Dexter: Resurrection ending explained: Who dies as net closes in on the serial killer?

by

**Warning: Major spoilers for Dexter: Resurrection.**

Revival, Dexter Morgan made a comeback and the scenes turned violent, as multiple victims ended up on the table of our well-known serial killer, Dexter.

Initially, things took a turn for the worse. After Angel Batista met his tragic end at the hands of Leon Prater, Dexter found himself imprisoned in Prater’s sinister basement, sharing the space with Prater’s chilling display of true crime memorabilia.

As Harrison’s safety was at risk, the New York Ripper investigation remained baffling for the detectives, and doubts started to swirl around Dexter himself. With many loose ends to tie up, the series approached its conclusion with a sense of urgency.

Following the confirmation of a second season, let’s delve into what transpired so far and provide a glimpse into what might unfold next.

Dexter: Resurrection ending explained – do Dexter and Harrison survive?

Short answer: Of course they do! But it’s not for a lack of trying.

After hitting Angel, Prater feels elated, but henchwoman Charlie (Uma Thurman) cautions that he’s walking a precarious line. Choosing to imprison Dexter in the safe, they estimate it could take him around three days to perish if left there.

As Dexter wraps Angel up in a blanket, he experiences a vivid imagination of his deceased brother, Brian Moser (also known as the Ice Truck Killer from the first season of the original series). Brian taunts him over Angel’s death, reminding him that such consequences are inevitable when one pretends to be someone they aren’t not truly.

Although Prater may believe himself to be well-organized, this isn’t entirely accurate. Meanwhile, Dexter receives a reprieve when Angel’s phone unexpectedly rings. Despite not picking up the phone from his old friend Quinn, he manages to gain access to it and calls Harrison for assistance instead.

Calling in an offer from a friend, Harrison takes a catering job at the gala that evening.

While waiting, Dexter stumbles upon a file cabinet filled with folders pertaining to various serial killers. He hopes that this trove of information might contain the code for unlocking the door. On this very day, it turns out, Cooper Morris – another notorious serial killer – had committed his heinous act against Prater’s parents.

Harrison receives a call from Dexter who leads him to a backstairs in the house. However, during their journey, Charley unexpectedly intercepts them, finding Dexter trying to pick a lock. Charley threatens Harrison with a gun, but Dexter warns her through the phone that Prater has been maintaining a secret file on her, detailing all the shady tasks he’s forced her to do, thus controlling her for good.

In a menacing tone, Dexter offers to erase incriminating evidence against her downstairs, as well as freeing her son, Harrison, and opening the vault, in return for her compliance. However, rather than complying, she releases Harrison but demands that Dexter must perish. She warns him that if he leaks the evidence, she will relentlessly hunt down Harrison and end his life.

As Dexter’s phone battery was running low, he shared his hypothesis about the code with Harrison, warning him that an alarm would sound if it was incorrect. Noticing a box of letters sent by an inmate, Dexter deduced this was actually the correct code they needed. In the end, Dexter and Harrison were successfully reunited.

However, they quickly split again to get out undetected, with Harrison returning to the gala.

What happens at the gala?

The gala, despite what’s going on inside the house, largely passes without incident.

Charley informs Prater that she is resigning and intends to maintain secrecy regarding his activities. However, he must continue providing for her mother’s healthcare or she will retaliate severely, threatening a complete breakdown of their relationship.

At his grand event, Prater assumes a false persona while delivering a speech. Later, he discreetly orders his guards to turn off all cameras, and seizes one of their firearms. Spotting Harrison attempting an exit, he compels him to return to his wine cellar instead, so that he can make a call to Dexter.

At the conclusion of the evening, the gala successfully collected $11.4 million. Adding this amount to what Prater had pledged to match, we reach a grand total of $22.8 million. However, it seems that Prater is absent from the event.

Detective Wallace initially intends to depart, yet right as she’s reaching for the doorknob, she is persuaded to remain when the familiar tunes of Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees begin playing. Instead of walking away, she takes to the dance floor.

What happens to Leon Prater?

Using Dexter’s phone, Prater persuades Dexter to return home, planning to murder Harrison right before his eyes. For the first time, becoming a killer himself, Prater is captivated by the sensation, a high more intense than decades of only observing serial killers from a distance.

Instead, Dexter presents him an opportunity: the chance to eliminate him, thus becoming the supreme hunter who eliminated the Bay Harbour Butcher. He tempts him by suggesting that Harrison might handle the aftermath of a slain family, as they’ve done for years following their own victims.

In a moment of distraction, Harrison injects Prater with a sedative, which he had received from Dexter. As he fires his gun towards the ceiling, he loses consciousness.

Upon regaining consciousness, he finds himself secured to Brian Moser’s storage rack within a vault, enveloped in cellophane. Aware that he may be the next target for Dexter, he begs for his life, willing to pay any sum that Dexter demands.

Yet, his words go unheeded, as Dexter coldly dispatches the man with a sense of excitement – yet, no souvenir is taken, for Prater is not someone Dexter wishes to be reminded of.

Dexter dismembers Prater’s corpse, subsequently cleans and rearranges Prater’s belongings, and departs carrying Prater in body bags, employing the deceased’s thumb to bypass the fingerprint security systems.

Who is the New York Ripper?

Investigators discover Angel’s lifeless body, a firearm bearing Prater’s distinctive fingerprints, and a well-provisioned murder hideout of his.

Upon searching, the investigators uncover Angel’s deceased body, a weapon with Prater’s prints on it, and a meticulously prepared murder den of his.

While the team was packing and labeling items, Wallace and Olivia recognized Angel, and they noticed a grimy, bloody hook from a sewer grate in a frame on the wall – labeled as property of the New York Ripper.

While rummaging through a pile of documents on the floor belonging to Prater, it is eventually discovered that the New York Ripper’s identity is Mr. Don Framt – an individual we have not had any prior acquaintance with.

Given that the case has been reopened, it’s highly probable that these individuals will be the focus of the investigation for the upcoming second season.

What lies ahead of Dexter Resurrection season 2?

From a devoted cinephile’s perspective, it seems the authorities have taken the theory that I stumbled upon Prater’s secret vault, and in retaliation, he met his demise at my hands before slipping away from our bustling metropolis. This is, of course, only speculation based on the evidence uncovered thus far.

Now, instead, the man is found at the bottom of the Hudson River, while Dexter took control of his yacht to get rid of the corpse.

Or:
The man ended up in the Hudson River’s depths, as Dexter seized the yacht to eliminate the body.

Or:
Instead of being onboard, the man is now at the bottom of the Hudson River, while Dexter used his yacht to dispose of the deceased.

These paraphrases maintain the meaning and flow of the original sentence but may read more naturally to some audiences.

Charley takes her mother out of her nursing home, and they set off for a new life together.

Pondering over his experiences, Dexter comes to understand that he requires companionship – friends such as Blessing and Harrison, and a place where he can truly fit in. At the same time, it’s essential for him to embrace his true identity.

Upon opening the bag, it’s clear that Dexter has taken several folders, among them belonging to ‘Rapunzel’ killer Al, played by Eric Stonestreet. These folders seem poised to become his new targets for his distorted notion of justice.

Dexter: Resurrection is available to stream on Paramount Plus.

Read More

2025-09-05 14:43