Dexter is charming. His Laboratory--Not So Much

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Dexter Morgan is a disarming fellow--in more than ways than one. When he's not helping to solve crimes in his capacity as a blood splatter forensics expert for the Miami PD, he's methodically chopping up bad guys that slipped through the cracks of the justice system. Anyway, that's the premise for Showtime's new series, Dexter, premiering tonight at 10P, ET.

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Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) portrays the title character, loosely based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay. To the world at large, Dexter is an affable guywithout a care in the world, the kind of guy brings doughnuts to work for his co-workers to enjoy, who brightens everyone's morning with flippant, flirty remarks, whose every action reflects his love for the sun and sand lifestyle of Miami. Nobody would ever suspect that all his charm is a facade designed to hide the fact he is actually a sociopathic serial killer devoid of hunan emotion. His relationships, at least in his mind, are based solely on his need to divert attention from his sinister proclivities.

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By and large, the people in his life play into his hands. His girlfriend Rita Julie Benz) is a survivor of domestic abuse and, as a result, disinterested in sex. Since Dexter himself is incapable of feelings of intimacy, she's perfect for him. His adopted sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), the only person he feels any love for, looks to him for inspiration as she tries to move from the vice squad to homicide detective. Only Sgt. Doakes (Erik King), a cynical homicide veteran, suspects something isn't quite kosher with Dexter. The head of the homicide unit, Lt. Marja LaGuerta, is too focused on her unrequited feelings of lust for Dexter to suspect anything.

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If all this sounds a wee bit comic book-ish, it should. The character of Dexter is much more aligned to pulp vigilantes like the Shadow than psychos like Ted Bundy. True, he stalks his victims, researches them obsessively and takes pleasure in dissecting them alive. But there's a difference-- he only kills really bad guys--child murderers, snuff filmmakers, that ilk. Seems Dexter's foster father, himself a cop, channeled Dexter's love of vivisection into a tool for righteous justice. And it's this angle that Showtime is banking on. The idea that some people are so evil that no punishment is too harsh for them is one that resonates in our collective psyche, and a character like Dexter provides us with a cathartic release.

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That's not to imply that Dexter is preachy-- far from it. It takes those dark elements and washes them in day-glo colors, with the final product emerging as a farce that makes us empathize with the protagonist.This is a crime drama unlike any before it. When Dexter sets out to track down a rival serial killer, it's a matter of professional jealousy. His day job serves more as a cover to track down his alter-ego's nemesis.

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The pilot episode of Dexter sets up the premise of the series flawlessly, and leaves just enough unanswered questions and potential subplots to gain a loyal following. Showtime has committed to twelve episodes, as is their customary strategy. But Dexter has enough built-in quirks to take it out of cult status and propel the network to a par with HBO.