---
title: "Dexter: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/dexter/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/tv/dexter"
critics_score: 61
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dexter (2006): what the critics said

Critics' score 61 from 7 reviews: 4 positive, 0 mixed, 3 negative.

Most critics lean positive, and almost all of them agree on one thing: Michael C. Hall. He is praised across the reviews for making a serial killer who hunts other killers likeable, or at least watchable, and for carrying the character’s double life with a steadiness the writing does not always match. Those who enjoy the series enjoy its hook, its thriller plotting and its mix of humour and menace.

The spread is wide. Three of seven critics reject the show outright, and their objection is to the premise rather than the execution: The Guardian finds the idea of a charming killer vile and close to torture porn, while Variety finds the tone tawdry and distasteful even with the gore held back. Den of Geek is kinder to the concept but faults clumsy exposition, a heavy voiceover and stilted dialogue. Even the admirers concede the procedural elements are conventional and the lead is softened too much.

## Empire — William Thomas

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 May 2008. 

The series bubbles with sadistic glee as Dexter tracks criminals by day before carving them up after dark. Michael C. Hall plays the title character to perfection in this dazzling debut that wears humour and menace with equal flourish.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/dexter-season-1-review/)

## The AV Club — Scott Tobias

Rating B+. 29 August 2007. 

The series has an irresistible hook with Dexter as a serial killer who targets those who evade justice, and Michael C. Hall delivers a likeable central performance. It excels in thriller plotting and flashbacks but can feel like a conventional procedural at times and softens its lead character too much.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/dexter-1798202939)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Barry Garron

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 September 2006. 

Dexter is the spookiest crimefighter as a serial killer targeting those who slip through justice; Michael C. Hall is brilliant at conveying the character's subtle complexity and moral ambiguity. The series enhances Showtime's reputation for challenging fare.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/dexter-season-1-review-2006-1236390992/)

## The Times — Fiona Morrow

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2007. 

The review highlights Michael C. Hall's return as an antiheroic vigilante serial killer who targets those who evade justice, noting his comfort with the macabre material and the series' focus on his dual life.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/a-way-with-all-flesh-dnmwwkjwmwb)

## Variety — Brian Lowry

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 27 September 2006. 

The critic praises Michael C. Hall's performance in the distinctive role but finds the creepy, tawdry tone unappealing and the show drifting across the line into distasteful territory despite restraint on gore. Overall, it is not working for this critic.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2006/film/awards/dexter-6-1200513053/)

## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 July 2007. 

The critic finds the premise of a charming serial killer who targets other killers to be vile and akin to torture porn, with graphic violence and a preposterous setup that fails to land as clever or subversive.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2007/jul/10/cablegirltheressomethingwr)

## Den of Geek — Sarah Dobbs

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2007. 

The premise of a sociopathic blood-spatter analyst who kills only the guilty is interesting and the pilot does not shy away from its dark material. However, the writing packs in too much exposition clumsily via voiceover and flashbacks, features stilted dialogue and stereotypes, and the overall execution feels awkward and unconvincing.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/dexter-s11-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/dexter.md