Why 'Dexter: Resurrection' May Succeed Where 'Original Sin' Is Failing

Dexter: Resurrection, the sequel series to Dexter: New Blood (which was essentially the ninth season of the original Dexter), has announced the return of Jack Alcott as Dexter’s son, Harrison, alongside original cast members David Zayas and James Remar. Zayas and Remar played Detective Angel Batista and Dexter’s father/Dark Passenger, respectively.

I’ll admit I found this news exciting, despite my dwindling interest in the prequel series, Original Sin. The reason, I realized, is that Resurrection—like the original Dexter—has one major advantage over Original Sin: Michael C. Hall.

Yes, Hall narrates the prequel, but his physical presence is the magic ingredient. Without him, Original Sin feels unremarkable. The writing remains mediocre, the acting passable, and the storytelling formulaic—predictable but not outright bad. Christian Slater is doing commendable work as Dexter’s father, and Molly Brown holds her own, arguably outperforming Jennifer Carpenter, whose acting in the original series was often maligned. Patrick Dempsey and Sarah Michelle Gellar add nostalgic ’90s vibes to the mix, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them turns out to be a murderer.

The real issue is the setting. While Dexter’s Miami backdrop has always been brightly lit, Michael C. Hall was the perfect bridge between that sunny exterior and the series’ dark subject matter. His performance balanced Dexter’s duality — the affable, dryly humorous blood-spatter expert and the deeply disturbed serial killer with a murder fetish. There’s a reason Hall earned six Emmy nominations for the role.

With all due respect to Patrick Gibson, who plays the younger Dexter Morgan, he doesn’t quite pull it off. He’s all light, and his attempts at darkness feel forced. The brooding, conflicted serial killer isn’t there, and when he mimics Hall’s expressions, it comes across as cringe. I don’t find him believable, and worse, I don’t find him sympathetic, something Hall’s Dexter always managed to be, even at his most sinister.

I’ll keep watching Original Sin, partly because I’m a completist and partly because it’s not unwatchable. But unless the first season delivers something spectacular, I’m not eager for a second—especially if it exhausts most of the historical lore tied to Dexter’s character. And the thought of that Trinity Killer prequel — and a younger actor trying to play John Lithgow’s character — seems woefully misguided.