The return of Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ was supposed to be a triumphant continuation of the character’s legacy. It is an extension of the complex journey fans followed from ‘Dexter‘ to ‘New Blood’, and most recently, ‘Dexter: Original Sin’.
However, just five months after the prequel series ‘Original Sin’ aired its finale, ‘Resurrection’ has made a curious misstep. It overlooks, and arguably contradicts, one of the most crucial developments from ‘Original Sin’: that Dexter’s desire to protect the innocent was there from the very beginning.
Dexter’s Heroic Impulse Is Showcased As Something New In ‘Dexter: Resurrection’
In ‘Dexter: Resurrection’s second episode, viewers watched Dexter abandon the hunt for his new target, the Impostor, in order to protect a ride-share driver. This act of compassion is presented as a startling evolution. Harry, Dexter’s guiding moral compass and imagined mentor, tells him that he’s never risked being exposed before in order to save an innocent person.
Related: ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ Brings Back James Doakes And Finally Confronts Dexter’s Darkest Betrayal
Dexter agrees, claiming that he now cares about people, as if this were a revelation brought on by his near-death experience at the end of ‘New Blood’. However, fans of Original Sin will know that this simply isn’t true. The prequel’s finale offered one of the most emotionally impactful and morally defining moments of Dexter’s early life.
In a desperate attempt to save a child named Nicky Spencer, Dexter made the conscious decision to let Aaron Spencer (Nicky’s dangerous father and a known murderer) escape. Dexter had been stalking Aaron for weeks, perfectly setting up his usual ritualistic kill. However, when Aaron attempted to drown his own son, Dexter abandoned the hunt and leapt in to save Nicky instead.
It was more than a tactical decision. It was a deeply human one. What’s worse is that both Dexter and Harry discussed this choice in Original Sin. Dexter explained to Harry why he let Aaron go. He admitted that saving Nicky was more important to him than finishing the kill. It was a moment of real emotional growth and bonding. The show went out of its way to highlight that, even from the beginning, Dexter was more than just a killer with a code. So when ‘Resurrection’ ignores that moment, it weakens the emotional arc that ‘Original Sin’ constructed.
‘Dexter: Resurrection’ Undermines The Idea That Dexter Kills To Protect
What’s particularly baffling about ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ forgetting this critical detail is that it undermines the entire point of Dexter’s character. From the very start of the original series, Dexter has never been just a killer. He’s a killer who kills other killers. He was trained by Harry to channel his Dark Passenger toward a purpose. Yes, Dexter is flawed. He’s made horrific mistakes, and ‘New Blood‘ especially emphasized the dangerous and selfish sides of his personality (the murder of innocent Sergeant Logan).
In case you missed: ‘Dexter’: Real Serial Killer Inspirations And Dark Truth Behind The Story
That moment was pivotal. This stripped Dexter of his anti-hero status and framed him more as a villain in his son Harrison’s eyes. However, ‘Original Sin’ served as a narrative counterweight. It reminded viewers of why we ever rooted for Dexter in the first place. Saving Nicky wasn’t an accident. It was proof that Dexter’s moral compass, while twisted, still pointed toward something resembling righteousness.
By acting as though Dexter only now discovered a desire to help the innocent, ‘Resurrection’ not only contradicts that storyline, it strips away years of character development across multiple series. To give credit where it’s due, ‘Resurrection’ is clearly trying to reframe Dexter after the controversial choices he made in ‘New Blood’. The problem is, the show is doing it at the cost of continuity.
