Miami police department puts it more blasé: “Am I a good person who does ‘bad’ things? Or a bad person doing ‘good’ things?”

From the mouth of an average Joe, it comes across as mundane and facile, but Dexter Morgan is a serial killer whose targets are other serial killers.

Adapted from the Novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, and adapted for television by James Manos Jr., the show is a spectacular direct examination of the human condition and one of the best shows on television.

Adopted from an early age by a detective after being found in a shipping container in several inches of blood while his mother lay cut up and murdered only feet from him, Dexter learned to channel his urges to kill by only killing those deemed a threat to society. His father was a senior cop on the force who grew emotionally drained from seeing murderers go free only to kill again, so he taught his son how to kill and not get caught.

Season two continues from the first season’s dam-buster of a confrontation with the “Ice Truck Killer”, and turns the tables on Dexter himself after his own victims’ bodies have been found by treasure hunters. The show turns things on its head as the season is a cat and mouse where you don’t want the cat to get caught. It’s a rather uncomfortable, yet no less thrilling feeling, rooting for a man who murders to save lives. This is the kind of moral ambiguity that is so unheard of in American television, which makes cable television all the more exciting. Dexter gets some added depth and he explores the nature of his killings as he digs into his past and discovers some troubling things about his adopted father.

In this Showtime has provided what may be the most interesting super hero, if not the most realistic one, of all time. A vigilante whose superpower is a complete lack of emotion and feeling. In one episode, he is even portrayed as a superhero “The Dark Defender” as the public opinion turns in his favor. He’s killing bad guys and the public finally has a hero which makes the morality of the show so intriguing. Dexter cuts across many historical and cultural quandaries such as good vs. evil, nature vs. nurture and individual vs. societal needs.

Dubbed “The Bay Harbor Butcher” by the media, Dexter frantically avoids getting caught by an FBI task force led by Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine), who are brought into the fold. Dexter seeks to muddle his way through near damning evidence whilst trying to stifle his own urges to kill. To add to the conflict, he has to deal with his own sister who has been assigned to the case; studiously avoiding and countermanding the ornery and suspicious Sargent Doakes (Erik King), who has more than a few problems of his own, and a mysterious femme fatale addiction sponsor who understands the darkness of Dexter even if she hasn't figured out all the details.

The writing is as good as it gets for television, with twists and clever redirection abound as the story twists and turns through a maze of everyday complications. The many characters and subplots come together to satisfying yet edgy conclusions. The sly wit approaches the sublime and the double meanings of the show are most endemic in its opening credit sequence with a gruesomely shot waking sequence shown in extreme close-up. One of Dexter’s murder scenes involving a scummy used car salesman begins with an opening shot of his hairpiece neatly placed atop a styrofoam head stand as the bald ‘victim’ lays taped to a table.

Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) delivers a breathtaking performance of depth, terror and even tenderness as the vigilante Dexter Morgan. Julie Benz, as his equally tormented yet naïve single-mother girlfriend, more than holds her own in a difficult role. Carradine lends a cool, professional low key to the surroundings and newcomer Jennifer Carpenter is superb as Dexter’s tough, yet vulnerable, sister.The rest of the cast is filled out with terrific cable television character actors.

Dexter is so deft, so uncompromising, yet so compelling that it would be petty to dwell on any of the contrivances in the plot and easy solutions. In knowing and understanding why people do bad things, Dexter, like the rest of us, tries to understand who we are and to find our humanity.

All the episodes are presented in their original uncut Showtime format and the set includes interviews with Hall, a podcast and sample episodes of other Showtime series.

You should have the urge to buy this.

Starring: Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Erik King, C.S. Lee, Lauren Vélez, David Zayas, James Remar
Developed for Television by James Manos Jr.

This Reviewer's Rating: 4.5 / 5

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