Dexter (Dexter episode)
A blood spatter analyst hunts killers who escaped justice.
"Dexter" is the pilot episode of the American television series Dexter, first aired on Showtime on October 1, 2006. It introduces Dexter Morgan, a Miami Metro blood spatter analyst who leads a double life as a serial killer targeting criminals who escaped justice. The episode was written by series creator James Manos Jr. and directed by Michael Cuesta, based on the opening of Jeff Lindsay's novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Dexter
- Director
- Michael Cuesta
- Writer
- James Manos Jr.
- Air date
- 1 October 2006
- Guests
- C. S. Lee as Vince Masuka
- Margo Martindale as Camilla Figg
- Dominic Janes as Young Dexter Morgan
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Dexter Morgan abducts Mike Donovan, a pastor who has murdered young boys, and takes him to a cabin in the Everglades. After sedating Donovan, Dexter straps him to a table, collects a blood sample, and kills him. Dexter later stores a slide of Donovan's blood in a case with other samples, explaining that he kills only those who "deserve it" according to a moral code taught by his foster father Harry, a police detective who discovered Dexter killing neighborhood pets as a child. Dexter's foster sister Debra, a vice officer, asks him to help investigate a serial killer targeting prostitutes. At a crime scene, Dexter finds no blood on the dismembered corpse. At the station, he discusses another case with detective James Doakes, who dislikes him. Dexter stalks Jamie Jaworski, a murderer freed on a faulty warrant, and confirms his guilt. On a date with his girlfriend Rita Bennett, a domestic abuse survivor with two children, Dexter discovers another bloodless corpse, this time missing its head. He theorizes the killer uses extreme cold and a stolen refrigerated truck. Debra presents the theory to Lieutenant María LaGuerta, who dismisses it.
Production
Showtime began developing the series in early 2005, planning an adaptation of Jeff Lindsay's novel. By February, James Manos Jr., an Emmy-winning writer for The Sopranos, was hired to write the pilot script, with John Goldwyn and Sara Colleton as executive producers. Showtime greenlit the series by June 13, 2005. The episode follows the same storyline as Darkly Dreaming Dexter but with added elements and altered characters. Michael C. Hall received the script in July 2005 after finishing the fifth season of Six Feet Under. He was one of the few cast members not to audition; Robert Greenblatt and Michael Cuesta approached him. Hall initially intended to return to theatre but changed his mind after reading the script, citing its "macabre mix of dark humor, chilling violence, and a unique central character." Jeff Lindsay initially opposed casting Hall based on his Six Feet Under performance but changed his mind after hearing Hall speak one line, calling him "absolutely perfect." Hall prepared by reading books on serial killer psychology, transcripts of interviews with serial killers, and spending time with the head blood-spatter analyst at the Miami precinct. He also observed people in New York restaurants to understand stalking behavior. Filming began in Miami but was interrupted by hurricane season; the crew moved to Los Angeles to complete production despite a Florida state subsidy.
CBS broadcast controversy
In December 2007, CBS considered broadcasting Dexter over public airwaves, making it the first show in 20 years to air on a broadcast network after a premium cable run. The Parents Television Council protested due to graphic violence, with president Tim Winter stating the show "compelled viewers to empathize with a serial killer." CBS responded by moving the episode to a later timeslot, replacing expletives with substitutes like "frickin'" and "mother lover," removing a scene where Dexter inappropriately touches Rita while thinking of bloodless bodies, cutting bloody scenes, and assigning a TV-14 rating. The episode aired on CBS on February 17, 2008.
Reception
The pilot premiered on October 1, 2006, with 603,000 viewers, the highest for a Showtime series premiere since Fat Actress in March 2005, and outperforming premieres of Weeds, Brotherhood, Sleeper Cell, and Huff. An encore brought total viewership over one million, giving Showtime its highest ratings in nearly two years. The edited CBS broadcast on February 17, 2008, drew 8.1 million viewers, finishing third in its timeslot and giving CBS its best 10 p.m. ratings since December 2007. In the UK, the FX premiere on July 10, 2007, had under 300,000 viewers. Reviews were generally positive. David Hinckley of the New York Daily News called it "bold, different and exciting" and praised Hall's performance as Emmy-worthy. Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune described it as "one of television's most fiendishly intelligent new dramas" and highlighted its black comedy. Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe praised Hall's likability and the set design, comparing crime scenes to a Vanity Fair photo spread.
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