Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for the Dexter: Original Sin premiere.
AnotherDexterspin-off has hit our screens with the prequel seriesDexter: Original Sin, which follows a younger version of Dexter Morgan (Patrick Gibson) as he discovers a way to feed his bloodthirsty urges. The show picks up immediately followingthe closing events ofDexter: New Blood, with a present-day Dexter (Michael C. Hall) seemingly still alive after being shot point-blank by his son, Harrison (Jack Alcott). Dexter being alive after that confrontation meanshe might have to face off against his biggest adversary yet—justice.
Dexter’s Life Flashes Before His Eyes in the ‘Original Sin’ Premiere
With Dexter being rushed to the hospital, as the staff are keeping his vitals stable,his mind takes him back to the start of his serial killer journey. Episode 1 ofDexter: Original Sinis aptly titled, “And in the beginning…” and brings the audience back 15 years before the start of the original series.The episode mainly focuses on Dexter’s struggle to make connectionswith other people, as he graduates from college and tries to figure out his future with his father, Harry (Christian Slater), to help nurture the dark secret they both keep.An interesting layer the series has already added to theDextermythosis that their original plan was for Dexter to be a doctor, hoping that cutting people open as a surgeon would satisfy his craving for blood.
The first episode features a major turning point for Dexter,showcasing his first kill in a new light.His first victim was the nurse looking after Harry, who suffered a heart attack once Dexter discovered the nurse trying to kill his father slowly. Dexter did save Harry’s life, but the fact that Dexter took a life while doing so certainly has affected his father. It’s a moment that is paramount for new and old fans ofDexter, putting an exclamation point on the statement that Dexter is a bad guy. He may have a code, and he is killing bad people, but he is still a murderer at the end of the day.
“Oh My God, I Did Not See That Coming”: ‘Dexter: Original Sin’s Christian Slater Reveals What Fans Will Think After the Season Finale
Slater, Patrick Gibson, and Molly Brown discuss Season 1’s big baddies, the infamous code, and more.
WhileDexteris widely beloved on many fronts,the one thing that has left a bad taste in viewers’ mouths is the franchise’s series finales— mainly because both the endings ofDexterandDexter: New Bloodlet our favorite serial killer get away. At first,Dexter: New Bloodcould have been seen as a simple way toundo the ending of the original series, it was a massive hit for Showtime, and it was great to see Dexter operate in a new location. Most importantly, it started to ramp up to an ending worthy of the greatness the series delivered in the beginning, when Dexter’s son Harrison (Jack Alcott) was brought back into the fold.
The most interesting part about continuing Dexter’s story inDexter: New Bloodis that his actions finally started to have consequences. His past quite literally catches up with him when his son tracks him down and forces him to confront his past mistakes head-on. Dexter’s relationship with police chief Angela Bishop (Julia Jones) also ends badly, with Angela putting together the pieces and finally arresting Dexter for his crimes as the Bay Harbor Butcher. That all comes crashing to a halt, with Harrison seemingly killing him at the conclusion of the series, butthis prequel series seems to retcon that ending, allowing Dexter the chance to finally pay for his decades of being a serial killer and, in turn, face the consequences of causing the deaths of the ones he was supposed to love most.
After Dexter finishes this jog down memory lane,Dexter: Original Sinis going to lead directly intoDexter: Resurrection, which will debut on Showtime via Paramount+ next summer.A series that was once reported to be following Harrisonand his journey with his own dark passenger will instead keep the titular character at the center of the story, dealing with the repercussions of what occurred in Iron Lake. The new series certainly has a great opportunity to showcase a massive manhunt thriller with Dexter on the run, butit needs to conclude with Dexter finally being caught. It’s time to stop letting Dexter get away and give the audience a satisfying conclusion to this franchise.
The series premiere ofDexter: Original Sinis now streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. New episodes air every Friday.
Dexter: Original Sin
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