The Show
Now in his Fourth Season, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) finds himself married and with a new baby, trying to juggle the demands of his career as a crime scene investigator, his family responsibilities, and his duties as a serial killer. Yes, much as he did in the First Season, Second Season and Third Season, Dex is leading a double life and then some, which leads to all sorts of internal (he's haunted by the memory of his dead father, played by James Remar) and external conflicts, often with darkly comic results.
His wife (Julie Benz) loves him dearly, as does his foul-mouthed sister (Jennifer Carpenter), a police detective who has no clue about her big brother's shenanigans. Or does she...? His victims are strictly bad, bad guys, and he only kills when he's sure they deserve it, a personal code which imparts a very bizarre morality to it all.
This time around he's drawn into the world of another murderer (John Lithgow) who has been following a "trinity" pattern for decades, across the entire United States. Figuring out what to do next, and then following through on that plan is no simple matter, and it all leads to a shocking, very bloody conclusion for the season.
The Picture
The 1.78:1 image benefits from a relatively high bitrate, topping out at around 30 megabits per second, but there's a frequent video harshness to the image, including a streaking that is especially evident in slow-motion scenes. Dexter also exhibits noise and flicker in the shadows, and some ringing in bright transitions, but the picture quality varies quite a bit from scene to scene, even from shot to shot, with some static close-ups looking rather sharp. Overall I'd call it above average for TV on Blu-ray.
The Sound
The quality of the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack (I haven't been hearing nearly as many of these lately) is strong, if not always as aggressive as we might like. There's the occasional siren, or a helicopter passing by, and a nice play of incidental noise behind us, such as doors opening/closing. I also noted sparse but credible environmental sounds in an office, or at a crime scene, and music is mixed big and full, but surefire action beats like a car crash are utterly unimpressive here, so don't expect too much.
The Extras
There are two bonus features in this set, both of which make outstanding use of Blu-ray's internet connectivity. All twelve episodes offer movieIQ, delivering live, up-to-the-minute trivia about behind-the-scenes aspects of the show. All three discs also support BD-Live, with a host of title-specific bonuses plus free streaming of other selected Showtime series.
Final Thoughts
At times difficult to watch for its harsh subject matter, Dexter is nonetheless always engrossing, with complex storylines that continue to unfold four years in, and more on the way. (Season Five premieres on Showtime next month.) The technical quality of this set isn't exactly stellar, but this might be the first time I've seen the cutting-edge movieIQ feature applied to a TV series, and I hope it isn't the last.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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