Thoughts on Dexter, Season 3

Well, I recently finished watching the final episodes of Dexter, season 3. All I can say is - WOW! Scott Buck, who executive produced Six Feet Under is one of the exec producers on this show as well, and I can honestly say that, while Dexter isn't as good as Six Feet Under was, it is VERY close.

One of the best things about this season was also the thing that was the biggest surprise to me - Jimmy Smits. Not that I don't like Jimmy Smits, but, to be honest, I never had much of a feeling for him either way. LA Law was before my time, and he's always popped up in more supporting roles in all of the stuff I've ever seen him in. I was a little worried, I have to admit. Bringing in a bigger name actor like Smits into a show like Dexter can be a way of saying "We're in trouble" without saying it. But Smits fit perfectly into his role, never trying to be bigger than what he was, and, though he was an integral part of the story line for this season, the writers made sure to always make sure that his character was only used when necessary. Smits inhabited his role like it was a second skin (no pun intended to those who have seen the season), and REALLY vanquished any and all doubts I had about him.

Lot's of kudo's need to go to Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter, as well, for their performances. Hall is one of the best actors around, and I'm a little surprised that he's not better known. Julie Benz, who plays Rita, also kicked it up a notch in this season (or maybe the writers just gave her a little more to work with, who knows?). 

My only complaint would have to be something that the writers seemed to do last season as well, which was start the show in a very intense way, lull in the middle, and then hit it again at the end. I don't know if that's purposeful or not, but it is definitely felt. I also didn't care for Quinn. I don't know whether it was the actor I didn't like, or the character, or both. The character seemed really one dimensional and flat, and whenever they did try to breath a little bit of life into him, it was sort of like "who cares?". Ultimately, though, in a show like that, I suppose they need a few one sided characters every once in a while, just to keep the plot moving along.

Thoughts on Dexter, Season 2

I recently finished watching Dexter Season 2, and I have to say I liked it. Season 1 was great, and really felt special, and I was really wondering how they were going to handle Season 2, because the whole "Ice Truck Killer" thing seemed like it could be a potential end all/be all for that series. Season 2 came along, though, and they hit another home run. Eventually, that is.

Honestly, I thought it started out a little slow. I felt like even though we're put into this situation where the evidence of Dexter's crimes are unearthed, the cat and mouse game didn't really get going until half way into the season. The first couple of episodes just seemed kind of slow, like you were having to lick your way through them to get to the center of the tootsie pop.

Character wise, I was really glad to see some evolution in some of the characters. It was good to see Rita be more than the victim, and really start to take charge of her life and her destiny. I liked the addition, even if for just a season, of Keith Carradine as Frank Lundy, and I thought LaGuerta became a lot more three dimensional. I thought it was interesting, as well, what they did with Harry and his code. I was a little disappointed that Angel hasn't really come into his own, but maybe we'll see more of him in season 3. And Dokes... Oh, Dokes... I'm glad he got what he got. I hated that character so much. So one dimensional, and so freaking annoying! The only character I'm glad didn't change?

You guessed it, Dexter's little sis, Debra - the beer drinking, cigarette smoking, obscenity spewing, perfect opposite of her brother (as portrayed by the incredibly attractive Jennifer Carpenter...). I like Debra because she's everything Dexter isn't, and it sort of makes me feel like there's a balance when the two of them are together. I only hope that if she starts to change in Season 3, that they change Dexter in a way that they stay balanced.