It is increasingly rare but once in a while a television series comes along that just blows your socks off. In a time when it seems that most of the networks are depending on all those so called reality shows a scripted show of quality is something exceptionally welcomed by the more discerning viewers. One such show is Showtime’s "Dexter’. It may have has the main character someone who works in the Crime Scene Investigation department of the Miami police force but this is most definitely not another CSI type series. You see Dexter, as brilliantly played by ‘Six Feet Under’s’ Michael C. Hall, is a serial killer. When I told a co-worker who had never heard about the series this little fact he had to question how a serial murderer could be the protagonist of a television show. There is a twist; this serial killer tries to use his predilection towards murder for a form of social good. He only kills murderers, child molesters and other heinous criminals who have escaped the grasp of the legal system. This series digs beneath the usual stereotype of the serial killer to reveal the damaged person underneath. Over the decades I have seen countless crime dramas and never has one captivated me like this one. The quality of the show is beyond reproach. The writing is taut with not a single line of dialogue or scene wasted. The direction is tight and near perfect. What propels this series to the heights though is the acting. Besides Hall every member of the cast no matter how large or small the role may be is perfect. Although CBS tried to air a censored version of this show it is not one that easily translates to the regular networks. What makes this show work so well is the play between the façade that Dexter puts on for the world and his hidden monster. This can only be done on an unrestricted premium cable network like Showtime. At one point HBO owned Sunday night with their cutting edge programming. Now that ‘The Sopranos’, ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Deadwood’ are off the air Showtime has taken the spot as the best cable network in the upper tier of the cable lineup. At this time ‘Dexter’ is gearing up for its third season. Incase you missed it or even if you just have to have it the second season has hit DVD and it is a must have. The show is based on the Dexter series of novels by Jeff Lindsay and it is a good idea to get them.

The main character here is Dexter Morgan. Hall is brilliant as he plays a man who is a self admitted monster as he puts on his human face to go through his day. To the public he appears to be a good looking man who always has a smile and a nice word for everybody. Little does anyone know that he has been killing people since he was in his late teens. His adopted father Harry (James Remar) was a policeman who found a very young Dexter at the scene of the brutal murder of his mother. He adopted him and when Harry realized his son’s true nature decided that if he couldn’t change it he could at least direct it. This began the ‘code of Harry’ which has always guided Dexter. It was a set of rules not only on how not to get caught but most importantly in thee selection of Dexter’s victims. While Dexter is mostly without emotions he does have a love of sorts for a few people. First and foremost is his sister Debbie (Jennifer Carpenter) who is on the same police force as Dexter. There is also his girlfriend Rita Bennett (Julie Benz) and her two children. Dexter originally used her to appear normal but has grown to love her as much as it is possible for him.

This second season begins 38 days after the closing events of the first. Dexter was forced to kill his biological brother who was also a serial killer albeit without the guidance of any honorable code. His brother was about to kill Debbie and even though he was the only person Dexter could show his true face to he had to kill his brother. This was resulted in a dilemma for Dexter. For those 38 days he has not been able to kill and the feelings and need has been growing inside him. He tries to kill a blind voodoo priest who has been killing people but is unable to go through with it. Dexter then tries a gang banger of huge stature only to fail again. Making matters worse are the growing emotional problems of the women in his life. Debbie has been staying with him since her fiancé, tried to kill her. Rita’s husband is in prison and starts to suspect that Dexter had a hand in it. Rita thinks that Dexter is a drug addict and makes him go to a 12 step program or she will leave him. Dexter is unable to let part of his ‘human life’ go and agrees. He rationalizes it that his ‘dark passenger’, as he calls his killing side, is an addiction of sorts. At the meetings he meets a beautiful artist, Lila (Jaime Murray). At first the relationship is platonic but she is a vixen of the first order and manages to seduce Dexter. This causes a rift with Rita but life with Lila is far from happy. She is in many ways more messed up than Dexter. When he dumps her to go back to Rita she makes Glenn Close in ‘Fatal Attraction’ look like a girl scout. Lila does everything possible to ruin Dexter’s life.

The major problem for Dexter this season is the discovery of over a dozen of his victims remains at the bottom of the Bay Harbor. This brings in the FBI lead by their expert on serial killers, Special Agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine). Dexter and Debbie both wind on the task force. Debbie also becomes involved with Lundy which makes it even more difficult for Dexter. As if this wasn’t enough in the way of problems for our loveable serial killer one detective in the squad who always hated and suspected Dexter gets too close to the truth. Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King) starts by constantly tailing Dexter but soon moves up to an illegal search of his apartment giving him clues and evidence pointing to Dexter as the ‘Bay Harbor Butcher’. While Dexter does not dispatch as many of society’s worse this season it was far from dull.

The best thing about this series and this season in particular is that it is presented as a psychological thriller more than a typical crime drama. The concept of being a serial killer as an addiction is a novel approach to the topic and one that is perfectly explored here. Each of the characters is fully developed and given ample opportunity to grow. Thanks to the talent of the cast they are not just cardboard cut outs that so many series have they come across as real people.

Showtime has released this second season set through their parent company of Paramount. The video is an anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer with an exceptional color palette and contrast. The Dolby 5.1 audio rocks the room with a realistic sound stage. I did notice that the default sound track was the stereo one so make sure you set your player to the full 5.1. The extras could have focused more on the series. Mostly they are the first few episodes from other Showtime series like ‘The Botherhood’ and ‘The Turdors’. There are a few Dexter podcasts and an interview with Hall to give the fans something. This is not for everyone but if you want something that is different, entertaining and excels in quality get it.