Fans of the hit Showtime original series Dexter may have been dismayed by the show’s famously bungled ending back in 2013. Luckily, the show has become such a massive hit over the years that multiple new sequels and spinoffs have been released. The latest outing in the ever-expanding franchise is a limited prequel series titled Dexter: Original Sin, which premiered on Paramount+ on Dec. 13. As the show’s title suggests, Original Sin will follow the titular killer as he develops his strict moral code and begins taking the lives of other serial killers for the very first time. Though Original Sin covers Dexter Morgan’s life and relationships years before the initial series, you may find yourself scratching your head trying to organize who’s who and what’s what in the new show, especially if you haven’t binged the original Dexter in many years.
For those hoping to stay organized, consider this your comprehensive guide to Dexter Morgan’s life, backstory and family dynamics (which are expected to come into play during Original Sin). We’ll run through some key plot points of the original show, as well as the 2021 sequel series Dexter: New Blood to hopefully jog your memory about all pertinent information so you can enjoy Original Sin fully. Be advised that there will be full spoilers for the Dexter franchise in the following write-up; bookmark this page and return at a later date if you’re putting off watching the shocking 2013 finale. Either way, let’s put down some plastic, grab our scalpels and dissect the plot and characters of the expanded Dexter universe.
What Is the Premise of ‘Dexter’?
Back when Dexter first aired in 2007, the show served as one of the most fascinating explorations of morally gray anti-heroes on television. The series, adapted from the written works of crime novelist Jeff Lindsay, centers on a serial killer named Dexter Morgan. Unlike your run-of-the-mill psychopath, Dexter has committed himself to a moral code, which sees him exclusively killing other serial killers. Through his twisted logic, this ritual allows the title character to satiate his innate urge to kill while ridding the world of violent criminals who may have otherwise evaded the law. As explored in flashbacks throughout the series, Dexter didn’t develop this code all on his own. After being adopted as a baby, his father Harry (a Miami police officer) quickly began to see signs pointing toward Dexter’s condition, taking action to ensure that his son wouldn’t grow up to be entirely reprehensible.
As Harry saw it, Dexter’s proclivity for killing was an inevitability that couldn’t be curtailed by therapy or medication. To prevent his adoptive son from harming innocent people, Harry taught him a strict code of conduct which helped Dexter to evade police and avoid being suspected by his peers. As an adult, Dexter even joins the Miami police force as a blood spatter analyst, helping to track down elaborate killers and occasionally diverting attention in order to save a few of them for his kill room. In the police bullpen, the titular charcter works alongside a number of friendly faces, including fellow analyst Vince Masuka, officer Angel Batista, Lieutenant María LaGuerta and even his own adoptive sister, Debra. Only one detective – James Doakes, can see through Dexter’s pleasant facade, leading to an intense rivalry that is seen by most as one-sided bullying by Doakes.
How Will the ‘Dexter’ Conclusion Tie In to ‘Original Sin’?
Though most of Original Sin‘s narrative connections to the OG Dexter series will undoubtedly come from the early years of the show, it’s probably important to discuss the end of the series as well. The franchise tends to leap back and forth in time quite often, with dream sequences, flashbacks and hallucinations of Harry’s ghost serving as constant narrative devices within the show. Dexter actor Michael C. Hall will lend his voice to the prequel, suggesting there may be references to end-game portions of Dexter, and perhaps even New Blood.
By the time Dexter reaches its eighth and final season, many things have changed for our ensemble cast. Dexter has gotten married, had a child of his own, and lost his wife in a violent altercation with the Trinity killer. Doakes and LaGuerta have both been killed after getting too close to Dexter and ultimately deciphering his true identity. Even Debra discovers Dexter’s proclivities at one point, and – after some serious soul searching – ultimately agrees to keep quiet about it by understanding the benefits of Harry’s code. Despite his uncanny ability to escape consequences at every turn, Dexter grows weary of living his double life and fears that the law will catch up with him, or that his slayings will have an adverse impact on his son, Harrison.
Examining the Series Finale
In the final episodes of the show, Dexter finds himself in a relationship with a fellow killer named Hannah, who convinces him that they can start fresh if they pack their bags and spontaneously move to Argentina. Before they can board their flight, however, Debra is shot and injured by a serial killer during an armed standoff. As she is rushed to the hospital, Debra falls into an unresponsive coma, just as Batista places the attacker in police custody. Dexter blames himself for Debra’s condition and laments that he destroys the lives of everyone around him. In a final act of revenge, Dexter visits the man, Oliver Saxon, while in lockup awaiting trial, and stabs him to death with a pen. Batista and detective Joey Quinn see this play out on a security camera feed and seem to silently surmise that it was a revenge slaying. Still, they look the other way and label it self-defense, given their personal connection to Dexter and Debra.
