Dexter Morgan’s big secret had to get out eventually. How long can the Miami police’s top blood splatter expert keep up the double life of a serial killing avenger? A man can only compartmentalize for so long before it falls apart. Although in the case of Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), he got extremely sloppy at the end of season six. While executing Colin Hanks in an abandoned church, his sister Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) witnessed the killing. That was the big cliffhanger. What will happen now that his carefully concealed identity is revealed? Dexter: The Seventh Season has Dexter questioning everything about his Dark Passenger while dealing with two of his most fearsome guest foes.
“Are You…?” starts with an awkward Morgan family moment. Deb is not thrilled with Dexter being a serial killer. But can she really bust him without ruining herself? She still has the stigma of dating a serial killer. However helping Dexter clean up the church turns out to be a nightmare since they left something behind. This lost item ends in the hands of María LaGuerta (Lauren Vélez). She’s using it to prove that Doakes (Erik King) wasn’t the killer. She’s on Dexter’s trail this season. She’s not the only one wanting Dexter dead this season. Former intern Louis Greene (Josh Cooke) wants to destroy Dexter for rejecting his video game idea. He starts out with computer nerd revenge. This doesn’t go over well with Dexter. Det. Mike Anderson (Billy Brown) has an incredibly short run with the Miami homicide unit. He helps a distressed motorist only to become the victim of Russian mobster. Dexter hides the biggest clue from the crime scene so he can claim the mobster for his dark passenger. Little does he know that the guy is tagged and left a trail. This means when the Koshka Brotherhood boss Isaak Sirko (Rome‘s Ray Stevenson) arrives in Miami with a trail to follow. He’s ruthless in his pursuit. Turns out that the dead guy who more than a mere henchman. Isaak turns into a worthy opponent for Dexter. There’s no stop in either of them.
“Sunshine and Frosty Swirl” brings an even bigger threat to Dexter’s way of life. Hannah McKay (Chuck‘s Yvonne Strahovski) was supposed to have been an innocent girl who was take by Wayne Randall on his murder spree. Dexter suspects that Hannah might have had a greater roll in the killings than being Wayne’s scared victim. He lines her up as his next justified killing. But something clicks between the two of them. Can it be that Dexter’s finally in love? Or is she using him as a massive tool? There are two other major serial killers at lose in the area. A cemetery groundskeeper imagines himself as a murdering minotaur. The Phantom Arsonist is burning people in public places. The comedy comes from Angel Batista (Oz‘s David Zayas) retiring to take over a restaurant. There’s a full plate of crazy for Dexter to go along with his massive side dish of LaGuerta on his tail.
A few weeks ago Showtime announced the upcoming eighth season of Dexter would be the last. This means Dexter: The Seventh Season is the penultimate season. This works since it’s obvious that things are coming towards some sort of end. The big shocking finale makes sense as it leads to a wrap up and not just a tease for another seven seasons. This also was a creative upswing with the arrival of Ray Stevenson. He brought the same energy as John Lithgow’s season. Why isn’t Stevenson a Bond villain yet? The romance between Dexter and Hannah is perfectly twisted. Yvonne Strahovski is more captivating here than on Chuck. While it’s kinda sad that the series is coming to an end, Dexter: The Seventh Season prepares viewers for this summer’s goodbye.
The Episodes
“Are You….?,” “Sunshine and Frosty Swirl,” “Buck the System,” “Run,” “Swim Deep,” “Do the Wrong Thing,” “Chemistry,” “Argentina,” “Helter Skelter,” “The Dark…Whatever,” “Do You See What I See” and “Surprise, Motherf**ker.”
The video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The 1080p transfers bring out the glow of the faux Southern Florida production. The colors are vivid and the sweat glistens on the screen. The audio is TrueHD 5.1 that brings out the crunches during fights. French listeners get a 5.1 mix. There’s Spanish and English 2.0 Stereo Surround mixes. The episodes are subtitled.
There are no bonus features.
Paramount and Showtime Entertainment presents Dexter: The Seventh Season. Starring: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Yvonne Strahovski and Ray Stevenson. Boxset Contents: 12 episodes on 3 Blu-ray discs. Released: May 14, 2013. Available at Amazon.com.
