Dexter is the best show on TV and it features Micheal C. Hall, the best actor working in this medium.
Video:
I originally watched a handful of these Season 2 episodes during their original airings on Showtime's HD station. They looked great then and to be quite honest this set's anamorphic widescreen presentation featuring a 1.78:1 aspect ratio looks almost as good. Even if Showtime/Paramount eventually release "Dexter" on Blu-ray, I doubt it will look much better that it already does.
Audio:
Both the Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 surround audio tracks are spot on, with the former outclassing the latter for obvious reasons.
Extras:
As per usual with Paramount-produced TV products on DVD, the special features are nowhere to be found. The first season had commentaries and featurettes, and this season has nothing for the "Dexter" fan. In fact, it has less than nothing; it actually baits you with the hope of something and then slaps you across the face with big old goose egg. There is a selection in the Special Features menu listed as "Dexter Season 3 Sneak Peek!" but once clicked on viewers are simply taken to another screen informing them that they can view the first episode of Season 3 only if they purchase the second season of "The Brotherhood," which doesn´t get released until the first week of October. Almost two months after the release of this set and over two weeks after the first episode of season three has already aired on Showtime! How the hell is that considered a sneak peek? Paramount has always been ridiculed and dragged over the coals for their horrible featureless DVD releases, but their treatment of "Dexter" season 2 is beyond the pale. Showtime and Paramount didn't simply do a disservice to fans this time around. With this release it's like an eye gouge connected to a swift groin kick followed up by one of their executives using your own hand to slap yourself across the face while chanting "Why are you hitting yourself?" And all the while, all you can cry back is "Because I paid over forty dollars for this kind of treatment…I…I deserve this."
Sure, the set includes the first two episodes from the second season of "The Brotherhood." But I don't know what that show is and since it's the second season of the program, why would I want to watch it now? In fact, I'm going to hold "The Brotherhood" responsible for the lack of any real "Dexter" bonus features and never, ever going to watch a single episode. But if anyone asks me what I think of "The Brotherhood," I'm going to reply "Oh, yeah, I watched that once, but it promotes the eating of infants and the burning of patriotic American flag pins. Maybe that's your cup of tea, but that's not the kind of show I want in my home."
Apparently, if you put the fourth disc into a computer via "E-Bridge Technology" (yeah, I don't know what the hell it is, either), you can get your hands on a podcast featuring Micheal C. Hall. But guess what, Paramount? I'm watching this on my DVD player in the middle of my living room on a comfortable couch. Why would I want to get up and turn the computer on? How about we make it easy on everyone and have the freaking DVD bonus features accessible via my DVD player? Yeah, I know, crazy talk. Oh, and speaking of crazy, two "bonus features" pertaining to "Dexter" that you can view on your DVD player are a cast biography and a handful of lousy promo photos. Both of these features are instantly redundant if I'm expected to put this in my computer. Maybe the "brilliant minds" at Paramount/CBS DVD have yet to hear of such hard-to-find Web sites as IMDb or Google Images. Simply put, Paramount is horrible at putting together DVD sets. Lionsgate has done a fine job with another Showtime property, "Weeds," and I hope that Paramount will take a page from their book and actually release a decent set for "Dexter" Season 3. Just in case I didn't get my point across, whomever it is that puts these sets together for Paramount is terrible at their job and needs to be replaced immediately. And if the person responsible for these lackluster DVD sets is actually reading this, I'll make it even clearer: Quit your day job and go back to work securing ad space for "Ghost Whisperer."
Film Value:
"Dexter" is the best show on TV and it features Micheal C. Hall, the best actor working in this medium. What more reasoning do you need? If you haven't already been hooked by this show go out and pick up season one immediately, because believe me, you will be. Then pick up this, the Second Season, because it only gets better. I can't think of a better way to spend over ten hours in front of the television than on these twelve rewardingly re-watchable episodes. At least until Season Three comes out, that is.
I originally watched a handful of these Season 2 episodes during their original airings on Showtime's HD station. They looked great then and to be quite honest this set's anamorphic widescreen presentation featuring a 1.78:1 aspect ratio looks almost as good. Even if Showtime/Paramount eventually release "Dexter" on Blu-ray, I doubt it will look much better that it already does.
Audio:
Both the Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 surround audio tracks are spot on, with the former outclassing the latter for obvious reasons.
Extras:
As per usual with Paramount-produced TV products on DVD, the special features are nowhere to be found. The first season had commentaries and featurettes, and this season has nothing for the "Dexter" fan. In fact, it has less than nothing; it actually baits you with the hope of something and then slaps you across the face with big old goose egg. There is a selection in the Special Features menu listed as "Dexter Season 3 Sneak Peek!" but once clicked on viewers are simply taken to another screen informing them that they can view the first episode of Season 3 only if they purchase the second season of "The Brotherhood," which doesn´t get released until the first week of October. Almost two months after the release of this set and over two weeks after the first episode of season three has already aired on Showtime! How the hell is that considered a sneak peek? Paramount has always been ridiculed and dragged over the coals for their horrible featureless DVD releases, but their treatment of "Dexter" season 2 is beyond the pale. Showtime and Paramount didn't simply do a disservice to fans this time around. With this release it's like an eye gouge connected to a swift groin kick followed up by one of their executives using your own hand to slap yourself across the face while chanting "Why are you hitting yourself?" And all the while, all you can cry back is "Because I paid over forty dollars for this kind of treatment…I…I deserve this."
Sure, the set includes the first two episodes from the second season of "The Brotherhood." But I don't know what that show is and since it's the second season of the program, why would I want to watch it now? In fact, I'm going to hold "The Brotherhood" responsible for the lack of any real "Dexter" bonus features and never, ever going to watch a single episode. But if anyone asks me what I think of "The Brotherhood," I'm going to reply "Oh, yeah, I watched that once, but it promotes the eating of infants and the burning of patriotic American flag pins. Maybe that's your cup of tea, but that's not the kind of show I want in my home."
Apparently, if you put the fourth disc into a computer via "E-Bridge Technology" (yeah, I don't know what the hell it is, either), you can get your hands on a podcast featuring Micheal C. Hall. But guess what, Paramount? I'm watching this on my DVD player in the middle of my living room on a comfortable couch. Why would I want to get up and turn the computer on? How about we make it easy on everyone and have the freaking DVD bonus features accessible via my DVD player? Yeah, I know, crazy talk. Oh, and speaking of crazy, two "bonus features" pertaining to "Dexter" that you can view on your DVD player are a cast biography and a handful of lousy promo photos. Both of these features are instantly redundant if I'm expected to put this in my computer. Maybe the "brilliant minds" at Paramount/CBS DVD have yet to hear of such hard-to-find Web sites as IMDb or Google Images. Simply put, Paramount is horrible at putting together DVD sets. Lionsgate has done a fine job with another Showtime property, "Weeds," and I hope that Paramount will take a page from their book and actually release a decent set for "Dexter" Season 3. Just in case I didn't get my point across, whomever it is that puts these sets together for Paramount is terrible at their job and needs to be replaced immediately. And if the person responsible for these lackluster DVD sets is actually reading this, I'll make it even clearer: Quit your day job and go back to work securing ad space for "Ghost Whisperer."
Film Value:
"Dexter" is the best show on TV and it features Micheal C. Hall, the best actor working in this medium. What more reasoning do you need? If you haven't already been hooked by this show go out and pick up season one immediately, because believe me, you will be. Then pick up this, the Second Season, because it only gets better. I can't think of a better way to spend over ten hours in front of the television than on these twelve rewardingly re-watchable episodes. At least until Season Three comes out, that is.
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[release]23879[/release]