There are only so many hours in a day. That along with the fact that I do not subscribe to Showtime are two of the reasons I did not catch the first season of Dexter during its initial run. In addition, the subject matter of the series didn’t sound very appealing so I even missed its debut on CBS.  However, I just returned from a trip to Paris where adverts for Dexter appeared in every Paris Metro or RER station. In fact, there were so many adverts for Dexter that I half expected to see a poster for Dexter hanging in the Louvre. Therefore, I thought why not give this release a spin when I got back. I am glad I did.

Show 

There is no question that the subject matter of this series is a bit bizarre. Dexter is abased on the Jeff Lindsay novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter. The series stars Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, the top forensic blood spatter expert in the Miami PD who also happens to be a serial killer. However, rather than kill indiscriminately as most if not all serial killers do, Dexter only kills those he believes deserve death, like the habitual drunk driver who kills and maims repeatedly or the psychologist who drives patients to commit suicide. Using his position inside the police department he is able to track down the bad guys that either escape prosecution or jail time, investigates them thoroughly and acts as the final arbiter of justice. He also disposes of his victims in a rather gruesome way. What really makes this series so compelling is how well it is written. The Dexter character and what drives him is slowly revealed over the course of the series. In addition, the series just isn’t about Dexter. The series is filled with many other characters in his life, his sister, his girlfriend and fellow police officers whose lives are featured in many different subplots which really add to the flow of the narrative. Dexter is probably the most original TV series I have ever seen. It features a deep and compelling story and was a real joy to experience on Blu-Ray. Yes, I did watch all 12 episodes featured on this three disc set and enjoyed every one of them. I think you will too. Recommended as a buy. Even if you are not in the market to buy this release, I would strongly suggest that you give it a rental. It is that good.

Video 

Dexter is encoded with AVC and is presented in 1080p in its original aspect ratio of 1:78:1. Quite simply, this is great looking encode with an extremely natural color palette. I am not sure if I have even seen more accurate skin tones than I do on this release. Primary and secondary colors are bright and well saturated and look fantastic. Black level is deep and stable generating an image of excellent depth and three dimensionality. Detail is excellent as well with skin blemishes and skin pores clearly visible. The tight shots are particularly impressive and are fully worthy of a 5 star rating. The only complaint I have with this release is that the distance shots are a bit soft and lack the uber detail and clarity of the best looking releases I have seen on Blu-Ray. Don’t get me wrong, the entire series looks great, it is just that the distance shots are not quite as impressive as the tight shots, although impressive enough in their own right to be worthy of a solid 4.5 star rating. This is without a doubt the best looking TV series release I have seen on Blu-Ray.

Audio 

While I was thrilled with the video on this release, I was bowled over by the quality of the audio which is spectacular. Dexter features a lossless audio track encoded with Dolby True HD. While I have heard more immersive sound designs, I have heard few releases which have the level of audio fidelity this release has. The special quality of the audio is apparent from the moment when you hear Dexter speak. The dialogue track features a smooth and rich sound that is very lifelike, sounding as though Michael C. Hall is in the room speaking to you rather than though a speaker. Audiophiles will love the sound on this release. The remainder of the sound field features the same excellent audio reproduction with a smooth and open sound, excellent transparency and imaging with pin point placement of the sound effects. When someone knocks on a door to the far right of the sound field, it sounds as though it is coming from outside your room. I was kind of shocked to be honest to experience this level of audio quality and sound design on a TV series. Dynamics are excellent with full, deep and tight bass. When the rear speakers kick in, they kick in with a gusto, filling your entire room with incredibly lifelike sound.  I can say without question that fans of this series will be thrilled with the audio on the release. It is really that good.

Special Features 

To my surprise, there are few extras actually included in this release. The extras are limited to an audio commentary on disc 2 featuring Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, Lauren Velez and Erik King and an audio commentary on disc 3 featuring producers Sara Colleton, Clyde Phillips and Daniel Cerone. That’s it. The release is BD-Live enabled which enables you to access several features via the web including The Academy of Blood- A KIller Course, Witnessed in Blood-A True Murder Investigation, a Michael C. Hall Podcast, the first episode of season 3 and the first two episodes of UNITED STATES OF TARA. While I have a 2.0 profile player (The Panasonic BD-55), it is not yet hooked up to the web as it requires me to drill through several masonry walls in my house and run a very long cable to hook up the player. Hence, I was not able to access the BD live material… therefore, my extras rating is based on only the special features on the disc itself.

Final Thoughts 

In short, Dexter, The Complete First Season is an excellent release featuring a compelling story and first rate video and audio. It is well worth a purchase. At the very least, please do your self a favor and check this release out on the basis of a rental. I am sure you will be glad you did. I sure was.