Movie Info:
Writers: Various
Director: Various
Cast: JoBeth Williams, Julie Benz, Lauren Velez, Jennifer Carpenter, Keith Carradine, James Remar, Michael C Hall, David Zayas, Erik King
Rating: NR
Studio:CBS/Paramount
Release Info:
Theatrical Release:
DVD Release Date: May 5, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $38.99
I have been watching Dexter from the beginning. Showtime has some of the best shows on television these days and I watch the majority of them. Of all the shows they have that I watch, I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Dexter. He’s always been my favorite and probably always will be. There are a few things I don’t like about Dexter, but for the most part this show is one of the most innovative and entertaining shows that has hit the airwaves.
One of the things that set Dexter apart is the acting of Michael C. Hall. The character of Dexter Morgan is dynamic and spellbinding because Hall has been able to create a character that despite his flaws you want to like. Not only that, he’s a character you want to root for. Even though you know he is doing something that he shouldn’t be doing, a part of you (or at least me) wants him to succeed. If bad writing on the part of Morgan or bad acting were involved these things would not be issues. People would see him as a scumbag and they would move on. Luckily that is not the case. Instead, for many like myself, Dexter is an addiction and the audience cannot wait to see what he is going to do next.
The ensemble cast is really interesting, too. Even the characters that I don’t care for, like Deb, are multi-layered and dynamic. That being said, I will admit that my problem with Deb has nothing to do with Jennifer Carpenter, the actor behind the role. You see, Deb has this thing that is done with her mouth. I don’t know if it’s a nervous twitch or even how to describe it, but every time I watch the show and Deb is on she does the mouth thing (as I call it). It drives me crazy to the point where I can barely watch her while on screen anymore. I know, it’s neurotic and I try to ignore it, but it’s a small issue. Still, the character of Deb doesn’t annoy me as much as her mouth does.
The second season of Dexter has already been released on DVD. This release is just for the people that want that extra quality for the show. Still, if you have not seen this season you’re in store for some interesting storylines. Some garbage bags are found in the river and before you know it, the Miami PD and the FBI are on the hunt for the Bay Harbor Butcher. Dexter watches the case with apprehension, wondering when or if he will get caught, when the man who never loses is brought on the case.
While all this is going on, Dexter and Rita’s relationship is up in the air when her nosy, meddling mom comes for a visit. Dexter, who Rita assumes is a substance abuser, begins going to Narcotics Anonymous. While there he meets a girl, Lila, who just might be the first one to ever understand him. Of course, that isn’t necessarily a good thing in Dexter’s world. Deb finds a new relationship, Doakes closes in on Dexter, and plenty of excitement ensues. All in all, this is one hot season!
The Dexter: The Second Season Plot
The second season of Dexter begins about 38 days after the end of the first season. Deb has to deal with the fact that the supposed love of her life was a lying maniac. Likewise, Dexter has to deal with finding and losing a brother and learning more about his family, whether he wants to do that or not. Of course, with the Bay Harbor Butcher being hunted, this is the least of Dexter’s worries. This season offers plenty of relationship drama and lots of police action as the Butcher is hunted and Dexter tries desperately to make sure that it does not look like him.
“It’s Alive!”: It’s been a little over a month since the mystery of the Ice Truck Killer was solved. Doakes has taken to trailing Dexter constantly. This makes it nearly impossible for Dexter to kill anyone. Once he gets a hold of his newest victim, Little Chino, he finds that he is unable to kill him. Deb comes back to work, but finds that dealing with the public is going to be harder than she thought. Paul says Dexter framed him, but Rita does not want to believe him. Thirty bodies, cut up in trash bags are found at the bottom of the ocean.
“Waiting to Exhale”: Lundy is on the case to find the Bay Harbor Butcher. Meanwhile, both the Miami PD and Dexter are looking for Little Chino. Deb and Dexter struggle to come to terms with their relationship with Brian. Rita confronts Dexter because she believes that he was involved in Paul’s death.
“An Inconvenient Lie”: Rita threatens to leave Dexter unless he gets help for his “drug” addiction. As a result, Dexter goes to NA meetings. While at a meeting, Dexter meets Lila, an interesting woman that wants to help Dexter by being his sponsor. Lundy wants Deb to be on the task force and his interest in her pays off when she figures out the pattern of the murders.
“See-Through”: Dexter isn’t sure that Lila is the right fit for a sponsor due to her behavior. Rita agrees and thinks that he should find another sponsor. Rita’s mom thinks that Dexter is hiding something. Cody suffers from nightmares that are about the Bay Harbor Butcher. Vince learns that he can determine which marina that the Bay Harbor Butcher stores his boat and that has Dexter scrambling to get rid of some evidence.
“The Dark Defender”: Dexter learns that one of the men that murdered his mother is alive and living in Florida. Lila encourages him to go and find this man after he tells her about a dream he had where he was a comic book superhero, able to rescue his mom. Doakes and LaGuerta look back fondly on the days when they were partners. Rita’s mother warns Dexter to keep his distance from Rita and her kids.
“Dex, Lies, and Videotape”: When Dexter finds out that he was on tape cleaning his boat, he realizes that he needs to get rid of that tape. A copycat shows up that mimics the Bay Harbor Butcher and the Miami PD knows that if they do not find him quick the FBI will take over the case completely. Dexter begins to wonder why Harry really took him in as a child, especially since it was uncovered that Harry had a relationship with Dexter’s mom. Rita’s mom thinks that Dexter should invite Lila to dinner. Rita and Dexter break up when she learns that Lila will be going with Dexter on a trip.
