Showtime

What an amazing week for TV fans. As if you didn’t have enough stacking to do with the new, brilliant season of “House of Cards” on Netflix, there are four other full seasons in this week’s What to Watch that you really should watch front to back. And then there’s the still-amazing “Darkman,” a cult classic that perfectly captures Sam Raimi’s skill at controlled chaos. Finally, we have two ’80s horror flicks in one set in “Bad Dreams” and “Visiting Hours.” Check ‘em all out (OK, you can skip the genre stinkers).

CHICAGO – It’s kind of a light week at the Blu-ray and DVD store (do they still have those now that Blockbuster has closed?). As studios prep a lot of major releases for holiday season, a few titles have been released on Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming services this week that we wanted to highlight, including a decent animated flick, a great foreign one, and a bunch of movies that may interest you but that you should probably avoid.

CHICAGO – “I like you. You say what you mean.” Showtime’s brilliant new show, “Ray Donovan,” is titled after a straightshooter in a town where no one is honest; a problem solver in a place built on mountains of problems. Ann Biderman’s stunning drama (directed and produced by “Sopranos” vet Allen Coulter) is the kind of dense patchwork quilt of character and theme that separate great shows from merely good ones.

CHICAGO – The start of the eighth and final season of “Dexter” feels like a comeback album from a band that you used to love. There’s a blend of true happiness that this show looks, after four episodes, that it will end on a strong note, but also a bit of anger at the weak storytelling and stupid decisions that led us here.

CHICAGO – Few shows have fallen as far and as hard as Showtime’s once-brilliant “Dexter”. At the end of season four, the show was at a turning point and I even thought that the exploration of responsibility in season five was creatively strong. Then season six turned to religion but did so in a half-hearted way.

CHICAGO – Outside of a surprising Golden Globe win by its hysterically funny star, Matt LeBlanc, Showtime’s “Episodes” doesn’t seem to be getting too much attention from critics or viewers. It’s not one of the modern cable shows that everyone seems to be talking about like “Breaking Bad,” “Homeland,” “The Walking Dead,” “Justified,” etc. I’m not saying it’s in the caliber of those programs but it would be a shame if this program was ignored entirely. It’s damn funny.

CHICAGO – We’ve all had creative buyer’s remorse. You recommend a band to your friend and their new album sucks. You post about your love for a TV show and the next episode jumps the shark.

CHICAGO – Did “Dexter” die when The Trinity Killer murdered Rita? It was such a daring, brilliant move for what was one of TV’s greatest shows at the time. But that was three seasons ago now, and while I personally liked the 5th season quite a bit, audiences seemed to turn off a bit.

CHICAGO – The popular choice as to the show most likely to derail AMC’s “Mad Men” from winning a record-setting five Emmys in a row for Best Dramatic Series is a newcomer to the pantheon of most-acclaimed programs, Showtime’s brilliant “Homeland,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD. This is must-see TV in every possible way.

CHICAGO – Showtime’s “Dexter” is starting to show its age a bit after six years of slicing, dicing, and near-captures of Dexter Morgan. It’s still a strong show, largely because of the incredible central performance from Michael C. Hall, but the writing doesn’t seem as potent as it once was as the show often fails to follow through with its ideas. I loved the foundation of faith through the sixth season but felt it was under-developed, especially after the departure of the one character who seemed most likely to challenge Dexter’s worldview. Still a good show, but not quite a great one any more. Let’s hope it comes back in season seven,