Watched the first ever episode as well last night. It really highlighted for me the difference that has developed in the series. Back then Dexter had his façade he had to show. He was always a smiling jovial geeky character. He joined in with Masuka's gags and played the geek perfectly, whilst his narrative played the perfect juxtaposition. Using his character to hide amongst the police only during the kill revealing his true self. Nowadays he broods in every scene. Also Miami homicide could actually do their job. They had an understanding of all areas and only needed Dexter to read the blood. Batista could read a kill scene just as well as anyone, making the idea of Dexter hiding in the worst place possible all the more real, all it would take is for one of them to make the slightest discovery and he'd be ruined. Nowadays it seems to be a case that they all incompetent, bumbling and have to wait for CSI Dexter to turn up to tell them what happened making them so ineffective that all sense of Dexters life is without drama.
I was enjoying this series but all the heat came out of the season as soon as Isaac left in what was one of the most pointless anticlimatic episodes ever. Isaac came in like someone Dexter was never going to be able to take on. Someone who could hunt, and kill Dexter with ease.
