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Dexter: Original Sin will shed new light on the prolific fictional serial killer’s upbringing — but what should fans know about where the character ultimately ends up?
The role of Dexter was originally brought to life by Michael C. Hall in Showtime’s series, which ran from 2006 to 2013. After the original show came to an end, Hall returned to TV screens as Dexter in a 2021 spinoff titled New Blood.
Patrick Gibson is taking over the role in Paramount+’s prequel. The show is set in the ’90s and focuses on Dexter’s transition from student to avenging serial killer and unsuspecting member of the Miami Metro Police Department. Original Sin also stars Molly Brown, James Martinez, Christina Milian, Christian Slater, Alex Shimizu, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patrick Dempsey and Reno Wilson.
Before being introduced to the past version of Dexter, some viewers could be curious about where his story initially ended up. His story line in the OG show left Dexter hiding out as a lumberjack after his stepsister, Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), was killed off. New Blood, meanwhile, hinted that Dexter’s life had come to an end, which was then walked back with news of another sequel.
While fans attempt to untangle that web of story lines, Hall credited Original Sin for allowing him another window into Dexter’s complicated world.
“The scripts they’ve executed are fantastic. I can’t wait, like, as a fan, to watch it, and as an actor to spend time seeing real footage of things that I’ve sort of tried to imagine for myself when I imagine what Dexter’s early days [were like],” he told Entertainment Weekly in August. “Now I’m going to have this technicolor version of his memories to refer to. I think it will help inform my experience of whatever comes next in the other series, which I can only speak vaguely about at this point. It’s pretty heady. It’s so gratifying.”
Keep scrolling for the biggest highlights about Dexter’s past — and present — ahead of the Original Sin premiere:
Dexter’s Secret Brother
While Original Sin cast the roles of Dexter’s immediate family, it remains to be seen whether the revelation about his secret older brother will be addressed. Dexter previously found out when he was already an adult that he had a brother — who was also a serial killer. Brian (Christian Camargo) became the Ice Truck Killer and even stalked Dexter during his murder sprees.
Dexter’s Complicated Family History
Slater takes on the role of Dexter’s dad, Harry, which was originated by James Remar. It is through Harry that Dexter started working for the police department, but what about his mother? Dexter’s biological mother, Laura (Sage Kirkpatrick), met Harry when she was a confidential informant for the Miami Metro Police Department. She was later killed in front of Brian and Dexter once she started working against the Colombian cartel.
Harry ultimately adopted Dexter while Brian was placed into the foster system. From there, Dexter gained an adoptive mother when Harry started dating Debra’s mother, Doris. She died when Debra was a teenager.
The 1st Kill
One of the biggest moments most likely to be featured in Original Sin is Dexter’s first kill. From what was mentioned on the Showtime series, Dexter got the go ahead from Harry to kill Nurse Mary. Harry initially tried to prevent Dexter from crossing over into becoming a serial killer but changed his mind once the medical professional started to poison Harry.
Harry attempted to guide Dexter’s tendencies by creating a code of rules for his son to follow. That included killing those who deserved it and leaving no evidence behind for the police to track back to him.
What Was Dexter’s Original Ending?
In the Dexter series finale, the main character was forced to disconnect Debra’s life support after she was brutally attacked by a fellow serial killer. He adopted a new identity as someone working for a lumber company, which left many longtime fans unsatisfied by the conclusion to Dexter’s story.
Original creator and showrunner Clyde Phillips, who exited the series after season 4, later shared that he had another ending in mind.
“In the very last scene of the series, Dexter wakes up. And everybody is going to think, ‘Oh, it was a dream.’ And then the camera pulls back and back and back and then we realize, ‘No, it’s not a dream.’ Dexter’s opening his eyes and he’s on the execution table at the Florida Penitentiary. They’re just starting to administer the drugs and he looks out through the window to the observation gallery,” he told E! News in 2013 after the series finale.
He continued, “And in the gallery are all the people that Dexter killed — including the Trinity Killer and the Ice Truck Killer, LaGuerta who he was responsible for killing, Doakes who he’s arguably responsible for, Rita, who he’s arguably responsible for, Lila. All the big deaths, and also whoever the weekly episodic kills were. They are all there. … Literally, his life flashed before his eyes as he was about to die. I think it would have been a great, epic, very satisfying conclusion.”
Where Did the Most Recent Spinoff Leave Dexter?
Once Phillips returned to run the New Blood sequel, he was able to give Dexter the ending he thought might be more fitting. The revival picked up after Dexter faked his own death in a hurricane and moved to a small town. Dexter was able to suppress his urges to kill while building a new life — and seeing hallucinations of his deceased sister.
New Blood picked up with Dexter’s estranged son Harrison (Jack Alcott) showing up unannounced. The reunion caused a series of events where Dexter started to get concerned that his son would also become a murderer. The ending of the limited series showed Dexter asking Harrison to shoot him so he could set his son free.
Dexter realized he felt love for the first time before he was fatally shot. Harrison never took responsibility for Dexter’s death before driving out of town to start over.
There Is More to Dexter’s Story
While Original Sin documents Dexter’s early days as a serial killer, there is no official destination for the show. Hall previously reprised his role in the New Blood series, and there are additional plans for another sequel. It remains unclear how Hall will play Dexter again after his character died — multiple times over.
“I’m on the inside to a certain degree and I have a sense of what’s coming but I’m really excited,” Hall told Entertainment Weekly in August about the future of the franchise. “I’ve spent so much time with this character and to go back and have all the imaginative blanks filled in is going to be great.”
Hall will appear on Original Sin as a narrator for his younger self.
