These days, basic cable television is as depressing as the state of our nation’s economy. Luckily, the fall season of premium cable arrives as a refreshing bailout from the endless slew of reality TV and mindless sitcoms.
This fall, Showtime’s Dexter has the opportunity to become one of the hottest shows on television, The thrilling drama about a sympathetic serial killer kicked off its third season this past Sunday at 9 p.m. on Showtime.
If you have never watched Dexter but think this is the year you’re ready to start, Showtime’s website contains full-length episodes from the first two seasons to help you catch up. If you have watched both seasons and you are planning to follow the third, you are in for a treat. If last Sunday’s premiere is any indicator, this season is going to pick up exactly where season two left off with regard to content and quality.
A major change this season is the loss of Daniel Cerone, an executive producer and writer. It will be interesting to see how the show fares without his creative propulsion this season. The effects of the first two seasons—the Cerone-era—are easily detectable; season two ended with an emphatic and messy finale that opened the floodgates for potential story lines this season.
Last season, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall, now one of the show’s executive producers), was on the verge of being discovered as the “Bay Harbor Butcher” due to the endless prodding of Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King). Dexter escaped discovery when Lila, a psychotic, formerly meth-addicted artist, killed Doakes in a massive explosion. When Dexter rejected Lila, she kidnapped Rita’s (Dexter’s previous girlfriend) children and nearly murdered them and Dexter in another fire. Dexter saved the children and applied “the code of Harry”—killers must be killed—to Lila before the episode ended. The closing moments of the second season hinted at Dexter’s increasing desire to fit into mainstream society through his relationships.
This season is sure to entertain and haunt viewers who have been able to get beyond the fact that Dexter requires them to empathize with a serial killer. The premier builds on Dexter’s assimilation into society at day and his pursuit of twisted justice by night. Expect sex, drugs, and murder—and a show that is ready to take on any other program on television.
