Dexter - Showtime (1 Viewer)

[FarFromHome]

I remember stumbling across this show years ago and what a breath of fresh air. 1st season really took me by storm. Absolutely loved it. Like most series it tailed off, but what a solid show.

 

[kupcho1]

I remember stumbling across this show years ago and what a breath of fresh air. 1st season really took me by storm. Absolutely loved it. Like most series it tailed off, but what a solid show.

IIRC correctly it was season 4 that had Lithgow; that one was the best.

 

[eoMMan]

I’m in the middle of season 5 now. Season 4 was definitely the best so far…

Spoiler: Spoiler

Shame about the reporter though. I would have enjoyed seeing more of her.

and I would say season 3 with Jimmy Smitts has been the worst.

 

[Gally]

and I would say season 3 with Jimmy Smitts has been the worst.

I didn't mind that season. It was a different feel which was good.

 

[wlwiles]

My biggest complaint about the show was that it started off with the premise that Dexter only kills the guys that fall through the cracks. Killers who get too light a sentence, or get off on some technicality, and Dexter would lay low, not drawing any attention from Law Enforcement.

As soon as they got to S3 with Freebo and Jimmy Smits, now Dex's whole focus has shifted and he's trying to compete with Miami PD to get to the bad guy and kill them before PD catches them. He stalls stalls the PD, misdirects them with evidence/blood reports, etc. to give him time to get to them first. And that's 100% against Harry's code. The original premise was "Dex has this urge, this need to kill every so often so he satisfies that urge with the dregs of society, people no one will miss" and then it suddenly pivots to "Dex needs to kill every single bad guy in Miami ASAP". I get that it made for better TV, what would a show be without conflict right? But the entire 8 season run preached how Dex abides by the code, the code, the code. Going after active Miami PD targets is a serious breach of the code - don't bring unnecessary heat upon yourself.

 

[Runkle]

My biggest complaint about the show was that it started off with the premise that Dexter only kills the guys that fall through the cracks. Killers who get too light a sentence, or get off on some technicality, and Dexter would lay low, not drawing any attention from Law Enforcement.

As soon as they got to S3 with Freebo and Jimmy Smits, now Dex's whole focus has shifted and he's trying to compete with Miami PD to get to the bad guy and kill them before PD catches them. He stalls stalls the PD, misdirects them with evidence/blood reports, etc. to give him time to get to them first. And that's 100% against Harry's code. The original premise was "Dex has this urge, this need to kill every so often so he satisfies that urge with the dregs of society, people no one will miss" and then it suddenly pivots to "Dex needs to kill every single bad guy in Miami ASAP". I get that it made for better TV, what would a show be without conflict right? But the entire 8 season run preached how Dex abides by the code, the code, the code. Going after active Miami PD targets is a serious breach of the code - don't bring unnecessary heat upon yourself.

I remember this was discussed in the previous Dexter thread.

When the show started, the guy in charge definitely held to the character as being a vigilante, bringing justice to those that slipped through the cracks.

That head writer left the show, and his replacement in the later seasons decided what the audience wanted to see was "Dexter as Batman", basically running all over town as judge, jury, and executioner with no qualms, code, or anything else. That's when the series seriously went downhill.

 

[Gally]

My biggest complaint about the show was that it started off with the premise that Dexter only kills the guys that fall through the cracks. Killers who get too light a sentence, or get off on some technicality, and Dexter would lay low, not drawing any attention from Law Enforcement.

As soon as they got to S3 with Freebo and Jimmy Smits, now Dex's whole focus has shifted and he's trying to compete with Miami PD to get to the bad guy and kill them before PD catches them. He stalls stalls the PD, misdirects them with evidence/blood reports, etc. to give him time to get to them first. And that's 100% against Harry's code. The original premise was "Dex has this urge, this need to kill every so often so he satisfies that urge with the dregs of society, people no one will miss" and then it suddenly pivots to "Dex needs to kill every single bad guy in Miami ASAP". I get that it made for better TV, what would a show be without conflict right? But the entire 8 season run preached how Dex abides by the code, the code, the code. Going after active Miami PD targets is a serious breach of the code - don't bring unnecessary heat upon yourself.

I get that but didn't he go that direction because they guy found out about him? So he was killing and misdirecting to keep the number 1 rule of don't get caught in place. At least that is the way I took it. He got a bit careless and then had to cover things up and it snowballed. i don't think he set out to go that route but had to in order to not get caught.

