Everything We Know About the Dexter Reboot (So Far)
Everything We Know About the Dexter Reboot So Far
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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for Everything We Know About the Dexter Reboot (So Far). For this list, we’ll be looking at plot details and behind-the-scenes info about the “Dexter” revival set to premiere on Showtime in late 2021. If you’re not caught up on the series, keep in mind that there will be spoilers. Are you eager to see Dexter’s legacy continue? Let us know in the comments!
#10: The Length & Format
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In the past, shows that ended on an abrupt or disappointing note would sometimes continue with a TV or theatrical movie. In this golden age of television, though, it’s all about revivals. Some revivals last multiple seasons like “Will & Grace” while others contain themselves to a limited series like “Twin Peaks.” “Dexter” is taking the latter route. We’re getting a new standalone season consisting of ten episodes. Since the revival is being billed as a “limited series,” we shouldn’t necessarily expect a tenth season to follow anytime soon. That doesn’t mean this new batch of episodes will completely wrap up Dexter’s story either. It could be like “24: Live Another Day,” which was more of a reunion than a definitive end for Jack Bauer.
#9: Michael C. Hall Returns
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It just isn’t “Dexter” without Michael C. Hall. In addition to five Emmy nominations, Hall won a Golden Golden and Screen Actors Guild Award for playing the deadly yet endearing antihero. Hall will naturally reprise his career-defining role for the revival. Although Hall is “excited” to be back, it reportedly took a few years of persuasion to get him on board. Hall explained in an interview with Daily Beast that “the story that’s being told is worth telling in a way that other proposals didn’t.” Hall also acknowledged that fans generally found the initial series finale to be “pretty unsatisfying.” Whether this revival is an ending or just another chapter, Hall seems convinced that it’s a worthy addition to Dexter’s story.
#8: When It Takes Place
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It’s been almost eight years since we last saw Dexter Morgan. The revival will acknowledge this passage of time, picking up almost a decade after the Season 8 finale. As of writing, Hall is the only actor from the original cast confirmed to return. However, it’s worth noting that Dexter’s son Harrison would be in his early teens by this point. When we last saw Harrison, he relocated to Argentina with Dexter’s love interest, Hannah McKay. If Harrison possesses a dark passenger like his father, it’d make sense for him to seek Dexter out now. Harrison could also easily be recast since we last saw him as a child. In any case, the time gap could make leeway for some interesting ideas.
#7: The Set-Up & Setting
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While only a few plot details have been revealed so far, there’s already plenty to chew on. After faking his death in Hurricane Laura, Dexter started working as a reclusive lumberjack in Oregon. Dexter has since moved on to a fictional New York town called Iron Lake under the alias Jimmy Lindsay. Based on the official “Dexter” Twitter page, we can deduce that “Jimmy” works at Fred’s Fish & Game as a sales associate. Jimmy has a friendly rapport with his neighbors who all know his name, albeit not his real name. Although Dexter seems to be a functioning member of society, something sinister still calls out to him. Whether or not the series ever takes Dexter back to Miami, his dark passenger follows him everywhere.
#6: The Supporting Cast
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The revival introduces several newcomers who may or may not end up on Dexter’s table. Michael Cyril Creighton stars as Fred Jr., who inherited the family fish and game business from his father. Jamie Chung plays a true-crime podcaster named Molly, which could spell trouble for Dexter. Speaking of trouble, Oscar Wahlberg appears as Zach, a high school wrestling team captain with something of a mean streak. Dexter will also naturally have some run-ins with the local authorities, including a rookie named Teddy, played by David Magidoff, a sergeant named Logan, played by Alano Miller, and Chief of Police Angela Bishop, played by Julia Jones. Johnny Sequoyah stars as Angela’s daughter while Jack Alcott will have “a meaningful encounter” with Dexter as Randall.
#5: Clyde Phillips Is Back as Showrunner
We all know when “Dexter” went downhill, but why exactly did the series fall from grace? While there are many factors to consider, Clyde Phillips’ exit definitely didn’t help. Phillips served as a writer, executive producer, and showrunner on “Dexter” Season 1. Phillips stepped down as showrunner after Season 4 when the series arguably peaked in quality. Head writer Melissa Rosenberg also departed following that season. It’s probably not a coincidence that the show started to decline when its key creative talent left. Fortunately, Phillips is returning as the revival’s showrunner. Had Phillips stayed with the series, he envisioned an ending where Dexter is on a Florida Penitentiary execution table with his former victims observing. Will Phillips revisit this idea now that he’s coming back?
#4: Clancy Brown as the Villain
A season of “Dexter” is only as great as its big bad. The revival will pit Dexter against Clancy Brown as Kurt Caldwell. Even if you don’t recognize Brown’s name, you’ll most certainly recognize his booming voice from “Highlander,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “Thor: Ragnarok.” Based on that lineup, it’s clear that Brown excels in villainous roles. Brown has also played sympathetic characters like Cassie’s father in “Promising Young Woman.” He’ll get to show off his range as Caldwell, Iron Lake’s unofficial mayor who owns various trucks and runs a local truck shop. Although Caldwell is beloved by the community, you wouldn’t want to get on his bad side. Of course, we’d rather have Caldwell for an enemy than Dexter.
#3: Jennifer Carpenter MIGHT Return
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Considering that Debra Morgan died in the Season 8 finale, one would assume that Dexter’s sister won’t be in the revival. Then again, Deb could always appear through flashbacks. She could even fill the Harry role as Dexter’s spiritual guide, representing a part of his psyche. This would make sense, as actor James Remar claims he won’t return as Dexter’s adoptive father. We may be getting ahead of ourselves, though, as there’s been no official announcement of actress Jennifer Carpenter’s involvement. However, in March 2021, not long after the revival started filming, Carpenter posted a photo of herself on the set of an upcoming project. Although Carpenter didn’t confirm what she was working on, her striped shirt wouldn’t look out of place in Deb’s wardrobe.
#2: It Won’t Retcon Past Seasons
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From 2018’s “Halloween” to “Terminator: Dark Fate,” many continuations of popular stories have been hitting the redo switch as of late. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, though, Phillips clarified that everything from the first eight seasons still happened and the “Dexter” revival wouldn’t undo the original ending. That means Deb is dead, most of the Miami Metro team never figured out Dexter’s true nature, and the whole lumberjack fiasco is canon. Although there are indeed parts we’d like to forget, Phillips explained that they didn’t want to “betray the audience and say, ‘Whoops, that was all a dream.’” Admittedly, it would be kind of cheap if Dexter woke up to find Rita alive in the shower, ala “Dallas.”
#1: It’s a Second Finale
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While Phillips isn’t retconning the finale, he says that the revival is “an opportunity to make that right.” Phillips doesn’t like to think of the revival as “Dexter” Season 9, as the time jump will allow them to start with a relatively clean slate. Rather, Phillips described it as a “second finale,” adding, “this will have no resemblance to how the original finale was.” That’s definitely a promising sign. What remains to be seen is if this second finale will be the conclusive ending for Dexter or if a third finale is in the cards. Either way, Phillips, Hall, and the rest of the crew seem determined to give Dexter the satisfying sendoff that fans have been craving since 2013.
