It may not be your cup of tea, which we can wholeheartedly understand, but Dexter remains one of the most popular television shows of its generation. The idea behind it was viewed as risky and the execution was even riskier, but for the most part, fans still praise certain portions of it to this day.
We say certain portions because we all know that it went slightly off the side of a cliff towards the end, but in the first season, they were still in the honeymoon period and it was as fresh and interesting as anything we'd ever seen before. Here's why!
The Concept
A serial killer that only kills the bad guys but actually investigates the manner in which the bad guys, and guys and girls and general, are killed? It’s a bizarre concept but it’s one that was unique at the time, and it wound up working really, really well.
Dexter’s social issues made it all the more intriguing as he attempted to have what many would describe as a more ‘normal’ life. It was hard for him, especially in the first season, which is a point whereby we were all just trying to figure out what sort of character he really was – but more on that later.
James Doakes
Surprise mother f- well, you know the rest. James Doakes was the one person that seemed to know from the word go that there was something that just wasn’t right about Dexter Morgan. Whether it was his personality or the general way in which he carried himself, Doakes couldn’t shake the feeling that he was a bad egg.
It led to many entertaining confrontations between the two throughout the season, and while Doakes could be slightly infuriating at times, he was the sort of foil that Dexter needed to bring him right back down to earth.
The Potential
Yes, we all know how it ended and how most fans were unbelievably frustrated with how it all went down, but the bottom line is this: the potential of Dexter was clear from the first season and it kept people coming back for more every single time.
We’d actually compare it to Prison Break, which was another series that benefitted greatly from a whole lot of unique buzz in the first season. They were never going to be able to live up to it, but it was nice to believe it was possible for a short while.
Crime Scenes
The casual nature in which the main crew examined and investigated every single crime scene made for fascinating viewing in more ways than one. That’s particularly true for Dexter who, as we all know, often knew a whole lot more than he was letting on to his colleagues.
Blood splatter is one thing but actually seeing parts of someone’s body is an entirely different ball game. You need a strong stomach in order to have a job like this, and it was a really cool (if that’s an appropriate word to use) insight.
Which Side Are We On?
It’s the Walter White debate all over again (and Joe Goldberg, but to a lesser extent). We know this person shouldn’t be doing what they’re doing and it’s obvious to point that out, but we can’t help rooting for them, as bizarre as the whole situation may be.
Dexter Morgan clearly has something deeply wrong with him and yet, every single time he kills someone, we all feel as if it’s a justified form of punishment. Which side were you on: the side of justice or the serial killer that was kind of a sweetheart?
Dexter & Debra
Dexter and Debra Morgan had one of the best sibling relationships we’ve seen on television in a long, long time. Aside from the tragedies that could come in their future interactions throughout the years, one thing we loved is how they started off in the first season.
Deb was always trying to look out for Dexter, but we all knew that one day, somehow, she would be the one to discover his deep, dark secret. That alone was enough to keep us tuned in to see what would happen next.
Monologues
The inner monologue of Dexter was haunting and somewhat poetic at the same time. It sounds freaky to say that out loud, but he was guiding us through this story in a manner that, at points, made a whole lot of sense.
It was a warped form of logic, yes, but it was some kind of logic nonetheless. We aren’t trying to suggest that his monologues make it all better, but we do kind of wish that we had some sort of recordings of them to listen back to. Yes, we might be a little bit off the rails ourselves.
The Ice Truck Killer
The Ice Truck Killer was the first ‘big bad’ for Dexter Morgan to try and conquer as the ‘hero’ of this story if you can really call him that. He eventually got his way and won the war but the cat and mouse game between the two really was something to behold.
They were, in a lot of ways, the same, and it was interesting that they decided to tell a story as intricate as that during the very first season of the show. Thankfully, they did make it work.
Relationship With Rita
Rita was a sweet and innocent soul, and in many ways, she was too good and pure for this show – and for Dexter. In the first season, though, we liked watching Rita and Dexter begin their journey together.
Sure, it wasn’t like their chemistry was naturally apparent from the word go, but it was about more than just their compatibility. Their story was a rollercoaster ride and, given the way it ended, we’d say it’s okay to go back and live in the fantasy land that is their first season romance.
Harry Morgan
The father figure that Dexter once had, and continued to have as the years went on and the seasons went by. In the first season we only really saw Harry Morgan manifest himself in the form of flashbacks, but soon, he became a ghost figure that spoke to Dexter and actually wound up giving him advice from time to time.
We tend to believe this role was played to perfection, but of course, it’s all subjective. Harry was an essential piece of the puzzle as we got to learn more about Dexter’s origins.