 

[Jayrod]

My biggest complaint about the show was that it started off with the premise that Dexter only kills the guys that fall through the cracks. Killers who get too light a sentence, or get off on some technicality, and Dexter would lay low, not drawing any attention from Law Enforcement.

As soon as they got to S3 with Freebo and Jimmy Smits, now Dex's whole focus has shifted and he's trying to compete with Miami PD to get to the bad guy and kill them before PD catches them. He stalls stalls the PD, misdirects them with evidence/blood reports, etc. to give him time to get to them first. And that's 100% against Harry's code. The original premise was "Dex has this urge, this need to kill every so often so he satisfies that urge with the dregs of society, people no one will miss" and then it suddenly pivots to "Dex needs to kill every single bad guy in Miami ASAP". I get that it made for better TV, what would a show be without conflict right? But the entire 8 season run preached how Dex abides by the code, the code, the code. Going after active Miami PD targets is a serious breach of the code - don't bring unnecessary heat upon yourself.

I remember this was discussed in the previous Dexter thread.

When the show started, the guy in charge definitely held to the character as being a vigilante, bringing justice to those that slipped through the cracks.

That head writer left the show, and his replacement in the later seasons decided what the audience wanted to see was "Dexter as Batman", basically running all over town as judge, jury, and executioner with no qualms, code, or anything else. That's when the series seriously went downhill.

I get sick of this money grabbing crap. Good writers on good shows should get to stay the course.

Another show (COMPLETELY different vein) that suffered a similar fate was Gilmore Girls. Their final season had a different writer and it went from the best witty banter in television to an OC drama. I also think Seinfeld suffered when Larry David was gone.

 

[Runkle]

I’m in the middle of season 5 now. Season 4 was definitely the best so far…

Spoiler: Spoiler

Shame about the reporter though. I would have enjoyed seeing more of her.

and I would say season 3 with Jimmy Smitts has been the worst.

Get ready to pull the cord and bail

 

[Jayrod]

I’m in the middle of season 5 now. Season 4 was definitely the best so far…

Spoiler: Spoiler

Shame about the reporter though. I would have enjoyed seeing more of her.

and I would say season 3 with Jimmy Smitts has been the worst.

Get ready to pull the cord and bail

No, I think it is still worth finishing out.

 

[wlwiles]

My biggest complaint about the show was that it started off with the premise that Dexter only kills the guys that fall through the cracks. Killers who get too light a sentence, or get off on some technicality, and Dexter would lay low, not drawing any attention from Law Enforcement.

As soon as they got to S3 with Freebo and Jimmy Smits, now Dex's whole focus has shifted and he's trying to compete with Miami PD to get to the bad guy and kill them before PD catches them. He stalls stalls the PD, misdirects them with evidence/blood reports, etc. to give him time to get to them first. And that's 100% against Harry's code. The original premise was "Dex has this urge, this need to kill every so often so he satisfies that urge with the dregs of society, people no one will miss" and then it suddenly pivots to "Dex needs to kill every single bad guy in Miami ASAP". I get that it made for better TV, what would a show be without conflict right? But the entire 8 season run preached how Dex abides by the code, the code, the code. Going after active Miami PD targets is a serious breach of the code - don't bring unnecessary heat upon yourself.

I get that but didn't he go that direction because they guy found out about him? So he was killing and misdirecting to keep the number 1 rule of don't get caught in place. At least that is the way I took it. He got a bit careless and then had to cover things up and it snowballed. i don't think he set out to go that route but had to in order to not get caught.

That's part of what made it so much more unbelievable IMO. In S2 the bodies he'd dumped get found, and the whole Bay Harbor Butcher storyline happens. He's running around frantic trying to cover his tracks, but by the end of the season Lundy's not on his tail and Doakes has taken the fall for everything. So you'd think going forward that would make Dex more cautious, like whew that was a close one, I better slink back to the shadows and stick to the code and not get crazy. But it did the opposite, it catapulted him into frantic "let me kill the guy before the cops get to him" mode

 

[fruity pebbles]

My biggest complaint about the show was that it started off with the premise that Dexter only kills the guys that fall through the cracks. Killers who get too light a sentence, or get off on some technicality, and Dexter would lay low, not drawing any attention from Law Enforcement.

