Dexter Season 1 Review

Dexter (2006-2013)

Season 1 - 12 episodes (2006)
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Created by: James Manos Jr.
Based on Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Starring: Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Erik King, Lauren Vélez, David Zayas, James Remar
Rated: TV-MA
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Plot
When blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan is not out solving murders, he spends his time as a serial killer who eliminates those who do bad things.

Verdict
The first season of this show is easily my favorite. It's such an intriguing world, seeing police work through a blood splatter analyst, but he's also a serial killer. Dexter is a dark vigilante that has channeled his psychopathic behavior into meting out justice. The season at times feels like a comic book with how the plot develops. Part of it is to maintain the mystery, but this never seems like a cop show. The police are a comparison and a means to an end. This isn't focused on the realities of police work. It's about a killer with a code who reconciles societies unspoken rules with his actions, and it's meant to be salacious. Dexter is the focus, the rest is set dressing. We explore his code, his past, and his adoptive father. Everything comes to a point in the final episode as he has to reckon with who he is and the killer he's been trained to be. No other season captures the core of this character like this season. No other season was anywhere near as engrossing. 
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Review
I've seen the entire series, save for the sequels and prequels, but no season was as good as the first. We follow a killer. In most shows he'd be the villain, but in this he's the protagonist, a vigilante carrying out justice. Dexter (Michael C. Hall) feels like an outsider, faking all human interactions. He has this desire to kill that's he's funneled into killing criminals that escape the law.

Dexter's a blood splatter analyst, obsessed with blue, and thus he's intrigued by crime scenes and the method. It's not just about solving the crime, he admires good work. Dexter seems normal on the outside, but his thoughts betray the exterior. He's a killer, a deranged sociopath devoid of emotion, but he's committed to fitting in. Dexter even has a girlfriend. An interesting thread through the season is seeing how this guy thinks and how he sees the world. He hides in plain site, adhering to the code his step-father Harry (James Remar) taught him.

Michael C. Hall plays Dexter Morgan

The irony is that Dexter's girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz) thinks he's one of the few good guys, yet he's a serial killer. This season Dexter interacts with the Ice Truck Killer, someone that leaves him messages at crime scenes and directly. Dexter admires him, but the question early on is why the Ice Truck Killer targets Dexter. How does he know what Dexter is? Why isn't Dexter concerned? Dexter shares theories with his step-sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), a detective. He's a great investigator because he understands perpetrators. His theories help her progress.

The series features flashbacks frequently, showing how Dexter was taught to focus his energy by Harry, who initially found Dexter at a crime scene. Harry was a cop that realized there was only one way to satisfy Dexter's cravings. Harry created a set of rules and codes that would keep Dexter safe while only killing people that deserved it. In episode three we see Dexter's first kill as sanctioned by Harry.

Through Dexter and the Ice Truck Killer we see two serial killers. What separates them is that Dexter has a code and methodology. We don't know why the Ice Truck Killer sends Dexter messages. They're so vague that no one but Dexter realizes the implications. Childhood photos are recreated, and the Ice Truck Killer even leaves a message in Dexter's refrigerator.

Erik King, Jennifer Carpenter, Michael C. Hall play James Doakes, Debra Morgan, Dexter Morgan

In episode six Dexter is called to investigate his own crime scene. He's obviously concerned as he deviated from his plan. Did he make a mistake? Leave something behind? Dexter is convinced he'll be caught. He considers what he is and what he's done, but he doesn't feel remorse. Debra creates a profile on the suspect, and it's a little too accurate for Dexter. He has to mislead her as a defense. He realizes the Ice Truck Killer set him up, testing him to see if Dexter is smart enough to escape.

When the cops catch who they think is the Ice Truck Killer, Dexter has doubts. That is coupled with personal trouble when Rita's ex is released from jail and wants to spend time with her kids.

Dexter relied on his step-father Harry, trusted him. That's blown up in episode nine when he receives a letter notifying him of a will from his biological father. Dexter has to reconcile this man that might be his father with Harry having told him his father had passed away. Dexter is adamant Harry wouldn't lie to him, but his doubts grow.

A new crime scene without bodies but plenty of blood sends Dexter into a panic when it triggers a long forgotten memory. The entire season, the Ice Truck Killer has been directing Dexter to his past, the crime that is his origin story. All the pieces start to come together for Dexter and the police investigation into the killer.

So much of the season is Dexter trying to fit in, pretending to be normal. His hobby is selecting his next victim, but that's always with purpose. He only kills criminals, and he must be sure. Through various murders during the season we unpack Dexter's history, feelings, and desires. He's an unlikely protagonist, but that's also part of the intrigue.