How do the first 4 seasons of Dexter compare to the first 4 seasons of Game of Thrones?

Submitted by Artistic-Toe-8803 t3_116zseb in television

Everyone by now knows how terribly received the final season of GoT was by fans and critics alike, and so people who've never seen GoT will usually steer clear as a result. But I still encourage people to watch it, bc I believe the first 4 seasons are the greatest 4 season stretch of anything, ever, and that show completely changed my perception of what a TV show could be. You could truly never tell a story like this in the format of film, even ones like Dr. Strangelove >!where literally everyone dies!< can never have the sense of character develipment and true stakes, utter suspense in that literally anything could happen to any character. There's no plot armor, nothing that makes anybody untouchable, etc. Now, personally I didn't think season 5 was as bad as everyone else seems to, I loved season 6, and didn't hate 7 as much as most (although it did feel like it was worse in the final 2-3 eps than the first 3-4 or so). But 8 was absolutely every bit of the incorrigible disaster that everyone and their mother has been calling it since it aired. Despite all this, I still think pretty much anyone who hasn't seen the show should watch the first 4 seasons, they're just that insanely good imo.

The only other majorly popular show (which is also renowned to have fallen off terribly) that I hear the same sentiments about, is Dexter. Nobody suggests to watch TWD nowadays due to how bad it got after season 1, same goes for basically every CW show ever made (many have terrible 1st seasons as well nowadays but the Flash, Arrow, Riverdale, etc at least started pretty well), Supernatural, True Blood, etc.

It's interesting that Dexter lasted the same amount of seasons as what most seem to view as top tier TV, so I'm curious if it was every bit as good as early GoT (or even better maybe?). If that's the case, I may watch it despite how much it apparently falls off

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MedievalBully t1_j99ejn1 wrote

I've never seen GoT, but I didn't think seasons 5 and 7 of Dexter were bad. 6 was bad and 8 was awful. New Blood ended poorly as well.

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admiralvic t1_j99g8a5 wrote

I'd say you're comparing apples and oranges.

While it's probably not the best term, I would consider Dexter a "fun" show. I'm not watching it because Dexter is playing 4D chess as he attempts to captures the criminal, avoid the police, aid them in a way that does not raise suspicion/get them to follow him, and manage to make it all work while trying to be normal.

Instead, Dexter is working with one of the least competent police forces on film, who wouldn't catch Dexter if he was wearing a shirt that said "I kill the Ice Truck Killer." There are some solid storylines, like season two when he is suspected by a single cop, and everything about Trinity showing Dexter he could potentially have it all are good, they really don't change the fact the series is filled with contrived plot points, and things often work because the narrative needs them to. It's the type of mindless excitement that is enjoyable, even if I wouldn't say season one Dexter is legitimately better than season one Westworld.

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Artistic-Toe-8803 OP t1_j99gjhq wrote

Replying to admiralvic (#1,881,048)

> series is filled with contrived plot points, and things often work because the narrative needs them to

Oh I had thought these sorts of things were only in the later seasons, bc I keep hearing how the first 4 are imoeccable and brilliant

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AnotherJasonOnReddit t1_j99nlwk wrote

>I may watch it despite how much it apparently falls off

The first three seasons of Dexter each close a story off. Think of how Red Dragon/Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal are all movies in the same series, but each tells its own completed story.

You can easily watch the first season of Dexter and get a complete story told, no need to go forward if you don't want to. Same with watching the second season, and again with the third season. It's only when we get to the end of the fourth season that there becomes unresolved storylines, which is why the fifth season takes place right away afterwards (like how Game of Thrones works).

I think that's one of many reasons why Game of Thrones fell so hard. It's one big long movie, like if Return of the King was a lacklustre disappointment after the well-received Fellowship/Two Towers.

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sergiocamposnt t1_j99pup0 wrote

The first and fourth seasons of Dexter are amazing, they're on the same level as GoT S1-S4 imo.

Dexter Season 2 is great, but not as incredible as seasons 1 and 4.

Dexter Season 3 is okay. It is not a bad season, but it is not a great season either.

If I had to create a tier list comparing Dexter-GoT seasons, I think it would be something like this:

S: Dexter S1/S4, GoT S1/S2/S3/S4

A: Dexter S2

B: GoT S5/S6

C: Dexter S3, Dexter New Blood

D: Dexter S5/S7, GoT S7

E: Dexter S6, GoT S8

F: Dexter S8

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kevenofnine t1_j9a3fnp wrote

the first 4 seasons of dexter have darla from buffy. the first 4 seasons of game of thrones have the kid who played gordons son in batman begins.

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