As soon as they got to S3 with Freebo and Jimmy Smits, now Dex's whole focus has shifted and he's trying to compete with Miami PD to get to the bad guy and kill them before PD catches them. He stalls stalls the PD, misdirects them with evidence/blood reports, etc. to give him time to get to them first. And that's 100% against Harry's code. The original premise was "Dex has this urge, this need to kill every so often so he satisfies that urge with the dregs of society, people no one will miss" and then it suddenly pivots to "Dex needs to kill every single bad guy in Miami ASAP". I get that it made for better TV, what would a show be without conflict right? But the entire 8 season run preached how Dex abides by the code, the code, the code. Going after active Miami PD targets is a serious breach of the code - don't bring unnecessary heat upon yourself.

I get that but didn't he go that direction because they guy found out about him? So he was killing and misdirecting to keep the number 1 rule of don't get caught in place. At least that is the way I took it. He got a bit careless and then had to cover things up and it snowballed. i don't think he set out to go that route but had to in order to not get caught.

That's part of what made it so much more unbelievable IMO. In S2 the bodies he'd dumped get found, and the whole Bay Harbor Butcher storyline happens. He's running around frantic trying to cover his tracks, but by the end of the season Lundy's not on his tail and Doakes has taken the fall for everything. So you'd think going forward that would make Dex more cautious, like whew that was a close one, I better slink back to the shadows and stick to the code and not get crazy. But it did the opposite, it catapulted him into frantic "let me kill the guy before the cops get to him" mode

Yeah it got really stupid. He’d be in the building murdering someone, the cops would be circling the place and he’d slip out over and over again.

 

[Anarchy99]

According to the Dexter Fandom wiki site, Dexter had a known 144 kills in the 9 seasons the show was on (including New Blood). I believe they list 13 people he killed that did not meet "the code." I get that some people take exception to him going off script, against the code, or barely escaping over and over again . . . but Dexter took out so many people, viewers had no choice but to suspend disbelief for that many victims.

 

[Ghost Rider]

I’m in the middle of season 5 now. Season 4 was definitely the best so far…

Spoiler: Spoiler

Shame about the reporter though. I would have enjoyed seeing more of her.

and I would say season 3 with Jimmy Smitts has been the worst.

Season 3 was definitely the least best of the first four seasons, but still a lot better than 5-8. I think there is plenty to like about the later seasons, but the consistency just wasn't there.

 

[UncleZen]

I am in the camp that 3 was the worst of all of the seasons. 1 and 4 were my favs.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

My biggest complaint about the show was that it started off with the premise that Dexter only kills the guys that fall through the cracks. Killers who get too light a sentence, or get off on some technicality, and Dexter would lay low, not drawing any attention from Law Enforcement.

As soon as they got to S3 with Freebo and Jimmy Smits, now Dex's whole focus has shifted and he's trying to compete with Miami PD to get to the bad guy and kill them before PD catches them. He stalls stalls the PD, misdirects them with evidence/blood reports, etc. to give him time to get to them first. And that's 100% against Harry's code. The original premise was "Dex has this urge, this need to kill every so often so he satisfies that urge with the dregs of society, people no one will miss" and then it suddenly pivots to "Dex needs to kill every single bad guy in Miami ASAP". I get that it made for better TV, what would a show be without conflict right? But the entire 8 season run preached how Dex abides by the code, the code, the code. Going after active Miami PD targets is a serious breach of the code - don't bring unnecessary heat upon yourself.

I remember this was discussed in the previous Dexter thread.

When the show started, the guy in charge definitely held to the character as being a vigilante, bringing justice to those that slipped through the cracks.

That head writer left the show, and his replacement in the later seasons decided what the audience wanted to see was "Dexter as Batman", basically running all over town as judge, jury, and executioner with no qualms, code, or anything else. That's when the series seriously went downhill.

I agree with this second paragraph, though also remember that Dexter did have a compulsion to kill and he tried his best to manage it with the code, but it’s not like he only killed because of the code. He wanted to kill and he tried to somehow put that to good use.

 

[eoMMan]

I just started season 7 and it’s a doozie.

Deb just told Dexter she needs to use the bathroom and release her dark passenger. Not sure what she means though.

 

[wlwiles]

Finally sat down to watch New Blood (aka Season 9) over Christmas break while I was laid up with the flu. I found myself very happy with having another season and getting back into the Dexter universe again, and it wraps up with a much better ending than Season 8 ever did (the original lumberjack ending ), but it's not a great ending by any means, and man this season felt so rushed and could have been so much better.

 

[Runkle]

Oh God, it's back

America’s favorite TV serial killer is back!

Dexter: Original Sin (previously known as Dexter: Origins) has cast the Morgan family: Patrick Gibson (Shadow and Bone) will play a young Dexter Morgan; Christian Slater (Mr. Robot) will play his dad Harry Morgan; and Molly Brown (Senior Year) will play Dexter’s younger sister, Debra Morgan. The series will be available from Paramount+ with Showtime.

