I had previously reviewed Dexter – The First Season on Blu-ray in January and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was anxiously awaiting receipt of the second season of the series to see if they could match the originality and drama of the first season. So, when the set arrived this week from the folks at CBS, I couldn’t wait to pop in the discs and give them a spin. Is the second season of Dexter as good as the first, you bet it is. Even better.

Series 

As I noted in my review of the first season of Dexter, the subject matter of this series is a bit bizarre. The show is abased on the Jeff Lindsay novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter and stars Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, the top forensic blood spatter expert in the Miami PD. Not only is Dexter a blood spatter expert, he 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. The second season picks up weeks after the end of the first season, after the death of The Ice Truck Killer who happened to be Dexter’s brother. Unfortunately for Dexter, a team of divers happens to discover where he dumped the bodies at sea. He was instantly dubbed as the Bay Harbor Butcher by the press and the FBI was called in to lead a team to track down him down along with his comrades at the Miami PD. Dexter is put into a precarious position as the team begins to piece together the identities of the victims and why they were killed by the Bay Harbor Butcher. The public, when informed of the identities of the victims and the reason for their demise, began to consider the Bay Harbor Butcher to be something of hero, as he was able to protect the public in a way the police were not. While the circle around Dexter was being closed around him by the police, his own personal life was becoming more complicated and spiraling out of control, as his relationship with his girlfriend, Rita, becomes strained as a result of his new relationship with a quirky and mysterious woman with a deep and dark side of her own, Lila (played by the stunning British actress Jaime Murray), who seems to understand the darker side of Dexter’s inner self.

Much to my surprise, the writing that made season one so special is improved upon in season two. The addition of the character Lila, who initially helps Dexter explore his inner demons before she discovers his real secret, really adds to the dramatic tension of the series. In addition to Jaime Murray as Lila, additions to the season two cast include David Carradine as FBI agent and task force leader Lundy and JoBeth Williams as Rita’ mother Gail. Season 2 is filled with many dramatic twists and turns and really pulls you into the narrative. Improving on season one was a tall order, but the people behind Dexter were able to pull it off in season two. Recommended as a solid 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 

As was the case with the Blu-ray release of the First Season, Dexter – The Second Season is encoded with AVC and is presented in 1080p in its original aspect ratio of 1:78:1. Fortunately, season two looks every bit as good as season one which I scored a 4.5 out of 5 also. Quite simply, this is great looking encode with an extremely natural color palette with spot one skin tones. 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. However, as was the case with season one, the only complaint I have with the video is the distance shots, which 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, in a 5.1 channel configuration. 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 and every bit as good as the audio on season 1 which also garnered a 5 stars rating. Very well done!

Special Features 

As was the case with the Season One release there are few extras actually included in this release. In fact, the only extra included on the disc is a feature entitled Tools of the Trade where you are asked to identify the various tools that Dexter uses to kill and dismember his victims. That’s it folks. The release is BD-Live enabled which enables you to access several features via the web including a “Blood Fountains” featurette, Dark Defender Series, podcasts, the first two episodes of the Showtime series Nurse Jackie and and the first two episodes of the Showtime series, United States of Tara. Of course, if you do not have a Profile 2.0 player, you will only be able to access the very meager Tools of the Trade feature.

Final Thoughts 

In short, Dexter – The Second Season is an excellent release, and improves on the excellent first season, 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.