Most critics lean positive, and almost all of them agree on one thing: Michael C. Hall. He is praised across the reviews for making a serial killer who hunts other killers likeable, or at least watchable, and for carrying the character’s double life with a steadiness the writing does not always match. Those who enjoy the series enjoy its hook, its thriller plotting and its mix of humour and menace.
The spread is wide. Three of seven critics reject the show outright, and their objection is to the premise rather than the execution: The Guardian finds the idea of a charming killer vile and close to torture porn, while Variety finds the tone tawdry and distasteful even with the gore held back. Den of Geek is kinder to the concept but faults clumsy exposition, a heavy voiceover and stilted dialogue. Even the admirers concede the procedural elements are conventional and the lead is softened too much.