 

[jamny]

I'm down for a prequel.

 

[eoMMan]

I just started season 7 and it’s a doozie.

Deb just told Dexter she needs to use the bathroom and release her dark passenger. Not sure what she means though.

This was a great post and should have won post of the year.

 

[eoMMan]

Anyone know if they are releasing all the prequel episodes at once or an episode each week?

 

[Riffraff]

Anyone know if they are releasing all the prequel episodes at once or an episode each week?

Looks like 1 a week except a double up for Christmas week and no episode for New Years week.
IMDB episode link with release dates

 

[Gjallarhorn]

I think the show plays so well because all of us have a bit of vigilante in us, and we know the people he is taking out are bad. How many times have we been driving, someone cuts us off, and we say to ourselves, “if only I were a cop”? Most humans like to see wrongs avenged. IMHO.

 

[Wingnut]

In for thr prequel, not expecting much but it could be decent

 

[Zow]

I’m in the middle of season 5 now. Season 4 was definitely the best so far…

Spoiler: Spoiler

Shame about the reporter though. I would have enjoyed seeing more of her.

and I would say season 3 with Jimmy Smitts has been the worst.

You're on 5? You haven't seen anything yet, then.

Seasons 1, 2, and 4 are great television, though.

 

[Zow]

I’m in the middle of season 5 now. Season 4 was definitely the best so far…

Spoiler: Spoiler

Shame about the reporter though. I would have enjoyed seeing more of her.

and I would say season 3 with Jimmy Smitts has been the worst.

Get ready to pull the cord and bail

No, I think it is still worth finishing out.

Yeah, if just once.

I've re-watched seasons 1, 2, and 4 while intentionally skipping the other ones.

 

[Zow]

Finally sat down to watch New Blood (aka Season 9) over Christmas break while I was laid up with the flu. I found myself very happy with having another season and getting back into the Dexter universe again, and it wraps up with a much better ending than Season 8 ever did (the original lumberjack ending ), but it's not a great ending by any means, and man this season felt so rushed and could have been so much better.

Was New Blood just one stand alone season? I watched the first couple of episodes on a plane but didn't like it enough to pay for the streaming service its on.

 

[Wingnut]

Finally sat down to watch New Blood (aka Season 9) over Christmas break while I was laid up with the flu. I found myself very happy with having another season and getting back into the Dexter universe again, and it wraps up with a much better ending than Season 8 ever did (the original lumberjack ending ), but it's not a great ending by any means, and man this season felt so rushed and could have been so much better.

Was New Blood just one stand alone season? I watched the first couple of episodes on a plane but didn't like it enough to pay for the streaming service its on.

Yes.

 

[Wingnut]

Anyone check out the new season yet? I'm gonna start this weekend but was curious if anyone had an opinion on the first 3 released episodes.*

*spoiler free of course

 

[Anarchy99]

Anyone check out the new season yet? I'm gonna start this weekend but was curious if anyone had an opinion on the first 3 released episodes.*

*spoiler free of course

IMO, not as good as the prime years of Dexter but better than the weaker years of Dexter and the Dexter New Blood season. Subject to change as the season progresses. Still enjoyable. Also, they announced they are releasing a Dexter Resurrection show starting in June.

 

[falguy]

Anyone check out the new season yet? I'm gonna start this weekend but was curious if anyone had an opinion on the first 3 released episodes.*

*spoiler free of course

Just finished ep1 and really enjoyed it. Thought it was done very well. On to ep2.

 

[Wingnut]

I'm really digging the new season, it's about as good as I hoped it would be. They nailed the casting of Batista, LaGuerta, and Masuka, they're all all dead ringers for the originals.

It's so much better than the New Blood season from a few years ago.

They're already filming Dexters next season, titled Resurrection, with Michael C Hall returning as Dexter, as well as the original Batista and Harry Morgan reprising their old roles.

More here:

Michael C. Hall Has Given Fans An Update On Dexter: Resurrection And It's Exciting

Michael C. Hall has posted a video message from the set of Dexter: Resurrection and it has gotten fans very hyped for the new series.

gamerant.com

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Finally got around to watching New Blood. I was pleasantly surprised. It actually kept me hooked and engaged and wanting to watch the next episode when one ended.

I thought the end, the last 20 minutes or so, was terrible. But the rest of it I really enjoyed. It was far from peak Dexter (seasons 1, 2, 4) but WAY better than the last 3 seasons of the original series.

