Dexter: Season 4 Episode 1

Michael C Hall returns as the eponymous Dexter for the fourth season of this forensics expert cum serial killer show. The opening episode finds Dexter - the Robin Hood of murderers - contending with the banality of fatherhood and life as a dutiful husband whilst yearning after his next kill. When sleep deprivation causes a lapse of judgment whilst providing expert testimony resulting in the acquittal of a brutal murderer, Dexter determines to rectify his error by identifying the defendant as his next victim.

Meanwhile, Dexter’s sister Deb continues her attempts to uncover her father’s shady past, a new character is introduced (3rd Rock From The Sun's John Lithgow at his loopy best) who proves himself to be Dexter’s equal, and a familiar face causes waves through the department, whilst an unlikely office romance is revealed.

As the show enters its fourth year it has inevitably lost a large amount of its shock value - its calling card throughout the early episodes - resulting in something that is a little cartoonish and at heart a by-the-numbers police procedural. Which isn’t to say it isn’t without its pleasures: the black humour of Dexter’s voice-over is still razor sharp and there are some nicely written scenes of absurdist comedy, the best of which involves Dexter receiving a call from his wife at an inopportune moment. Moreover Hall’s central performance as the oddly charming anti-hero is pitch perfect. Solid, without ever being spectacular.



Airs at 10pm on Friday 20th August 2010 on FX.

> Buy the Season 4 boxset on Amazon.

Reviewed by Sam Monk.