Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Julia Stiles Impresses on Showtime's "Dexter"


We haven't said much lately about Showtime's Dexter, now well into its 5th season, but it's shaping up to be a terrific year. Actress Julia Stiles, this year's main guest co-star, has turned out to be a superb addition to the show. Her portrayal of the haunted and damaged rape victim Lumen is outstanding.


I wasn't sure how Stiles would go over on Dexter, but her low-key intensity has worked perfectly for her role here. There's something in Ms. Stiles' onscreen charisma that's making her Lumen a very compelling character, progressing from pure victim to possibly deranged vengeance-seeker to tortured but self-reliant woman who still wants revenge (and certainly seems to deserve it). It's hard to deny her righteous rage, especially now that we are finding out more about her assailants and what creeps they are.

Stiles' onscreen chemistry with Michael C. Hall is nicely asexual and purely mental (so far anyway) and their scenes together are intriguing. She seems like one of those "smart" actresses, and it makes watching her an experience to savor. I say this as somebody who's been more or less cool to her previous work in movies and TV, but she's bringing something truly great to Dexter.


We're coming up to episode 8 next week, so if you've fallen behind we highly suggest catching up soon and savoring the last third of what's turning out to be a very good season of Dexter.

New episodes of Dexter premiere Sundays at 9pm on Showtime., with encores throughout the week. Be sure to check out the Dexter website for more information and the complete schedule.

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