Dexter: Original Sin drips with tragedy, callbacks, and foreshadowing

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As a longtime fan of Dexter, I must admit that the news of Dexter: Resurrection this summer has left me feeling like Rita Bennett after being caught in a hurricane – shaken, but ready to face whatever comes next. The sudden twist about Harry Morgan having a son was as unexpected as finding a dead body in my bathtub (and trust me, I’ve had my fair share of those).

Let’s get into it. Spoilers below.

Initially, the anticipation for Dexter: Original Sin is overshadowed by the announcement that Dexter: Resurrection will air this summer. I couldn’t help but feel like shouting, “But that’s not what happened last season! Have you all forgotten? He didn’t escape from the woods!” in a fit of Annie Wilkes-like frustration.

Instead of Angela hastily taking Dexter for urgent medical attention following her discovery that she had killed Logan, one might rephrase it as: Angela rushed Dexter to the emergency room immediately after discovering she had fatally wounded Logan. Dexter had been shot in the heart and was severely bleeding. A more intriguing television series could involve Angela, still emotionally unstable due to the Caldwell murders and her growing understanding of Dexter’s true nature, secretly supporting Harrison as he goes into hiding. We might even catch a glimpse of her anticipated encounter with Batista. However, it seems that… *sigh*

In the original text, the concept of “Original Sin” is introduced and immediately followed by an unexpected twist. It turns out that Harry Morgan, Dexter’s adoptive father, had a son named Junior. A flashback reveals that a brief moment of negligence results in Junior drowning in the family pool, which significantly alters our understanding of why Harry decides to take in young Dexter (rather than Brian). This new portrayal of Harry as more self-centered, even before his infidelity is revealed, makes me curious about how much less appealing Harry will be after Christian Slater plays him for an entire season.

Patrick Gibson portrays Dexter in a way that amplifies his quirks to an amusing level. His wig, however, could use some improvement. Initially, I had reservations, but I anticipate growing fond of him as the series unfolds. It was intriguing to discover that he inherited his love for junk food from Harry.

In the storyline, Laura Moser reappears as a regular figure, implying that further interactions between Dex, who is younger by two years compared to Brian, are forthcoming.

We get a fun glimpse at Masuka—who I never would have guessed was older than Dexter. Alex Shumizu is nailing Vince’s signature perv laugh.

As a gamer, I’m excited to see Sarah Michelle Gellar bring her no-nonsense charm to Tanya Martin, the forensic lead in this new series. Since she’s only listed as a guest star and we don’t know much about this character yet, I can’t help but worry that Ms. Martin might not stick around for long.

The real gem so far is Molly Brown as young Debra Morgan. She’s spot f*cking on as the teenage version of the potty-mouthed detective-cum-lieutenant. A harrowing scene where Deb is almost assaulted at a party after an attempted rapist coerces her into overdrinking was—predictable. TV dramas simply can’t show us any strong woman without some man at least trying to SA her. As this is early days for Dexter, the attacker gets to live—barely.

Brown’s portrayal of Deb’s array of anticipated feelings – anger, frustration, fear, and strong language – is spot-on. There’s a lot of strong language there. The younger characters are so captivating that the pursuit of a ruthless serial killer by the police team seems almost secondary.

What are some areas for improvement? There were instances of awkward plot development, and the Dexter’s long-haired wig seemed rather amusing. It’s an oversight that the character Dexter knew the abbreviation “BTK” in the 90s, as this term wasn’t widely recognized until his arrest in 2004. Even though it’s true that BTK was active during that time, the nickname didn’t gain notoriety until much later.

I’m leaning towards being hopeful, but keeping my fingers crossed for Dexter: Original Sin. So far, it’s looking good, and I can’t wait to follow its progress. Catch you next week!

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2024-12-16 17:14