GregHowley.com

Aside from BSG, there's not too much on TV right now. If you're looking for looking for a good show, I highly recommend renting or Netflixing Dexter. Linda and I are nearly finished watching season 2, and the show is downright amazing. Yes, there are occasional bits of gore, and yes, there is nudity. And there's a hell of a lot of swearing. That's why it's on Showtime.

The eponymous character is a serial killer. Yet somehow, he's a very likable guy. That probably has something to do with the fact that he only kills other killers, and Dexter's victims generally don't have anything near the twisted ethics that he does. So he's a vigilante, yes. But not the typical movie vigilante. He doesn't just do away with his victims - he does it in a ritualistic, serial-killer way. It's only Michael C. Hall's charisma that pulls off the character of Dexter and makes him so likable.

The show's writing is excellent. The relationships are complex and include minor details that add realism most shows have never had. The writers weave in bits of comedy where you'd least expect it. And the situations these writers come up with make for cliffhangers that will have you staying up past midnight watching episode after episode.

The show also has some amazing mood music. I find myself humming some of Dexter's different tunes throughout the day. And the intro is a masterpiece - it shows Dexter going through a number of everyday activities, but they're done in such a way as to make you squirm. It starts with a closeup of a mosquito biting his arm. He slaps it. Then he makes breakfast - closeups of him cutting and eating food are made to seem quite disturbing. He flosses his teeth, and the floss looks like garrotte wire. He puts on a tee shirt, and the fabric stretches across his face in an unnerving way. I've heard a number of people say they can't watch that intro, and that's what makes it genius.

Season 3 of Dexter is due to start in October on Showtime. Can't frelling wait.