Dexter: Season 1 (2006)

SEASON:

Season 1
Dexter

Critics Consensus

Its dark but novel premise may be too grotesque for some, but Dexter is a compelling, elegantly crafted horror-drama.

82%

TOMATOMETER

Critic Ratings: 34

96%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 1137

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Episodes

1. Dexter
Air date: Oct 1, 2006

A Miami forensics whiz moonlights as a vigilante dispatching murderers who've escaped justice. In the opener, he searches for a very neat monster who's chopping up hookers and leaving no prints---and no blood.

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2. Crocodile
Air date: Oct 8, 2006

A serial murderer dubbed The Ice Truck Killer leaves clues for Dexter---in Dexter's house; the unit investigates the death of an undercover cop; Deb's excellent police work gets her a transfer to homicide; Dexter sets his sights on avenging the hit-and-run death of a teen whose killer walked.

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3. The Popping Cherry
Air date: Oct 15, 2006

The Ice Truck Killer strikes again and new homicide officer Debra is assigned the case, but she gets reprimanded for violating the chain of command; flashbacks offer insight into Dexter's homicidal tendencies and take him back to his first time taking out the garbage; Doakes gets on the bad side of a drug kingpin.

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4. Let's Give the Boy a Hand
Air date: Oct 22, 2006

The Ice Truck Killer leaves severed body parts from his victims at locations that are linked to memories from Dexter's troubled childhood, which begins to get into Dexter's head.

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5. Love American Style
Air date: Oct 29, 2006

The homicide division is handed an unbelievable lead when the Ice Truck Killer's latest victim is found alive but mutilated; Dexter is on the trail of a person who traffics in humans.

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6. Return to Sender
Air date: Nov 5, 2006

The Ice Truck Killer leaves Dexter a clue at the scene where Dexter has dispatched his latest victim.

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7. Circle of Friends
Air date: Nov 12, 2006

The squad identifies the Ice Truck Killer; Rita's ex-husband, an abusive addict, is paroled.

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8. Shrink Wrap
Air date: Nov 19, 2006

Dexter appears to be connected to a psychiatrist suspected of murdering a suicidal patient.

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9. Father Knows Best
Air date: Nov 26, 2006

Dexter learns that his biological father, thought to be dead for 30 years, has just passed away, and that Dexter has been named executor; Doakes has a brush with Internal Affairs when there's a question about his shooting of an armed Haitian immigrant. Elsewhere, Rita's ex pays her an unannounced drunken visit.

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10. Seeing Red
Air date: Dec 3, 2006

The Ice Truck Killer leaves behind a horrific crime scene that conjures up a terrible suppressed memory from Dexter's past; Rita's ex sues for custody of their children.

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Dexter: Season 1 Photos

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Tv Season Info

The first series of this drama follows Dexter (Michael C. Hall), a Miami forensic expert who moonlights as a vigilante, as he searches for a murderer known as the Ice Truck Killer. Along the way, Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) is reprimanded for violating the chain of command, Doakes (Erik King) has a brush with Internal Affairs, and a dismembered body is left at a Christmas display. Lauren Velez, David Zayas and Julie Benz also star in series 1.

Critic Reviews for Dexter Season 1

All Critics (34) | Top Critics (18)

Dexter, as superbly played by Hall, is such a compelling character that attempts to beef up the supporting cast with their own subplots just felt like a distraction.

Jan 8, 2019 | Full Review…
Alan Sepinwall
Top Critic

Every element expertly draws you into its protagonist's sordid world. The narration, a carryover from the novels, is indispensable and haunting.

Jan 8, 2019 | Full Review…
David Bianculli
Top Critic

There are reasons not to like Dexter, but thanks to Hall's winning portrayal and the cool, creep-out idea, it's almost impossible not to.

Oct 1, 2006 | Full Review…
Bill Goodykoontz
Top Critic

This fiendishly excellent new Showtime series turns blood spatter into a pop art form.

