Dexter (Dexter episode)

"Dexter" is the pilot episode of the American television series Dexter and the first episode overall. It first premiered on October 1, 2006 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by series creator James Manos Jr. and directed by Michael Cuesta. It was based on the opening of the 2004 novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. The episode introduces the series' protagonist, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a Miami Metro Police Department blood spatter analyst with a double life as a serial killer. While solving murders in the Homicide division, Dexter also spends his time hunting and killing murderers and criminals who have escaped the justice system.

The crew began filming the pilot in Miami, but were unable to finish due to the overlap of production with the hurricane season. In spite of a subsidy from the state of Florida, the crew moved to Los Angeles, where the remainder of filming took place. "Dexter" was watched by over one million viewers, giving Showtime its highest ratings in almost two years. Critical reception of the pilot was mostly positive, with praise centering on the strong acting from the entire cast, compelling story, and set design, though Dexter's narration was often criticized and some questioned whether portraying a serial killer in a heroic light was tasteful or entertaining.

In 2007, CBS announced that it would broadcast the show over the public airwaves, which sparked controversy with the Parents Television Council (PTC). The PTC did not want the show to be broadcast because it "compelled viewers to empathize with a serial killer"; in response, CBS replaced expletives, cut out bloody scenes and gave the show a TV-14 rating. The eventual premiere of the show on CBS was on February 17, 2008, and was watched by 8.1 million viewers.