Aug 26, 2009 By Evan Rytlewski

Showtime's water-cooler thriller Dexter is essentially The Shield at its core, with a rogue police officer working against his own department to cover up his criminal involvement with cases of interest—in Dexter, though, that rogue cop has the added twist of being a serial killer, albeit one guided by a rigid moral code. It's an entertaining setup with ample opportunity for cat-and-mouse intrigue, and like The Shield, Dexter understands the power of a dynamo guest star to spice up the show before the formula wears thin. More