I'm going to start Original Sin next and somewhat optimistic after reading some initial thoughts in this thread. I had totally written this franchise off after the terrible dreck that was seasons 6-8, but the new stuff is better.

 

[Gally]

I thought the end, the last 20 minutes or so, was terrible.

So paid homage to the original Dexter?

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I thought the end, the last 20 minutes or so, was terrible.

So paid homage to the original Dexter?

I said terrible. Not "stupid ******* so bad I want to stab myself in the eye so I don't remember ever watching this", which is how I would describe the original Dexter ending.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Original Sin was good.

The flashback of Brian's first kill of the therapist was incredibly dumb (he would so obviously have been the prime suspect), but otherwise was good.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

No one else watched? It was pretty good, definitely worth a watch if you were a fan of Dexter during its prime.

S4
S1
-------------------------
S2
Original Sin
------------------------
New Blood (would have been next tier up if the finale weren't so bad)
S3
S5
-------------------------
S6
S7
S8

 

[Wingnut]

I havent seen the last 2 episodes yet, gonna watch them this weekend.

I agree with your top 4 for for sure. Original Sin has been much better than I expected.

 

[Gally]

No one else watched?

I don't have Showtime. I watched the free first episode on Prime and liked it a lot. Some day I will break down and get Showtime to watch (or hope they put it on Netflix or Amazon)

 

[ghostguy123]

Yeah New Blood woulda been cool to include Batista more and have him meet up with Dexter. They coulda done a lot more with that and easily gone to another season.

 

[Wingnut]

IMO part of what makes Original Sin great is having characters from the first run that we already know and get to see the younger versions of. That's where New Blood fell short for me. It almost didn't feel like a season of Dexter, but Original Sin does because I'm already familiar with the players.

It's a fun watch, and Michael C Hall being a producer gives me give hope that the next season with him back as Dexter will be good as well.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

No one else watched?

I don't have Showtime. I watched the free first episode on Prime and liked it a lot. Some day I will break down and get Showtime to watch (or hope they put it on Netflix or Amazon)

If you have Paramount Plus it is on that without having to have a separate showtime subscription. Not the most popular platform but I already had it for soccer so if you have it for any similar reasons you may have access to Dexter w/out knowing.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Yeah New Blood woulda been cool to include Batista more and have him meet up with Dexter. They coulda done a lot more with that and easily gone to another season.

They are actually bringing it back for another season (called Dexter: Resurrection) in a few months, and Batista will be a regular character now.

 

[ghostguy123]

Yeah New Blood woulda been cool to include Batista more and have him meet up with Dexter. They coulda done a lot more with that and easily gone to another season.

They are actually bringing it back for another season (called Dexter: Resurrection) in a few months, and Batista will be a regular character now.

I saw that. Will definitely watch.
And Peter Dinklage, nice

 

[falguy]

I've enjoyed it. Have to watch the last episode, but it's been good.

Also, i think I'm in love with the LaGuerta actress in this one.

 

[Gally]

No one else watched?

I don't have Showtime. I watched the free first episode on Prime and liked it a lot. Some day I will break down and get Showtime to watch (or hope they put it on Netflix or Amazon)

If you have Paramount Plus it is on that without having to have a separate showtime subscription. Not the most popular platform but I already had it for soccer so if you have it for any similar reasons you may have access to Dexter w/out knowing.

I don't think that is correct. I have Paramount+ but you need the Showtime add on to get Dexter

 

[Raging weasel]

I liked Original Sin a lot. The casting is spot on and the actors are really great at playing their future selves.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

No one else watched?

I don't have Showtime. I watched the free first episode on Prime and liked it a lot. Some day I will break down and get Showtime to watch (or hope they put it on Netflix or Amazon)

If you have Paramount Plus it is on that without having to have a separate showtime subscription. Not the most popular platform but I already had it for soccer so if you have it for any similar reasons you may have access to Dexter w/out knowing.

I don't think that is correct. I have Paramount+ but you need the Showtime add on to get Dexter

Oh you're right, it looks like Showtime is not included on the cheaper ad-supported Paramount+ option. It is included in the ad-free plan that is $5 more expensive. I already had the ad-free so when they added showtime I didn't realize they only added it to that plan.

 

[Wingnut]

Dexter Resurrection drops July 11th on Paramount Plus.

New trailer:
https://youtu.be/1P9cTPwKESw?si=uuPPT9XqYzHiZB1M

Dinklage, Uma Thurman, Batista, the original Harry...count me in!