Oct 1, 2006 | Full Review…
Matthew Gilbert
Top Critic

Dexter isn't just clever and original, it's also incredibly funny, which is quite an achievement given its gruesome subject matter.

Apr 3, 2020 | Full Review…
Hannah Pool
Top Critic

Everything is so heavily stylised, the emphasis is on irony rather than realism... Well it made me laugh.

Jan 8, 2019 | Full Review…
Jim Shelley
Top Critic

This is smart TV for a very select group of people, and though it's not nearly as refined as Showtime's other big gun ("Weeds"), it does have the potential to become the blossoming network's flagship program.

Apr 3, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…
Jason Zingale

Unlike many series, Dexter began pretty much fully-formed, with a clear sense of what a season feels like and of how it would approach characterization (cartoonish) and narrative (TENSE).

Jan 8, 2019 | Full Review…
Matt Paproth

Hooked in its audience perfectly with some clever writing and excellent plot twists.

Jan 8, 2019 | Full Review…
Liam Hoofe

Remains a wonderful gift, containing all the initial elements of Dexter that hooked us while also, strangely, still remaining wonderfully sealed off.

Jan 8, 2019 | Full Review…
Matt Fowler

The interminable voiceover shoehorns in plenty of tiresome exposition in language as awkward as the novel's.

Jan 8, 2019 | Full Review…
Sarah Dobbs

Serial killers are a familiar subject in fiction, but Dexter Morgan already has a spot right at the top of the most memorable.

Jan 8, 2019 | Rating: 9/10 | Full Review…
Eric Goldman
View All Critic Reviews (34)

Audience Reviews for Dexter: Season 1

  • Sep 15, 2020
    Off to a great start so far with season 1. Michael S. Scott does a great job as Dexter, this guy who comes off as a sociopath, but is really conflicted inside. And, the Ice Truck killer was a great villain, as he toyed with Dexter only to reveal it was his brother all along. Really enjoying this show so far.
    Caleb R
  • Aug 25, 2020
    Great arc, great script, and Dexter himself is highly entertaining and relatable. There is OCCASIONALLY a little bit too much silly, soap-opera stuff for my liking (this always makes me lose interest in a drama), but no where near the levels other dramas have, and I enjoy how Dexter usually reigns it in with his apathy towards it. This is not your average, cringe-ridden Grey's Anatomy type of drama. I actually cried in one episode and there is always something that makes me laugh, or at least smirk. All hail the Dark Defender!
    Julia W
  • Jun 10, 2020
    Not as good as the show will become but still very good and a great start to the rest of the series
    Chris L
  • Jun 01, 2020
    A new classic on the TV series scene
    Tony D
  • May 17, 2020
    The one villain-hero we love to root for
    Tony D
  • Apr 24, 2020
    Dexter can be known as the definition of Anti-Hero with me he is charming and has many interesting friends and all of them you do not want to see die AMAZING PLOT TWIST!
    Pop culture C
  • Apr 20, 2020
    Dexter has successfully introduced a new satire-esque/slasher-esque genre to the wonderful world of cinema.
    Nicolas S
  • Mar 27, 2020
    The TV series for excellence, unbeatable, simply the one that comes closest to perfection. Plot development, sublime script, brings the viewer closer to appreciating or despising certain characters.
    Matteo P
  • Feb 23, 2020
    Season one of Dexter I believe is one of the top seasons! I love this show and it's in my all time top 5. It has a perfect mix of mystery, suspense, dark humor and drama. Solid plot that you won't find in any other TV show and the acting is top notch. Gotta love Debra and her amazing foul mouth. Not a fan of how the show progresses towards the end but season 1 is perfection and has probably the most unexpected twist of the entire series. Highly recommend!!!
    Jonathan E
  • Jan 18, 2020
    Dexter, a relatable serial killer, who at times had my support via cheers in the background. The killing and back story plots are clever and witty. I even like the supporting actors and their sub-stories. Dexter is a really good show and I'm addicted. There's never a dull moment. His sister is super annoying, but somehow I love the character.
    Michelle C
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