Recently Reviewed

Dexter: Season 2

 ($39.98; Release Date: August 19, 2008.)

By JEFF SNEIDER

Showtime/Paramount
 
Cast: Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Erik King, David Zayas, James Remar

 

It "kills" me to say this, but the "Dexter: Season 2" DVD is DOA. Just as Showtime starts to give HBO a run for its money, the network shortchanges fans of its best series with a no-extras disc package that illustrates the divide still separating the pay cablers' homevid units.

There's a measly 11-still photo gallery, cast biographies and the first two episodes of "Brotherhood: Season 2." There's a bonus feature disc that features something called E-Bridge Technology, which connects to the Internet but didn't work with four reasonably modern computers, including a MacBook Pro. Apparently, it would have allowed me to watch an interview and listen to a podcast (seems repetitive) with Michael C. Hall, as well as watch the first two episodes of "Californication: Season 1" and "The Tudors: Season 2." In theory it's a nifty idea for a tie-in but it's frustrating when a DVD for one show winds up being an advertisement for three other series that have nothing in common with the show you're watching.

The tragedy is "Dexter" is the brightest star in Showtime's increasingly impressive slate of original series. The Emmy-winning opening title sequence sets the perfect tone; the show's writing is consistently excellent. Moral quandaries are presented in various shades of gray rather than black and white. "Dexter" is a great drama, perhaps the best television currently has to offer, and it's one of the smartest, most disturbing explorations of a serial killer's mind in any medium.

But this pathetic excuse for a DVD needs to be put out of its own misery. It's a must-buy for those who haven't seen the second season, but for fans who already paid to see the episodes on Showtime, there is no point. The "Dexter: Season 2" DVD should be put in a garbage bag and disposed of in the middle of the ocean where it can rot beside Dexter's not-so-innocent victims.

AC-3, Dolby, widescreen. Running Time: Approx. 10 hrs, 36 mins.