Search - Dexter: The Third Season [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

Jimmy Smits saves an otherwise lethargic outing of Dexter

Darius Williamson | 08/31/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"For two seasons, serial killer protagonist Dexter outwitted and outmaneuvered his way through any obstacle, preventing him from quenching his ingrained bloodlust. Numerous flashbacks told the story of how Dexter's cravings came alive, as well as his unique brand of vigilantism: capturing and slaying other murderers. Predictably, having such a dangerous double life forces Dexter to lie about his entire life, despite his difficulties in masking his lack of emotions and oddball behavior towards loved ones (which includes sister Deb and girlfriend Rita).

Season one nicely established that foundation, and season two expanded the concept to lofty highs. The possibilities for season three seemed endless, and I couldn't wait to see where Dexter would go next. Instead, it shows that Dexter's novel premise might be just that: a novelty.

Season three's premise follows yet another chain of events that spurred from Dexter's late night executions. This time, it involves the death of a district attorney's younger brother, who Dexter stabbed by accident. The morning after, Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits), the aforementioned DA, heads over to Miami PD to be more deeply involved in the investigation, and winds up befriending Dexter because of their likeminded interests.

Admittedly, the initial plot promises the same thrills Dexter is known for, and even introduces another prolific serial killer called the Skinner some episodes later. Alas, what follows feels all too pedestrian, and it reduces Dexter into the lesser realms of procedural crime dramas.

Much of that can be attributed to Dexter's more normalized problems. Without spoiling a small surprise by the first episode's end, it forces Dexter to re-evaluate his relationship with Rita. Problem is, compared to Dexter's previous stressors with the Ice Truck Killer and Bay Harbor Butcher cases, his recent problems aren't nearly as compelling.

Another issue is the lack of continuity between seasons two and three. Besides a brief callout of the Bay Harbor Butcher case, there isn't much of a connecting thread bridging the previous episodes. The new characters in Miami PD, while okay, don't inject much new spark in the already established cast. Doakes's obvious exclusion also leaves a void. His antagonistic attitude towards Dexter always crackled tension, and in season two, their combative chemistry really soared into something special. Deb, a one-note character who blossomed in season two, gets stuck romantically with an assigned PI. I know Deb's lack of fatherly attention makes her insecure when she has no boyfriend, but surely, after surviving the Ice Truck Killer, she should stand more on her own. Batista and Masuka also get sent down several sideplots of personal affirmation and potential love interests, which all feel more contrived than convincing.

Even the Skinner case never elevates past a sideshow distraction. While the killer sounds terrifying from witnesses, the writers never properly develop his character, so he's as unmemorable as the case itself.

What does work is Dexter's relationship with Miguel, and it's the only thing levitating season three past mediocrity. Although some fans accuse Miguel of being Lila 2.0, that only serves to undermine the former character, and his intriguing connection to Dexter. Yet even with Smits and Hall playing off their respective characters wonderfully and their relationship spurring the moral complexity Dexter is known for, their situation feels startlingly predetermined since episode two. Only twice did the writers throw genuine surprises, but swift, under whelming resolutions stifle them. When the season finishes, it leaves you yearning for more.

So what went wrong? It's hard to fault the core writing. The dialogue is as sharp as ever, and the dark humor that keeps Dexter from feeling overly grim is still intact. However, the writers' tendency to neatly wrap up every single plot thread by the end of each season is beginning to hinder the show. Each season also follows a pattern of attachment Dexter has towards a key character, and while the characters' personalities' are varied, their journeys don't deviate enough. While it's understandable to resist completely serialized storytelling in this era of TV shows facing instant cancellation, it prevents Dexter from growing and nurturing. Season two did this well, but season three does not do it enough.

What season two also did wonderfully is keep viewers on their toes. The Bay Harbor Butcher case took Dexter into a wild direction, and even though the twists were random, they were always logical and exciting. Even Dexter wasn't the same confident killer as before. He was ambivalent and struggled to stay a step ahead of the FBI, who tried to oust him. Seeing Dexter in constant weakness and losing control made for fascinating TV, but now, he resolves most of his problems with the intimacy of compiling an Excel spreadsheet. Befriending Miguel did not challenge Dexter like I hoped, and that hurt the season's unpredictability factor.

Without fresh ideas keeping the show alive, future seasons of Dexter won't sustain the show beyond gimmicks that go nowhere. Fortunately, there are enough lingering plot threads that could open up new avenues of creativity, and get past the languid spell that bogged down season three. Otherwise, Dexter might end in a whimper, and that's the worst that could happen to a once promising series.

Lastly, for those of you who already watched season three, unless you really want to re-watch it, I wouldn't buy the DVD set. Based off my experience with the previous Dexter sets and advanced reviews of this one, the extras are barebones at best, and you can search for the Dexter interviews on the internet anyway. The only justification for the skimp extras is the smaller price, compared to other TV shows on DVD. This will please those who don't care about additional content, but if you do, don't waste your money."