Dexter The Sixth Season   Starring: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, Lauren Vélez and James Remar Paramount Home Entertainment RRP: £34.99 PHE1653 Certificate: 18 Available 18 June 2012

Brief update: Dexter is a serial killer who is also a blood splatter expert for the Miami Dade police force. He only kills those who have strayed from the path of righteousness, like, supposedly; East End mobsters who only kill their own (See "Phil Mitchell", also see "least intimidating gangster ever") He refers to this impulse as the "Dark Passenger" and at least once an episode we see the mental projection of his dad, Harry, who invented the code by which he lives and others die guiding Dexter though any dilemma.

However it would be very unlikely that anyone buying this box set would not already know this. This is season six of a series that has plenty (and I mean plenty) of call backs to much earlier episodes. No spoiler alert but a minor plot point posts back to episode one of season one. It's not a series to dip in and out of.

The acting of Dexter ranges from uniformly excellent to averagely competent. The writing is good and the pace is steady with occasional flashes of inspiration. However the quality of overall story arcs per season runs from brilliant (I'm thinking of the season with John Lithgow) to mundane. Uneven but with more peaks than troughs. I place this season as a notch above average.

This season has the Doomsday Killers to contend with. Keep your Bible handy, reference loving fans, as the killers are recreating tableaus from the good book; the far out bits at the end that keep getting a mention in The Omen.

High points: Edward James Olmos (Mr Jones always providing good value for money) and Mos Def (I know! No one was more surprised than me). The finale is also a real cracker and lifts this season out of the mire of “good” to “very good”.

Low points: well... er... this is the key point for me.

Dexter is too nice. Too nice for a serial killer that is. What I find particularly creepy about psychopaths is that their minds are not like ours (well yours anyway, I have a fully stocked cellar of random drifters who won't be missed). They are aliens amongst us. They have a completely different set of rules and internal wiring to the normal gal or guy on the street.

Due to Dexter's ever present monologue of thoughts he seems more human, less creepy, understandable even. And for me that's what moves an excellently written, well paced and well acted series into the 8 out of 10 score category. He's the serial killer for that odd lady at work who collects toy owls and reads books about Fred West over her lunch. There is hope in Dexter and, while that makes him watchable and likable, it also blunts the edge of this fine series. More blood less understanding.

8

Dean Smales