Dexter: Resurrection Risks Repeating the Same Mistakes in Its Finales

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WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Dexter and Dexter: New Blood.

To ensure the success of the upcoming Dexter revival series, “Dexter: Resurrection”, it’s crucial to learn from the mistakes made in the original series and its first sequel, “Dexter: New Blood”. Although the initial four seasons of Dexter are regarded as some of the finest TV of the 21st century, the subsequent seasons, particularly the finale, were less well-received by fans. Despite the belief that the franchise had concluded years ago, showrunner Clyde Phillips revived Dexter for “Dexter: New Blood” in 2021. The key is to avoid repeating the same narrative flaws that led to disappointment in the finales of both series.

The continuation of “Dexter: Resurrection” will follow the storyline after the finale of “Dexter: New Blood,” where it appeared that Dexter, played by Michael C. Hall, had been fatally shot by his son Harrison. For those who watched the 2024 prequel series, “Dexter: Original Sin,” you may recall that the original version of Dexter actually survived the gunshot at the end of “Dexter: New Blood.” In “Original Sin,” Hall’s character provided voiceover narration for Patrick Gibson’s portrayal of Dexter. The final scene showed his character alive but injured in the back of a police car, presumably en route to the hospital.

Dexter Already Had Two Poorly Received Finales

The Original Series & New Blood’s Finales Were Both Disappointing

Initially, both the original ‘Dexter’ series finale and the ‘Dexter: First Blood’ episode didn’t provide satisfying conclusions, sparking efforts to continue the franchise and offer a fitting conclusion later on. Despite Dexter appearing dead at the end of ‘First Blood’, his reappearance in ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ and confirmed role in ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ put an end to concerns that the ending of ‘New Blood’ would be final. In fact, many viewers felt that the finale of ‘New Blood’ was even more disappointing than the controversial hurricane and lumberjack ending of ‘Dexter’ season 8. After the release of ‘New Blood’, creators Phillips and Hall initially stated that Dexter had died, but later retracted this statement.

The shows “Dexter: Original Sin” and “Dexter: Resurrection” are intended to span multiple seasons, providing additional insights into Dexter’s past while propelling his complex serial killer persona into a fresh narrative. In “Resurrection”, Dexter emerges from a coma and embarks on a quest in New York City to locate his missing son, Harrison. However, he encounters an old acquaintance from Miami Metro, Angel Batista, during his search.

In the upcoming series titled “Resurrection,” we’ll encounter a vibrant group of fresh characters such as Krysten Ritter, Peter Dinklage, David Dastmalchian, Uma Thurman, and Neil Patrick Harris. The follow-up show will also welcome back James Remar, reprising his role as Dexter’s spectral guide, a part that seemed to be filled by Deb in “New Blood,” which was set far from Miami, giving “Resurrection” a more familiar feel compared to the previous season.

Dexter: Resurrection Needs To Stick The Landing

If Resurrection Is The Final Sequel Series, It Has To Nail Dexter’s Ending

In order to keep audiences engaged past one season, Dexter: Resurrection must deliver a satisfying conclusion without overstaying its welcome. It might end up being a single season under

Given the outstanding streaming success of “Dexter: Original Sin,” which effectively captured the essence of the original “Dexter,” it’s reasonable to expect that “Resurrection” will be equally or even more popular. The finale of “Original Sin” is rather open-ended due to Dexter’s extensive backstory already being set, and it can only lead up to the first scene of season 1 of “Dexter.” This puts a significant responsibility on the writing team for “Dexter: Resurrection” to deliver an appropriate conclusion. Fortunately, they have at least a few seasons to work out the details.

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2025-05-24 12:47