When ‘Dexter: Original Sin‘ was suddenly canceled following a brief renewal, fans lost more than just another season of a well-known franchise. They had lost what would have been one of the most emotionally defining moments in Debra Morgan‘s life.
Season 2, according to series creator Clyde Phillips, was set to take Deb into a metamorphosis that would have redefined how the audience perceived her experience way before ‘Dexter’. And that makes the cancellation hurt a little more.
Deb Morgan’s Police Academy Arc Could Have Changed Dexter Canon
Recently, Phillips disclosed that Season 2 would have featured significant legacy characters such as James Doakes and Thomas Matthews. However, at the center of the season would’ve been Deb. In particular, her choice to attend the police academy. It was the time when Deb ceased to revolve around Dexter and started to make her own identity.
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“You would have gotten Doakes in Season 2. You would have gotten Matthews and Deb’s maturation because she was joining the police academy,” he told Dark Passengers: A Dexter Podcast. This is monumental for longtime fans. The original series made Deb a confident, sometimes insecure person who needed to prove herself, and eventually, gave her a tragic end.
‘Original Sin’ had the unusual opportunity of demonstrating the beginning of that journey, not only the badge, but the uncertainty, the terror, and the willpower behind it. This was not going to be a side plot. Deb learned discipline, authority, and purpose, all in the shadow of a brother she idolized without quite knowing. It would have given the character genuine emotional depth to watch that growth happen to a character that fans already feel so protective of.
Molly Brown Was Ready To Go All In For ‘Original Sin’ Season 2
What is even more difficult is the fact that Molly Brown was so committed. She was physically and mentally ready even before Season 2 was a sure thing. Brown said in interviews that she pushed herself during workouts, envisioned police academy training montages, ran on treadmills, and told herself it was all worth it. “I’ve been doing a lot of workout classes. And when I’m in them, I imagine Deb in, like, a police academy training montage,” Brown told the Dexter: Final Cut podcast.
In case you missed it: The Real Reason Why ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ Spinoff Got Cancelled
Such preparation speaks volumes. Brown was not merely playing Deb; she was becoming her. And she nailed the role, by all accounts. Her acting embodied the uncivilized vitality, nasty humor, and emotional instability of Deb in a manner that was respectful to Jennifer Carpenter without being dependent on it.
Regardless of whether viewers liked or disliked ‘Original Sin’ in general, Deb was considered to be its most powerful aspect. That kind of preparation says everything. Brown wasn’t just playing Deb; she was becoming her. The silver lining? ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ lives on, and it shows that the franchise is not dead yet.
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