Call it a fortunate side effect of the bingewatching age. Although Michael C. Hall’s Dexter Morgan seemed pretty damn dead at the end of Dexter: New Blood, Showtime saw so much renewed interest from Netflix viewership that they couldn’t resist bringing the killer of killers back. Not only will the inexplicable hurricane survivor surface in next year’s Dexter: Resurrection series, but original series showrunner Clyde Phillips is going back to where the blood slides began with Dexter: Original Sin.
The prequel series will walk us through Dexter’s crafting of his Code to use his Dark Passenger for something less than straight-up evil. Let’s slice into what we can expect from Original Sin.
Trailer
Should we start here? The conversation will then flow:
Plot
As the trailer reminds us, Dexter Morgan found himself bleeding out during the New Blood finale, and this was sort-of Lumberjack 2.0 territory, but this trailer suggests that life flashes before his eyes, and that takes Michael C. Hall’s inner monologue back to when young Dexter (Patrick Gibson) entered the scene as a Miami PD/CSI intern who channeled his homicidal thirst into a public service of sorts. His father, Harry (Christian Slater), recognized the Dark Passenger for what it was, and under his guidance, Dexter found a way to kill the hell out of serial killers while not getting caught.
As expected, things will get bloody. Gibson admitted to Hollywood Reporter that he, like Dexter, fell into a groove when the show begins to grow gruesome. “That sounds mad,” he admitted. “But it’s when Dexter is finally himself, and has dropped his mask, so it’s quite relaxing.”
And for Dexter aficionados who are wondering whether there will be any bad wigs, rest assured that what materializes is even worse than what Michael C. Hall wore for the original’ series flashbacks. Gibson, however, was oddly into the process, and you can see the results here: “I put that wig on and thought I looked bloody gorgeous, like, ‘I’ve arrived.'” Healthy sense of humor aside, Gibson was initially “worried about the idea of a prequel, but then I read it and was like, ‘Oh, no – this is sharp.'”
Also sharp? Dexter’s knives and Michael C. Hall’s monologue that will keep viewers appraised of how his character’s instinct develops. As he recently uttered in a teaser trailer, “I am a killer. But I wasn’t born this way. By my history. By the people around me. They say it takes a village. To raise a killer.” Presumably, we’ll see some of the “born in blood” discussion, too.
The series is set in sun-soaked Miami, circa 1991. Dig this synopsis:
Dexter: Original Sin follows Dexter (Patrick Gibson) as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. When his bloodthirsty urges can’t be ignored any longer, Dexter must learn to channel his inner darkness. With the guidance of his father, Harry (Christian Slater), he adopts a Code designed to help him find and kill people who deserve to be eliminated from society without getting on law enforcement’s radar. This is a particular challenge for young Dexter as he begins a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.
Another clue hails from IMDb, which isn’t a guarantee of accuracy, but as Game Rant noticed, a character referred to as “Iron Lake Doctor” (portrayed by Dante Myles) could further link the prequel to the upstate New York town where Dexter: New Blood supposedly “died” a second time.
Cast
Michael C. Hall is the beating black heart of this franchise, so fortunately, his voice will surface as Dexter’s inner monologue. He will steer the ship portrayed by Patrick Gibson as the fledgling Dexter.
Younger versions of characters that Dexter introduced include Dexter’s dad, Harry Morgan (Christian Slater); his sister, Debra (Molly Brown) ^^^; and Angel Batista (James Martinez), also entering the Miami PD as a go-getter detective.
New characters will include Aaron Spencer (Patrick Dempsey), captain of Miami PD’s homicide division; Tanya Martin (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Dexter’s CSI boss; Vince Masuka (Alex Shimizu), a forensic analyst who shows Dexter some ropes; Bobby Watt (Reno Wilson), Harry Morgan’s partner/confidante; and Maria LaGuerta (Christina Milian), Miami PD homicide detective.
Release Date
History is about to begin. Dexter: Original Sin will debut on streaming on Friday, Dec. 13 through Paramount+ with Showtime. If you’re watching more traditionally on Showtime, go time happens on Sunday, Dec. 15
Another Trailer
An earlier teaser trailer introduced the cast:
