The reason vigilante serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) from Dexter became so popular in the original series is because, despite the fact that he killed people, he was so darn awkward and likeable. Plus, he lived by a Code whereby he only killed truly evil people. The difficult-to-reconcile adoration fans felt for the murderous man continued in the limited sequel series Dexter: New Blood as Hall reprised his role. It expanded in the prequel series Dexter: Original Sin where Patrick Gibson took on the tall task of playing a younger version of the character (Hall continuing to narrate the inner monologue).
In Dexter: Resurrection, the latest in the growing franchise, the odd feeling of being drawn to Dexter, a vicious killer who drugs, murders, then dismembers and disposes of his victims’ bodies, continues. While I initially had reservations about how the show would play into the growing Dexter universe, despite my status as a die-hard Dexter fan, the series satisfactorily delivers in paying respectable fan service. It’s a worthy follow-up that justifies the creators and writers literally bringing the title character back to life.
After watching the first few episodes, I’m excited for Dexter: Resurrection to hopefully run for as long, if not longer, than the original. But I also worry how it can accomplish longevity without running the risk of overstaying its welcome.
This review is based on episodes 1-4 of Dexter: Resurrection.
What is Dexter: Resurrection About?
Before diving into my review of the first four episodes of Dexter: Resurrection, let’s explore the story behind the sequel series. (Note: this contains spoilers for the end of Dexter: New Blood).
While Dexter was presumed dead after his teenage son Harrison (Jack Alcott) shot him in the chest in the finale of Dexter: New Blood, he miraculously survived. This is thanks to a series of marginally believable factors involving cold weather and snow that slowed bleeding along with Angela (Julia Jones) finding him shortly after and taking him to the hospital. Really, do we care how he survived? Dexter is alive, and that’s all that matters. Dexter wakes up from a coma 10 weeks later, the seemingly indestructible, uncatchable killer free to roam once again.
He heads to New York to look for Harrison, but his old friend Angel Batista (David Zayas), who suspects Dexter might be the real Bay Harbor Butcher, is on his tail. Not surprisingly for a city like New York, Dexter meets interesting people while there, including a wealthy man named Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage) who has a sick fascination with serial killers. Through Leon, Dexter is also acquainted with a group of like-minded killers whom Leon has gathered to satisfy his voyeuristic desires.
From there, the story plays out in the same predictable ways it has in the past, but with new angles, and the Big Apple as Dexter’s unfamiliar new setting with its own unique challenges.
Dexter: Resurrection Review
Dexter: Resurrection begins, as the trailer implies, with Dexter in the hospital waking up from his coma. All the burning questions fans have had since Dexter: New Blood are answered, including how he survived, what happened to Angela, what Angel knows, how Dexter is not behind bars, and what Harrison has been up to since.
From the moment Dexter escapes, it’s clear not much has changed but for the fact that he’s older and not quite as spritely as he once was (ducking out of the hospital prematurely after receiving a gunshot wound to the chest and being in a coma doesn’t help either). He soaks himself in NYC culture, indulging in classic foods (Dexter has always loved to eat, after all), commiserating with locals, and finding ways to set roots such that he can stay, even if just for a little while.
He’s no longer Jim Lindsay, the assumed name he took on in New Blood (a nod to Jeff Lindsay, the author of the books on which the original show was based.) He’s back to being Dexter Morgan, and it shows. No, it’s not just in the thankful disappearance of that awful New Blood haircut. Jim Lindsay was like a different person, a man whose focus had shifted, his mojo lost. Now that he’s Dexter again, he’s really Dexter. But Angel also knows he’s alive, has seen him in the flesh, and wants answers. Fans might recall that, prior to her death in the original series, Maria LaGuerta (Luna Lauren Velez) told Angel of her suspicions about Dexter. That tidbit of information has likely bubbled back to the surface after hearing Angela’s theory, and knowing that Dexter faked his own death.
As the story progresses, you’ll find a lot of plot holes, like the idea that garbage bags are manually dumped somewhere after pick-up in a truck in New York City or rideshare passenger information isn’t easily tracked to connect back to a person’s profile and credit card. A series of unlikely conveniences also help drive the plot forward pertaining to everything from security cameras to good Samaritans. But we’re happy to let those go for the sake of storytelling.
It’s when Dexter meets other like-minded people that things really start to get interesting. Leon joins the short list of people who have truly accepted Dexter for who he is and his eclectic group of other killers like a support group where Dexter can be truly honest about his urges, free from judgement. Based on how things worked out with other sociopaths Dexter met and befriended along the way in the past like Lila West (Jaime Murray) and Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits), Dexter’s insistence that he should be a lone wolf has always proven right. Nonetheless, it makes sense that he would at least be intrigued to learn more about what this coven of killers is all about. Everyone needs friends to whom we can relate, after all, apparently even killers.
