April 30, 2009

Dexter, the lovable forensic expert with a dark side, returns to everyone’s living room for a second time with the release of Dexter: Season 2 on Blu-Ray. Now if you already own the original DVD set then you are not missing a whole lot. However for people new to the series or anyone who has recently acquired a PS3 or Blu-Ray player then you are in for a treat. If you are fan of Dexter like I am then you are aware of the devastating and bloody end of Season One. Dexter not only found out that he had a sibling, but another serial killer in the family. With the Ice Truck Killer, now gone Dexter and Debra now must move on.

Season 2 starts off with Dexter attempting one of his late night activities only to freeze up in the heat of the moment. He starts to lose control of his self-contained dark side with the memory of his brother fresh on his mind. To make things worse his dark secret is now about to be exposed to the whole world. Things get rough between Rita and Dexter after she thinks that he is a drug addict. Dexter joins a 12-step program to mask his late night activities and to possibly throw Doakes off his trail. With a copycat killer on the loose and Special Agent Frank Lundy hot on his trail and a NA sponsor that refuses to go away, Dexter is in hot water and the heat is only increasing. But then again it is Miami after all.

In this season Dexter is reminded of his past as he discovers that the man that that was responsible for killing his mother in front of him is still alive. In the episode “The Dark Defender,” Dexter finds out that Harry, his father withheld information from him about his mother’s murder. After he lets some of this information out to Lila, she insists on tagging along while he finds the man responsible. This one happens to one off of my favorite episodes, as it is finally reveals what happened all those years ago.

Dexter is one of the most original shows on TV these days and for good reason. There is just something wickedly seductive about its story and all its twisted little details. Season 2 started off a little weird with Dexter being a little weird for two straight episodes. But after that the show goes straight for the jugular.

Dexter: Season 2 on Blu-Ray also comes with a bunch of other goodies to enjoy. The third disc contains BD LIVE features including the “Blood Fountains” featurette showing the nationwide event where several major cities turned the water in a fountain blood red. Going along with the Dark Defender theme, there are 3 mini short episodes where the “Dark Defender” tells the story from his side based on episodes of the show. Through BD LIVE viewers can watch several podcasts from cast members. There are some interesting insights given by the cast. You can also catch the first two episodes of “UNITED STATES OF TARA” which is interesting to say the least. Not my cup of tea.

Filmmaking: 9
Dexter is one of those shows that are original and wickedly addictive. It is one of the most dark and seductive shows of our modern times. To be perfectly honest, I do not watch a lot of TV, these days as the tube is being overrun with one reality show to another. But there are still good shows out there, Dexter is one of them. Dexter has a certain quality to it in its presentation. The script is beautifully scripted and is backed up by a stellar cast. Michael C. Hall is at the top of his game in his role as the duel identity vigilante. All of first seasons cast returns to make this one of the most talked about shows on TV.

Visuals: 10
Visually, Dexter is amazingly gorgeous from its beautiful Miami scenery to the plastic encased locations where wicked deeds are done. When I watched the show for the first time I was impressed with the show’s opening sequence. Featured in beautiful 1080p quality, Dexter is amazing. Unlike Season 1 on Blu-Ray this season looks the part. Presented in AVC MPEG-4 the show looks much than the first season Blu-Ray. The dark night scenes are not grainy like they were before in the previous release, which is a big plus.

Sound: 9
Dexter has a fantastic soundtrack to it. The beginning track to the show is sinister and elegant at the same time. The entire score to this show is actually well done and precise like a well-placed surgical tool. The series original music is composed by Daniel Licht who has done a lot of composing for various horror movies like Thinner, Children of the Corn and Soul Survivor. The actors also do a fantastic acting job and Dexter’s calm and collected narrative is one of my favorite things about the show. I also like the show’s unabashed language that can only be seen on Showtime or in this 3 Disc Blu-Ray Set. Dexter: Season 2 is presented in English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD as well as Spanish 5.1 Dolby TrueHD for the Latin fans out there.

Value: 8
Dexter: Season 2 on Blu-Ray is brilliant right to the bloody end and I can’t wait for Season 3 to hit Blu-Ray. The Podcasts with Michael C. Hall and the rest of the cast are informative and actually entertaining. I was liked the interactive “Tools of the Trade” where you must select Dexter’s tool and then learn a little about each of them. The added episodes available via BD LIVE for “UST” are okay, a cool feature but not my cup of tea.

Overall: 9.0
Overall Dexter: Season 2 on Blu-Ray is just awesome. I am huge fan of the show and am proud to have the opportunity to review this 3-Disc Blu-Ray Set. Dexter is a show that can appeal to a large audience because we all have that dark side to us. Dexter is a show that is brilliantly written and has a cast that brings the books that it is based upon to life. If you are a fan like me or perhaps a newcomer looking for something a bit more twisted, look no further that Dexter. I highly recommend picking up Dexter: Season 2 on Blu-Ray as soon as you can.