A few months ago I signed up with Netflix because they offered streaming via the web and the Nintendo Wii. My DVD queue is currently full of Northern Exposure, and I’m waiting on Disc 1 of Season 3. My Instant queue, however, is full of tons of old tv series like Coach and Quincy as well as Family Guy and American Dad.

Several weeks ago, I was doing a search and stumbled upon Dexter, a Showtime series. Netflix had the first 2 seasons available for streaming and I was curious about it. I’d read last year something about the actor who plays the main character, Michael C. Hall, was suffering from non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (I think), and that he was expected to return for the 3rd season. I already knew that his character was a vigilante serial killer and I was bored and it was available so I added it to my queue and watched it.    

My Netflix Queue

During the whole first season I’d decided that I really couldn’t stand Rita, played by Julie Benz, or Debra, played by Jennifer Carpenter. I really can’t stand wingy whiney characters. I had some trouble following all that was going on in Dexter’s mind, but I made it through the first season and was intrigued enough to move into the second season. As the episodes wore on, Dexter became more rounded out and I found myself actually looking forward to the next criminal he would get rid of. I hate to admit it but, I was hooked by the end of the 2nd season.

A friend got me copies of the 3rd and 4th seasons. Remember now, the whole reason I keep two monitors on my desk is so that I can work on one and have videos playing on the other. That’s one of the reasons why most of the movies I have and most of the tv shows I have queued up I’ve already seen at least once or twice. This way, no matter what video or what show is playing, it’s really only background noise. Yeah no not so much with the 4th season of Dexter. I got so little work done while I was watching those episodes that it’s really kind of pathetic.

Arthur Mitchell (John Lithgow) & Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall)

I know one big reason for that is because John Lithgow was the bad guy. I thoroughly enjoy John Lithgow. I love the way he speaks, the sound of his voice, and just the way he carries himself. Even on 3rd Rock from the Sun, he played Dick Solomon so well that he seemed to believe that he was actually Dick Solomon from whatever planet it was that they were from. No matter how ridiculous the dialog on the show, he was never not believable as Dick Solomon. Yes, I realize that’s the whole point of being an actor, but good golly miss molly – he was genius.

In any event, it was almost anti-climactic when Lithgow’s character was killed mostly because it’s completely expected by now that by the end of the season, the subject of Dexter’s main focus is going to die. Remember I said I couldn’t stand Rita’s character? That I can’t stand wingy whiney characters? I was absolutely, utterly, and completely devastated that Rita was murdered in the season finale. OMG. Nope, couldn’t stand her character not one little bit and yet my heart broke for Dexter.

I’m so looking forward to getting to see the 5th season. It will be sad to see how Dexter adjusts to life as a single father and life without the one who could ground him. Debra Morgan’s character is growing on me, I just wish they would tone down some of her language. A little too crude for my liking for a female character to be using. Although, with the exception of Antoine (I think that was his name – Quinn’s unofficial CI), does anyone else see a resemblance of Debra’s boyfriends to the fate of Maggie’s boyfriends on Northern Exposure?