Having delivered one final kill, Dexter is determined to escape from his family and friends, so that they may live healthier lives without him. He wheels Debra’s comatose body out of the hospital as the staff are battering down for a massive incoming hurricane, and loads her gurney onto his boat, the Slice of Life. As he sails into the choppy waters, Dexter calls Hannah to tell her and Harrison that he loves them, before tossing his phone and personal belongings overboard and submitting himself to the sea. After the storm, we learn that Hannah and Harrison have successfully made it to Argentina, and seem to be living happy, independent lives. Dexter and Debra are both missing and presumed dead, as the wreckage of the boat washes ashore.
In a bizarre twist, the final shot of the series reveals that Dexter survived his brush with the hurricane, and managed to escape up to Astoria, Oregon. There, he has grown out a beard and lives in solitude while working as a lumberjack. Dexter never seemed to have any inclination toward hard physical labor, nor did the show foreshadow his arc ending with chopping trees and rocking flannels, but that’s the ending that we got. Obviously, Dexter chose to recuse himself of any further human connections and force penance upon himself for the negative impact he had on the lives of his loved ones.
How Does the Story Continue in ‘Dexter: New Blood’?
For nearly a decade, the image of a bearded, lumberjack Dexter served as the ultimate conclusion for the entire series, leaving many fans unsatisfied. Luckily, in 2021, the first of several Dexter limited projects was released, in the form of New Blood. This spinoff takes place ten years after the events of the Dexter finale and sees the title killer relocated to a rural town in upstate New York. Having refrained from committing any murders in a decade, Dexter seems to have finally quelled his insatiable blood lust and lives a relatively normal life. He is even in a relationship with the town’s chief of police, Angela Bishop. Of course, the pilot episode sees this serenity interrupted, as Dexter’s son Harrison mysteriously arrives in town, having uncovered his father’s secret identity.
Just as Harrison shows up, Dexter caves to his urges and kills a man whom he suspects of being a fellow serial killer. All the while, Dexter is haunted with visions of Debra, just as he was once haunted by visions of Harry. Harrison reveals that Hannah died three years earlier and that he has been bouncing around in the foster system ever since. He also explains that he finally managed to track down Dexter after a tireless search. Dexter vows to be a better father to his son, though rumblings of another serial killer in town threaten to upend his claim that his first kill in ten years was a one-off situation.
How Does ‘New Blood’ End?
Throughout the brief ten-episode run of New Blood, Harrison shows multiple early signs of being a killer, just as Dexter did in his youth. Eventually, Dexter concludes that he should train his son to carry on Harry’s code, just as his adoptive father did for him many years earlier. As the narrative plays out, a true crime podcaster manages to unearth Dexter’s secret life, unraveling his relationships in town and destabilizing his future. While embroiled in a feud with Kurt (a confirmed serial killer) Dexter’s cabin is burnt to the ground, leaving him completely out of options. In the penultimate episode of the series, the father-son duo manages to get the drop on Kurt, and Dexter ritualistically slays the man in front of his son, to show him how to avoid being caught with forensic evidence.
Unfortunately, Harrison ultimately comes to rebuke the code, as he discovers it is flawed, and – let’s face it, pretty disturbing. Dexter murders an innocent man to avoid prosecution for his crimes, which radicalizes Harrison against him, as it is in direct violation of everything Dexter claims to stand for. At first, Dexter plans to flee town with his son, though after a heated argument, he once again comes to the conclusion that he is too toxic to be a part of Harrison’s life. This time, however, becoming a lumberjack simply won’t cut it, and Dexter asks his son to kill him to set them both free. It’s a twisted piece of logic that could only come from the mind of a man with a quadruple-digit body count, but Harrison is on board. The budding first-time killer fatally shoots Dexter with a hunting rifle just before Chief Bishop arrives at the scene.
Having learned the truth about Dexter and Harrison’s twisted relationship, Bishop gives the boy a pass, telling him to leave town and never return. As Harrison gets out of dodge, Bishop herself prepares to take responsibility for Dexter’s death, though it’s left unclear how exactly she will explain the situation to the authorities. In the end, Dexter died by the very code he sought to maintain, hopefully setting his son on a path to freedom. We likely won’t learn more about the aftermath of Dexter’s passing until the 2025 release of the next Dexter spinoff series, Dexter: Resurrection.
What Can We Expect From ‘Original Sin’?
As we know, Dexter: Original Sin will center on the title character’s early years as a budding murderer. Set 15 years before the events of the 2007 series, Original Sin will provide insight into Dexter’s earliest and most clumsy encounters upholding Harry’s code. Likewise, the series will display a lot more of Harry and Debra’s personal lives during this period in Dexter’s life, with Christian Slater and Molly Brown taking on the parts, respectively. LaGuerta, Batista and Masuka are also supposed to make appearances, allowing fans to see how the characters initially developed their chemistry within the Miami Metro bullpen. As stated above, Michael C. Hall will also return to serve as the disembodied voice of adult Dexter in the show, meaning he may use his relative omnipotence to elaborate on a few key details of his adolescence.
New episodes of Dexter: Original Sin are airing Friday nights on Paramount+.
