• Network: Showtime
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 1, 2006
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8
Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    80
    With the larger narrative diminished, what remains are the smaller moments. There Hall's terrific performance--full of sly wit and contradictions--elevates the show
  2. When Season 3 kicks off spectacularly, there's a slight exhale in the first 59 minutes--then a twist. And not a small one, either. By the second episode, the writers give you roughly 40 minutes to digest that twist, then drop a real stunner. Which is--just to cut to the chase here--truly and incredibly exciting television.
  3. Reviewed by: Micah Towery
    75
    Should we actually trust his actions over what he says as a true indicator of who he really is? It does not seem that the writers of the show have discovered this apparent problem in their storytelling, but it certainly could be something worth exploring in the coming season.
  4. A relationship with Julie, which has been percolating for some time, might be just a good cover for Dexter. But it feels more complicated than that, which at the very least reflects good writing and acting.
  5. Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    83
    The results are exhilarating.
  6. Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    90
    Dexter is real, all right. Real good.
  7. 80
    The perversity of this connection cannot be overstated (Smits makes Miguel both charismatic and creepy, often in the same breath). Dexter sees it, though he also yearns for the friendship, the brotherhood, even.
  8. The nature-nurture question has always been central to the show: had his upbringing been different, would his genetic makeup still have led him onto the same path? Now the stakes have been raised compellingly in that debate.
  9. 80
    Dexter enters season 3 on Sunday at 9 p.m. with an increasing--and pleasing--urge to make us like the curious man-child at its center.
  10. Though there isn't anything appreciably wrong with the third season, it's hard to fight the feeling that maybe Dexter is a concept that has reached its expiration date.
  11. 50
    What a disappointment to find that the third season of Dexter is all over the map and lacks the crackling tension the drama had supplied in previous years.
  12. It's still a hugely entertaining show thanks to its charismatic lead actor and the tension that builds in its twisty-turny plots. But when a lead character is a murderous anti-hero, there's a fine line to walk between cheering a righteous vigilante and offering sympathy for the devil.
  13. Reviewed by: James Poniewozik
    70
    I'm interested but not engrossed, though it offers the potential for a change-up in the Dexter storyline.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 274 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 35
  3. Negative: 1 out of 35
  1. 9
    Really enjoyable to watch, but plot- wise kind of lacks what made seasons 1 and 2 so brilliant.
    Feels like the main plot idea behind the seri
    es kind of got used up for the first seasons while this one is something they simply came up with to be able to continue the series. Well written? Yes. Brilliant? No. Full Review »
  2. After a fantastic ending to the second season hopes were high for the third and yet again the writers and cast deliver. This time around the show focuses more heavily on Dexter's gradually character development and desire to be accepted by someone for who he really is.

    This certainly makes season three different as many of the major developments involve Dexter's personal life but it is no less intense and and almost as entertaining as the first two seasons.
    Full Review »
  3. Prado brings this season down, as his character is stupid and unlikable; however, Dexter himself is still captivating to watch. It is the main character here who keeps the show one of the very best on TV. Full Review »