This is review of seasons 1-4 Dexter is a show I was putting off for so long & I’m so happy I finally got around to watching it. I’m so thankful to batty for making me watch this. The first 4 seasons of dexter are honestly one of the most consistent television ever created. The first season is one of the best first seasons ever created and the fourth season is easily one of the greatest tv seasons of all time! Dexter is not only probably the most entertaining show ever but also a show with deep complex layers. Dexter is easily one of the best tv protagonists of all time, a serial killer who lives by a code. And michael c. hall as dexter is just perfect casting. Why dexter is one of the best protags is because of the layers his character has, his inner monologues, keeping the devil at bay & only towards those who deserve it. Living by a code taught to him by his father. How he has to stick to his father’s code even after he learns things about him, that he wasn’t the perfect father, the perfect guardian, the perfect police officer he thought he was. Before there was elliot & mr. robot, kevin & patti, there was dexter & harry. How living a double life gradually takes a toll on dexter, season 4 does the best job of this. How his relationship with rita & the kids makes him a much more humane character, with rita & the kids being his safe space, somewhere he feels genuinely happy. And on top of all that, s4 has probably my top 1 antagonist in john lithgow as arthur mitchell. Seriously might be one of the best tv performances ever. He brought one of the most complex & fucked up villian to the screen. The paralles with dexter & arthur’s lives were done with perfection. The also show finds an incredible contrast to it being a show about a serial killer with it’s incredible setting of miami. And it blends dark humour with it’s dark & gruesome tone in the most perfect way possible. More than being a crime show this show is a psychological study of dexter’s character, his ways, his thinking & how his loved ones, the people he kills affect him as a person. Him thinking of himself as a monster who can’t feel anything yet at the same time he loves his family without even knowing it. This show also has the best monologues imo. The dialogue in dexter’s monologues are written with such care, attention to detail and with focus on thier relation to the situation and dexter’s character. The budget & production of this show is fairly low compared to hbo or fx shows but it doesn’t matter. It has top 5 of the best music in tv show history. It also has one of the most creative intros ever and how the morning routine mirrors dexter’s killing method. It’s a show that will always keep you entertained, interested and on the edge of your seat. Top 10 episodes- 1. The Getaway- 4x12 2. Born Free- 1x12 3. Dex Takes a Holiday- 4x4 4. Hello, Dexter Morgan- 4x11 5. Hungry Man- 4x9 6. Resistance is Futile- 2x9 7. Easy as Pie- 3x7 8. Dirty Harry- 4x5 9. Lost Boys- 4x10 10. Truth Be Told- 1x11 Top 3 characters- 1. Dexter Morgan 2. Arthur Mitchell 3. Harry Morgan Top 3 performances- 1. John Lithgow as Arthur 2. Michael C. Hall as Dexter 3. Margo Martindale as Camila