There's no doubt that Dexter has always been a show that pushes the limits. Its main character, Dexter Morgan, has an amazing capacity to avoid death. After Harrison shot Dexter in what seemed like the end of Dexter: New Blood, I, like many fans, assumed it was really ended. Michael C. Hall's comeback in Dexter: Resurrection has shown that our beloved serial killer is much tougher than we thought. I'm excited to see what fresh evil he brings to fresh York City.
The original series and its sequels have always kept us on the edge of our seats, making us wonder what would happen to Dexter next. Michael C. Hall said, "I casually injected in conversations with show creatives, like, 'What if he didn't die?'" when asked why he wanted to bring Dexter back. This single question started the comeback we didn't know we needed. It's clear that the character and the beautiful environment he lives in are too appealing to leave behind.
Dexter's Unbelievable Survival and a Complicated Reunion
How did Dexter make it through New Blood?
The story of Dexter: Resurrection starts barely a few weeks after New Blood and shows that Dexter somehow lived through the gunshot wound from Harrison. He wakes up from a coma and finds that Harrison is no longer there. This surprising survival gives Dexter a new path to follow as he deals with his past and what it means for him to still be alive. It's a risky decision, but it gives you so many ways to tell a story.
While he is in a coma, Dexter has a fever dream in which he sees people from his past. As an initial fan, seeing John Lithgow as the famed Trinity Killer, Jimmy Smits as Miguel Prado, and Erik King as a very outspoken James Doakes was like coming home. These meetings show how full Dexter's thinking is, even when he's on the edge of life and death. The show never shies away from looking into his mind, and these ghostly visits are a great opportunity to do so.
But the most startling reunion is with Angel Batista (David Zayas), who used to be Dexter's close buddy and coworker at Miami Metro. Batista, who is now a captain, is following Dexter closely after getting a tip from Angela Bishop in New Blood that Jim Lindsay (Dexter's alias) might be the Bay Harbor Butcher. Their meeting, which included an awkward hug and a Cuban sandwich, was full with history and mistrust. Michael C. Hall said, "It was just so rich and complicated," which was a great way to express the dynamic. There is a lot of water under the bridge with this cat-and-mouse game. But it was also sad because these guys used to have a simple connection, and now everything is full of problems and doubt. The show is good at mixing personal drama with enormous stakes.
Meet the Characters in Dexter: Resurrection (New and Old)
The Setting of New York City and Its Effects
Dexter: Resurrection takes place in New York City, which is very different from the calm, cold Iron Lake of New Blood. This new place will provide Dexter and Harrison new problems to solve. The city that never sleeps has a new kind of hunting ground, and I'm excited to watch how Dexter changes his ways to fit in with all the activity.
The series brings in a lot of new people that are guaranteed to change things. Peter Dinklage plays Leon Prater, a millionaire venture capitalist who has a dark, secret interest in serial killers. Uma Thurman plays Charley, Prater's head of security and a former Special Ops officer. She promises to be a strong new presence. Krysten Ritter also plays Mia Lapierre, a famous serial murderer known as Lady Vengeance. These new characters provide a new layer to the Dexter universe, and I'm especially interested in how their stories will connect with Dexter's and Harrison's.
Kadia Saraf plays investigator Claudette Wallace, a quirky and alert NYPD investigator who rapidly starts to suspect Harrison's actions. Clyde Phillips, the showrunner, says a lot of good things about her character, saying, "Detective Claudette Wallace is the smartest person around." We really want Dexter to feel like he has met his match. This hints to an interesting new cat-and-mouse game that reminds me of the first few seasons.
Is Dexter: Resurrection Worth Watching? What Do Critics and Fans Think?
Resurrection vs. Original Sin and New Blood
Critics have praised Dexter's return highly, giving Dexter: Resurrection a 100% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews. This is a record for the franchise, beating even the early seasons of the original show, which were quite well received. Amber Dowling from The Wrap said, "Dexter holds a mirror up to society's current obsession with serial killers in an entertaining and somewhat cathartic way that makes the series relevant now."
Meg Watson of the Sydney Morning Herald praised the series for going back to its roots, saying, "While Resurrection doesn't reach the highs of the original series, it does recapture the magic of what made it great in the hands of original showrunner Clyde Phillips." This fits with how I feel; the tone changes back to the character-driven suspense that made the show great, moving away from some of the more controversial story choices made in later seasons. The series feels lighter than New Blood, yet it still has the same dark base as the original.
Some people have said that Dexter's reappearance isn't necessary because it takes away the tension of his possible death. But I think the show's best part has always been how it looks at Dexter's internal conflict and his relationships. The fact that he's still alive lets the characters grow further, especially in terms of his relationship with Harrison.
Important Questions and Fan Theories
Harrison Morgan's Changing Role
Harrison Morgan (Jack Alcott) is still a key character in Dexter: Resurrection. Harrison ran away to New York City after shooting his father in New Blood. He was trying to start again. But his own dark urges rapidly come to light when he kills a sexual predator. Dexter follows him, full of guilt, and vows to "make things right." The relationship between father and son is a big part of the story, as it looks at whether Dexter can help Harrison or if their shared evil will take over them both.
A lot of people, like me, have thought that Harrison is now the more interesting character. Without the "code" that Dexter follows, his raw, uncontrolled violence takes the series in a new and interesting path. Some others say the show is more like "Joker and Penguin" than "Batman and Robin," with Harrison stealing the show. "It's amazing," Clyde Phillips says, acknowledging that the persona is still popular. It shows up on all of my friends' social media feeds all the time. A lot of people love him as a character and as an actor.
The Dexterverse and Possible Spin-offs
The "Dexterverse" could grow even more now that Dexter has unexpectedly survived and additional interesting people have been added. Showtime is committed to the Dexter franchise because they renewed the prequel series Dexter: Original Sin for a second season. Some others think that new characters, like Krysten Ritter's Lady Vengeance, may even get their own spin-off show. This method of extending, like how other well-known brands are doing it, hints that Dexter: Resurrection is not the last book in the series.
Clyde Phillips has made it obvious that this homecoming is not supposed to be the end of the story. He said, "We have the strongest franchise in Showtime's history, and we plan to keep doing this for years." Because of this promise to keep writing stories, we may look forward to more complicated narratives, more character development, and maybe even more shocking resurrections in the future. It's quite intriguing to think about Dexter and Harrison going through New York City's criminal underworld with new enemies and friends.
What will happen to Dexter after Resurrection?
Dexter: Resurrection has brought back a character who fans love, even though he is complicated, in a way that feels new and full of possibilities. It's really impressive how dedicated Michael C. Hall is to the character and how open he is to exploring new aspects of Dexter's mind. The reunion with Batista adds a sad dimension of meaning, reminding us of the people who were hurt by Dexter's deeds. I think this season will be an interesting look at remorse, legacy, and the prospect for a second chance, even for a serial killer.
We don't know yet if Dexter will find forgiveness or just a new place to hunt. But one thing is for sure: Dexter: Resurrection has made me love this dark, twisted world again, and I can't wait to see where the tale goes next. Showtime shows new episodes of Dexter: Resurrection every Sunday at 8 PM ET/PT, and Paramount+ Premium lets you stream them on Fridays.