Dexter is rated 18+ for a reason. While it is a fantastic show, if you're under 18 please watch with caution or ask a parent's permission. It's heavy on murder, blood, swearing, and much more. Know your limits.
This is a very long overdue re-watch for me. I go on and on about how amazing the show is and how it's one of my favourites, yet I've only watched it once. I blame this on not owning the boxset, as I rarely watch things on Netflix more than once. But I digress. Let's talk about the pilot episode.
If it's your first time watching Dexter then you might be a little confused - I know I was. Partly because I was new to crime dramas, and partly because I had no idea who the characters were and what was going on. I'll break it down for you: Deb is Dexter's adoptive sister who also works for Miami Metro (in vice); Masuka works alongside Dexter in forensics; and Angel Batista is a homicide detective.
Right off the bat, there's some diversity within the homicide department: Masuka is Japanese, Doakes is a person of colour, and Batista and LaGuerta are Cuban (although played by a Puerto Rican actors). You can guess that there'll be a lot of Spanish throughout the episodes as well, as the supporting cast is also largely Hispanic (which is accurate for Florida, I believe). This usually isn't subtitled in English - even if you watch with subtitles on, it's done in Spanish - so be sure to either brush up or Google it if you want to understand fully. Or just wait, as things do often get explained in English as well.
The cast is fantastic - Michael C Hall in particular. He manages to capture the very essence of Dexter and plays what is probably a very good psychopath. He's not just a rampaging killer, evil to the bone, playing to horror tropes and demonising mental health. He's real He's likeable. Which is often very true with psychopaths - they're smart, cool, calm, collected, manipulative. And they don't advertise it. It's still unsettling to see how he reacts to death and is able to hand it out in an almost flippant way, but you learn that it's anything but thanks to The Code of Harry.
The pilot introduces the first serial killer of the series. It's an interesting premise and we follow the homicide department as they try to catch up with the killer and apprehend them, This episode doesn't make much headway in this area, but then it's very much about setting up Dexter and his life, and there has to be something that makes you want to watch episode two. We learn how this killer kills and start to get an idea of how they navigate Miami.
All in all, a good first episode for the series. Definitely worth re-watching if it's been a while since you started Dexter, and totally worth starting for the first time.
The cast is fantastic - Michael C Hall in particular. He manages to capture the very essence of Dexter and plays what is probably a very good psychopath. He's not just a rampaging killer, evil to the bone, playing to horror tropes and demonising mental health. He's real He's likeable. Which is often very true with psychopaths - they're smart, cool, calm, collected, manipulative. And they don't advertise it. It's still unsettling to see how he reacts to death and is able to hand it out in an almost flippant way, but you learn that it's anything but thanks to The Code of Harry.
The pilot introduces the first serial killer of the series. It's an interesting premise and we follow the homicide department as they try to catch up with the killer and apprehend them, This episode doesn't make much headway in this area, but then it's very much about setting up Dexter and his life, and there has to be something that makes you want to watch episode two. We learn how this killer kills and start to get an idea of how they navigate Miami.
All in all, a good first episode for the series. Definitely worth re-watching if it's been a while since you started Dexter, and totally worth starting for the first time.
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