From the Vaults: Dexter The Third Season Blu Ray Review

Blood Splatter Analyst Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) works on the force in Miami, Florida. As he goes about his duties, Dexter is constantly acting and working to convey to the world that his is a normal guy with a normal life. Dexter Morgan is anything but normal however. As he struggles to feign emotions that most people experience on a daily basis, Dexter also fights back a dark urge to kill. Trained by his adopted father to control his urges, Dexter lives by a complex code that restricts his murders to those who have done wrong and beaten the law. Given his access at the station, Dexter never has a shortage of victims and given his meticulous nature, he has been able to avoid detection by the rest of the world, at least until he meets Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits.) Prada is a powerful District Attorney who prides himself to bringing criminals to justice. Prada takes an interest in Dexter which develops into a friendship that Dexter never thought could happen. If that isn’t enough, Dexter’s relationship with Rita (Julie Benz) heats up considerably, having Dexter questioning his future and redefining their relationship.

I know I am being vague; however, I do not really want to give much of the show away and given that this is the third season, most people know the background of the series by now. I really found myself suprised at the amount of detail the episode recaps give away on the inside sleeve of the Blu Ray case, so you might want to skip reading the inside dust jacket if you want to know nothing that is going to happen, as the plot synopsis do contain some spoilers for the season.

With the departure of Doakes (Erik King) last season, Dexter needed a new person to keep him on his toes and Miguel Prada fits the bill perfectly. A lot of the success of this character can be directly attributed to the fantastic performance by Jummy Smits. Smits captures the impetuous DA perfectly in one of the best performances of his long career. Also with Angel Batista getting a bump up to Sergeant, David Zayas also gets a chance to shine as Sergeant Batista, easily the most likeable cop on the force, becomes more of a major character in the series, and viewers get a much closer look at how he ticks, from both the good and bad perspective.

The Video for Dexter The Third Season is delivered in full 1080p resolution. The colors as usual tend to run bright pastel, matching the feel of Miami. Flesh tones are a bit flushed, impressing the general heat and humidity that Miami experiences upon the viewer. This transfer renders colors crisply and with no grain as contrast is an important element of the show. One needs only to watch the opening sequence of the show to see detail carried out to the extreme as it is an exercise in contrast and texture. This is a solid transfer that looks great.

Dexter The Third Season comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track. The audio is a real compliment to the show, with Michael C. Hall’s hauntingly pitched narration emanating from the speakers that makes you feel as if he is standing beside you whispering in your ear. Miami Nightlife scenes are enhanced as authentic Cuban music and crowd atmosphere flows through all channels quite convincingly. Dialogue is always prioritized perfectly and the haunting score hangs around you as you watch the show perfectly setting the mood.

The only negative this time around is a lack of any tangible special features on this collection. Disc 3 is Blu ray enabled, however the special material cannot be accessed until the site is live after the set is released. I do know that the slated extras include interviews with Michael C Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas and Julie Benz, as well as the usual pilot episodes of other Showtime Series such as United States of Tara and The Todors. Finally, an exerpt from the book Dexter By Design is included in the online content.

Although season two is my favorite season of Dexter so far, Dexter Season 3 is just as well written and suspenseful. Still boasting great acting and powerful scripts, Dexter is, in my opinion, still the best show on television. If you have never seen Dexter, go out and buy season 1 and start working your way up to Season Three. For fans of the show, go out and pick up Dexter Season Three. One word of warning: Do not pop a disc into the Blu Ray player late at night with plans to just catch an episode before bed…you will find yourself still glued to the television at 6 in the morning, running late to work and telling yourself you have time to go ahead and finish the season. The show is that addictive.

Highly Recommended

Special Features:

BD Live Enabled

Dexter: The Third Season is available on Blu Ray and DVD now, 2009, courtesy of CBS Blu Ray and Showtime Entertainment.