The Twisted Serial Killer Series You Have To Binge Before It Leaves Netflix
Fans of the hit drama Dexter received very exciting news earlier this year: The series, which ended its eight-season run back in 2013, will be revived as a limited series on Showtime.
As fans of the show will remember — spoilers ahead! — when fans last left Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) in the series finale, the serial killer who murders other serial killers left his old life behind, cheating death and picking up a new life in the Pacific Northwest. It was a controversial finale for many fans, who didn't like how it didn't provide as much closure as they wanted out of the series. Now, the show has a chance to wrap up all the missing pieces in a bow and give Dexter the send-off fans want him to have.
However, whether you've never seen the series before, or just want to recap it before season 9 airs, you better do it quickly. While the show's first eight seasons are currently available on Netflix, that's set to change very soon. The series will be taken off the streaming service on December 30, 2020, so watch it now while you still have the chance.
What's Dexter about?
Dexter Morgan's backstory involves him suffering through the murder of his mother when he was only three years old. He was then adopted by a Miami police officer by the name of Harry Morgan (James Remar). His adoptive father soon recognized that his trauma was leading to sociopathic tendencies, and Harry manipulated Dexter to pursue a lie of vigilantism, killing the worst of the worst criminals who aren't properly punished by the criminal justice system.
Years later, Dexter works for the Miami Metro Police Department as a forensic technician. This gives him access to the tools and information he needs to moonlight as a serial killer when no one's watching. He goes to great lengths to hide all the evidence that comes from having a "kill room," such as disposing of the bodies within the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf Stream.
While Dexter is initially presented as being uncaring, with zero emotions, he soon finds himself feeling remorse for what he's done, and the crimes he's committed gradually catch up with him. The main Dexter cast also includes Jennifer Carpenter as Debra Morgan, Lauren Vélez as María LaGuerta, Julie Benz as Rita Bennett, and David Zayas as Angel Batista.
Should you binge-watch Dexter?
With 96 episodes across eight seasons, binge-watching Dexter on Netflix before it leaves the service on December 30 is a daunting task.
However, if you are looking for a compelling horror-drama, then this is a great series to watch. Looking at the show's Rotten Tomatoes scores across seasons, you can see that the drop in quality starts around season 6, so if you're crammed for time, then you can at least try to get through the first few seasons to get the gist of what the show's about.
When Dexter first aired in 2006, it was one of the shows that helped usher in the new "Golden Age of Television," alongside the likes of similar well-crafted dramas like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad. It's an important and generally well-regarded show, but don't just take our word for it. In her review for the first season, Hannah Pool of The Guardian wrote, "Dexter isn't just clever and original, it's also incredibly funny, which is quite an achievement given its gruesome subject matter."
Take a break from watching Christmas movies on Netflix to watch something with a much darker tone. That way you'll be all caught up, when Dexter season 9 premieres on Showtime at some point in 2021.