Dexter: A bloody good show

Dexter Morgan.

It's a name you may have heard floating around the TV sphere lately. The name belongs to a man whose life revolves around being a blood-splatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Dept., while at the same time secretly murdering people in his spare time. "Dexter," about to enter it's fifth season on Showtime on Sept. 26, originally had a slow start in gaining viewership. But in the last few years it's found a nice - some would say, cult-like - following.

Myself included. I only wish I had found out earlier than this year.

Based loosely on novels by Jeff Lindsay, "Dexter" takes murder to the next level. Not in terms of crass, 'SAW"- like torture scenes, but in the sense that the viewer gains likability towards the main character/murderer.

When the series first premiered, that was the main issue; the viewer is compelled to empathize with a serial killer.

We secretly hope, deep down, that he doesn't get caught. And we root for him. What does that say about us as a society?

Or, on the other hand, maybe we just miss good, quality TV and intriguing characters not of the reality-show sense. Maybe out liking a serial killer character has nothing to do with our moral and societal issues outside of the tube.

You pick. Meanwhile, here's Dexter's side of the story:

As a kid, he had psychopathic urges. His adoptive father, Harry, a former Detective for the same police department that Dexter now works for, taught Dexter to channel his urges for the greater good. Hence, murder only people who deserved to be murdered, like killers who got away with a crime they shouldn't have. And so Dexter lives by "The Code of Harry," in which each victim must be proven guilty by him before they're murdered by his own hands.

All the while Harry appears as a ghost/conscience for Dexter to always abide by.

It's an interesting concept. And it's the beauty in that concept that makes the show what it is.

We, as the viewer, see him as doing good, killing off the bad guys. It's a superhero mentality without flaunting. No bright red rights and a mask. And despite underlying suspicion from some, Dexter gets away with murder easily, having been taught to be very meticulous and very careful.

Of course, it doesn't hurt being a blood-splatter tech for the same police department that checks out your own murder scenes either.

Bu the show isn't all about Dexter. Michael C. Hall is brilliant as Dexter. Heck, he's brilliant in everything in which he performs, including "Six Feet Under," and "Cabaret" on Broadway. Hall is probably the most versatile, underrated actor out there right now.

But it's the side players that also make for a great show. Jennifer Carpenter (Hall's real-life wife) plays Deb Morgan, Dexter's sister and detective following in the footsteps of her father at Miami Metro. She is his other half. Granted it's a loud, foul-mouth, hot-headed other half, but she's great at what she does, despite always feeling vulnerable and under appreciated. And no matter what, she's always there for Dexter.

Julie Benz, plays Rita, Dexter's girlfriend, who brings a calming nature to Dexter's life along with her two kids from a previous marriage, Astor and Cody. They also have a newborn baby Harrison to contend with. Rita and the three kids are what keep his life somewhat stable and allow him to be viewed as somewhat normal.

The fellow detectives and lieutenants at Miami Metro make up the rest of the killer (no pun intended) ensemble cast. Lauren Velez as Lt. Maria LaGuerta; David Zayas as Sgt. Angel Batista; Desmond Harrington as Detective Joey Quinn; and C.S. Lee as Vince Masuka - a fellow lab tech.

Overall it's a well-put-together cast and show that deserves everyone's attention.

*

On Tuesday, Season 4 was released on DVD, which is also motivation to start watching the series now. Season 4 was the best yet, starring the brilliant John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer. Lithgow gives a powerful performance that will get you thinking who your neighbors and friends really are

If you're on of the many who choose Netflix over subscribing to cable TV, Netflix is currently streaming Seasons 1 and 2 right now on the instant viewing feature.

So go, now. Get addicted.