“That Night, A Forest Grew”: Lundy’s task force goes on high alert when a written manifesto from the Bay Harbor Butcher is sent to a local paper. Doakes is hot on the trail of discovering the truth about Dexter, but Dexter counters by finding a way to get Doakes out of the police force. Lila and Dexter have a good time together, but it turns bad when she learns that he will be seeing Rita at a school event that Cody wants Dexter to attend. Deb and Gabriel break up because she has her eyes on Lundy.
“Morning Comes”: In hopes of keeping Dexter, Lila sets her loft on fire. She only causes more trouble though when she lies about the cause of the fire and Dexter realizes she is not telling the truth. Doakes is offered a job. Unfortunately, at this time he is so obsessed with Dexter that catching him is all he can think about. With this in mind, he breaks into his apartment. Lundy thinks the Butcher might be in law enforcement and works to revisit old cases. Rita tells Dexter that he is not welcome in her or her children’s life.
“Resistance is Futile”: Dexter struggles to find a place to dump his latest body because the investigation is making things impossible for him. Even though Dexter tells Rita that everything with Lila was a mistake, she seems hesitant about taking him back. Doakes uncovers Dexter’s blood slides. Meanwhile, Deb and Lundy debate whether or not their relationship should be taken public.
“There’s Something About Harry”: While Dexter has Doakes locked up and out of the way, he still is not sure what he should do with him. Doakes has a revelation and that leads Dexter on a trail to learn something shocking about Harry. The FBI continues to look for Doakes and though all signs point straight to him, LaGuera refuses to believe that he is the Butcher. Angel and Lila keep messing around though he has no idea what’s coming to him.
“Left Turn Ahead”: Dexter considers turning himself in for the Bay Harbor Butcher murders. When the FBI does not feel they are receiving results in the case, they replace Lundy with a new deputy director. Lila has Angel arrested for sexual assault. She will only agree to drop the charges if she can get Dexter back. After some searching Deb realizes that Lila is not in the U.S. legally.
“The British Invasion”: Lila finds Doakes all locked up, but doesn’t seem to interested in his problems even when he outs Dexter as the Bay Harbor Butcher. When the cabin explodes and it is discovered that Doakes was in the cabin, the evidence leads to him and the case is closed. Deb and Lundy realize that they need to re-evaluate their relationship. Meanwhile, Rita and Dexter renew their relationship, but it becomes clear that unless Dexter does something about Lila, Rita and her kids will never be safe.
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Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
The 1080p and the 1.78:1 aspect ratio do not lie. This transfer is as beautiful as the first season when it comes to Blu-ray visual quality. Dexter really shines on a number of levels. The quality here is just gorgeous. The colors are bright, when it calls for them to be, and the dark levels are rich and strong. I did not notice any issues with compression errors, dirt, noise, or grain. Blu-ray really has the ability to shine with shows like Dexter. While the show isn’t as intensive as an action film, things like flying blood sure look pretty on screen. As this is a relatively new series this should not be an issue, but it does occasionally happen. The three discs that Dexter are the perfect addition to any fan’s library.
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sounds as good as the video looks. It’s hard to complain about a sound that makes sure to use multiple channels and creates a clear, dynamic sound from start to finish. As a fan of the , just hearing the strong sounding opening got me excited about the quality and the show. Dialogue is easy to hear at all times, special effects are crisp, and the music has the pop that you would expect from a Blu-ray transfer. Volume toggling and other issues are not a problem. In addition to the English audio there is a Spanish track in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Subtitles are included in English.
Visual: 
Audio:
Bonus Features:
There are some things in life I don’t think I will ever understand. One of those things is how a show can be as amazing and as popular as this one and receive such a shoddy bonus section. The BD Live area offers the most for viewers, but if you don’t want to (or can’t) download all of the content, then you are honestly left with a whole lot of nothing. Whatever happened to the simpler days before BD Live?
The one section that is not based on BD Live is called “Tools of the Trade.” In this section you get the chance to pick the tools that Dexter uses when he kills people. Once you’ve picked a tool you place it in the bag. If you are correct you get a small synopsis on the tool. It’s basic and it’s really not that exciting. Sadly, this is the only non-BD Live feature. It would have been nice to see some commentaries or other featurettes.
In the BD Live area there are a couple of episodes of the smash hit The United States of Tara. This is nice, but if you have Showtime then you probably have On Demand, which means you can watch the entire season right now. At best, this is a limited feature for people that do not have Showtime. A ton of podcasts are available, which are decent to listen to. Fans should enjoy them, though a word of warning, the download was somewhat slow, which definitely ups the annoyance factor. This is basically it. There are a few other things, but I eventually gave up on the download process so I can’t go into what was there. I can only guess it’s no better than what was already available.
Bonus Features: 
Bottom Line:
You can’t go wrong with Dexter. This is hands down, one of the best shows on television today. The title character is witty, well acted, and incredibly dynamic. The fact that he is a serial killer is just the icing on the cake. This season offers some interesting storylines and a whole lot of fun. Once you start watching you will not be able to stop. I highly recommend picking this season up on either Blu-ray or DVD, if you do not have a Blu-ray player.
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Technorati Tags: Blu-ray Review, TV on DVD, Dexter, Showtime, Drama, Thriller, Murder, Season Two, Michael C Hall, Dexter Morgan, Serial Killer
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.
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