Paramount Home Entertainment
Release date: August 19th, 2008

MSRP: $42.99
Four-disc set with 12 episodes
Stars: Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, James Remar, Keith Carradine, Jaime Murray
Michael C Hall returns as everyone’s favorite serial killer. Well, I suppose
some of you sickos might prefer Hannibal, but Dexter is, in my opinion, the
man.

In season two, Dexter’s dumping grounds are discovered, which leads the local press and police dubbing him the “Bay Harbor Butcher.” As a result of this, the FBI sends a profiler to work the case.
Enter Keith Carradine as FBI special agent Lundy. Carradine takes this character and really gives it depth with a nuanced performance that is worthy of an Emmy nomination.

Dexter has Sgt. Doakes following him around all the time. Out of an entire building full of cops, Doakes is the only one that senses something is odd about Dexter. He is determined to find out what Dexter is hiding. This prevents Dex from letting the dark passenger out to play.Dexter also has issues on the domestic front; because of his impulsive behavior in lashing out against her ex-husband, Rita becomes suspicious, and ends up thinking Dexter is a drug addict. As a result of which, she forces him to seek treatment.
While attending meetings, he meets Lila, a rather unusual woman who, while not knowing exactly what Dexter is, senses the darkness within him. She agrees to be his sponsor.

The discussion of drug addiction serves as an excellent metaphor for Dexter’s darker side. One particular scene where Dexter and Lila talk about the hole inside that needs to be filled is especially strong.
Initially Lila seems good for Dexter, but she ends up fueling his “dark passenger”, putting everything he has worked to protect at risk.
I won’t go any further because some things should be a surprise, but the producers do an excellent job building various storylines over the course of the season to some rather explosive crescendos.
Now we come to the negative part of this review: Where in the hell are the extras? Paramount often fails to give extra features. These have become the norm in the home entertainment field and thus, most of their releases feel incomplete. While not have an interview with author Jeff Lindsay? I would be curious to hear what he thinks about the series and the actors that have brought his characters to life.Dexter is a very unusual show, why not have some segments looking at its unlikely success? I want to hear what Hall thinks about playing a serial killer.
I have always thought the opening was wonderfully original. Why not give us a segment talking about how it was thought up?
Solid storylines, excellent characters, and good dialogue…once again, Dexter delivers the goods.
While I don’t know that season two reaches the level of excellence of season one, it holds up quite nicely.
Fans of Dexter will not feel short changed in anyway shape or form.
For more reviews from myself, and the rest of the Crimespree crew, check out the index of reviews.