ComicsOnline.com - Blu-ray Review: Dexter: The First Season

Dexter has finally come to Blu-ray Disc and now is the perfect time. Showtime has aired three cable-length seasons of this razor-sharp yet frighteningly inviting series about Dexter Morgan, Miami PD forensic blood-spatter specialist by day and bloodletting vigilante by night, and they've finally teased us with DVD releases long enough and have finally put out the story arc that started it all in sharper-than-ever 1080p high definition Blu-ray with 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio.

Story

Dexter (Michael C. Hall, Six Feet Under) and his sister Debra (Hall's real-life new wife Jennifer Carpenter, Quarantine) were two kids from different biological families who were taken in as children by Police Officer Harry Morgan (James Remar, Jericho). Debra idolized her adoptive father and grew up to be a cop with aspirations of earning her detective shield. Harry saw the killer in Dexter and taught him a code to live and kill by, and police procedure methods to ensure Dexter wouldn't be so easily caught when he gives in to his killer instincts. Harry died before the first episode, but appears quite often in flashbacks and as Dexter's conscience. Notable geek-TV personalities that are regulars in Dexter are Julia Benz (Darla from Buffy and Angel) and CS Lee (Harry Tang from Chuck).

Strangely, as cold and alien as Dexter sounds like in print, when you watch the shows and hear Dexter's inner monologue as narration and see how he interacts with the people in his life, you find him likable and you really start to identify with him. Scary, but true. Dexter is just that well written.

Season One revolves around the story of Miami's new serial killer: The Ice Truck Killer. While Dexter recognizes that this other serial killer must, by Harry's code, be Dexter's target, The Ice Truck Killer is already stalking Dexter, leaving him clues, as if he knows who and what Dexter is. How will it all go down? Pick up the Blu-ray of Dexter: The First Season!

Extras

My only complaint with this set is with the Special Features. The Back of the case lists the following:

-The Academy of Blood - A Killer Curse

-Witnessed in Blood - A True Murder Investigation

-Michael C. Hall Podcast

-First Episode of Dexter, Season 3

-The First Two Episodes of The United States of Tara

...But these are not actually included on the discs, they're supposedly on BD-Live, but wait, as I write this, all that exists on BD-Live from this list is the Season 3 intro episode. I found that rather frustrating, as I would have rather just waited another month or three for them to encode these extras on to one of the discs rather than have them promised on BD-Live but not present. One Extra was on Disc 3 though: There is audio commentary for the final episode with three of the writer/director/producers.

If you've not watched Dexter yet, now's the time, and this is the HD version you want. If you are already one of Dexter's disciples and already know the identity of the Ice Truck Killer, what two characters die in Season Two and how, and in Season 3 who is the Skinner and who dies...? Then you still want this Blu-ray set because it's the best version to date of this material and worth owning and loaning to your friends and family who do not yet bleed Dexter.

ComicsOnline gives Dexter: The First Season on Blu-ray 4.5 out of 5 slices to the cheek.