The new cast members, killers and otherwise, nail their roles. There isn’t a single weak one in the bunch but for the universal dislike of Harrison that has permeated throughout the storyline since New Blood (that’s no insult to Alcott, however, who does a fine job). From the high-profile actors like Dinklage, Kristen Ritter, and Uma Thurman to lesser-known standouts like Ntare Mwine and Kadia Saraf (they’re both scene stealers), each one adds to the story in a meaningful way. You want to slowly peel back the layers of their own stories and savour every morsel.
The Dark Passenger takes on a whole new meaning in this series, in a clever way that you won’t see coming and will be pleasantly surprised by. As for Dexter, he’s trying to prioritize the son who doesn’t even know he’s still alive, but who needs his dad’s help more than he realizes. But he’s still Dexter and still has urges and an inherent need to serve up justice thanks to Harry’s Code. (Harry is in his ear more than ever in this series, James Remar reprising his role from the original in a significant way.)
It’s a wild ride through the first half of the season that will make you laugh, smile, wince, and perk up with curiosity as you wonder where Dexter, and all these new (and returning) characters will end up. If the original show is any indication, for most of them, it will likely be on Dexter’s table. But that always leads to collateral damage as well, and what damage is done will surely make for a fantastic season.
Dexter is Evolving, and That’s a Good Thing
What’s inherently obvious throughout the first half of the season is that Dexter has evolved. He’s more charming than awkward like he was in the beginning. He has grown leaps and bounds from the days of reluctantly joining the local Miami Metro bowling league and trying to ingratiate co-workers with morning donuts to seem “normal.” He more seamlessly blends in, making friends wherever he goes, even when he doesn’t want to.
He also appears to care more about people than he ever did before, and for reasons beyond their survival being a happy byproduct of The Code. Dexter’s priority has always been eliminating bad people. But now it seems like he’s just as interested in saving good ones. This complicates things for a character who would, for all other intents and purposes, be labeled a sociopath.
But there are also traits about Dexter that can’t be changed. He doesn’t feel the same emotions others do. He jokes in one scene that he could cry if he actually possessed the emotions required to do so. He’s also pleasantly as witty as ever, his inner monologue filled with funny commentary as we hear what he’s really thinking in every scenario. From poking fun at a ponytail killer to complaining about city traffic, he narrates each moment in his own head, allowing us to come along for the sarcastic-filled ride just as he did in the original.
Story wise, how Dexter comes to fall back into his old ways, and get away with it, is as exciting as you might hope, though also unbelievable at times as well. Then again, Dexter has skirted capture time and time again through the original series’ run. Chances are, he’ll continue to do so in this series, too. We’re more than OK with that until the story runs its course to a bitter and hopefully much better end than the original. As long as the show ends at the right time, and in the right way, I could easily see Dexter: Resurrection lasting a few seasons.
Should You Watch Dexter: Resurrection?
If you loved Dexter and have been yearning for the character to return to the small screen, you probably already lapped up Dexter: New Blood and reveled in the fabulous backstory of Dexter: Original Sin. Dexter: Resurrection continues the story without feeling stale, adding an interesting twist, a new locale, and an exploration of how The Code has, and continues to, shape who Dexter truly is.
Twenty years might have passed since the original series premiered, but Dexter, now in his 50s, is still a master at what he does. He knows how to flawlessly scope out victims. He always finds a way to get the information he needs, even without the police database at his disposal. He can improvise on the fly. And the people he wants to eliminate always end up on his table, wrapped in plastic and prepped to pay for their sins while satisfying his dark desires at the same time. Though the ghost of Harry tries to talk Dexter out of some of his riskier decisions, as he always has, you’re never worried about Dexter. In fact, just as with the original, you’ll find yourself dealing with the complicated feelings of rooting for him.
Dexter: Resurrection pays fan service to those who loved the original show in the best way possible. Clyde Phillips, showrunner of the original series for its first four and arguably best seasons, returned to head up New Blood, Original Sin, and Resurrection. He told The Los Angeles Times that Hall called after New Blood and asked him to bring back the character. “Dexter is in my blood,” he told him, “and he’s in your blood. Can you unkill me?”
The passion both men show for the series and the dedication of the writers and actors, new and old, shines through every moment of Dexter: Resurrection. It’s not just a sequel for the sake of a sequel to keep an old wheel turning long beyond having reached its destination. It’s a story that brings back a beloved character that fans have challenging feelings about, and who the actor loves to play.
Hall might be almost 20 years older now than he was when Dexter started, but he’s still got it. Tonight’s the night. (Rather, tomorrow night). Get ready to watch. It’ll be worth it.