The attempt to revive the fascination of “Dexter” fails on almost every level. Why “Original Sin” doesn’t survive comparison with the original…
Spoiler warning – This message may contain hints about the continuation of the plot!
Paramount+ and Showtime see great franchise potential in Dexter, while also needing to be careful not to accidentally kill the brand. After the sequel series, “Dexter: New Blood”, which started in 2021, was quite nice at best, the new prequel, Dexter: Original Sin, is now a clear failure. At first glance it may look like “Dexter,” but it doesn’t feel like “Dexter.” Similar to a cover song that sounds like the original but just can't convey that unique feeling.
Bad omens for the series “Dexter: Original Sin”
In advance, Paramount had decided not to provide screeners for the ten-part opening season of “Dexter: Original Sin”. We now know from experience that this unfortunately often indicates the quality of a reboot… But in the case of the “Dexter” prequel, the negative signs were visible much earlier: the title “Original Sin” alone is immediately solved a cringe feeling because it fits more with Pretty Little Liars than with Dexter.
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The fundamental problem is that prequel series are better off focusing on a supporting character rather than the main character. Better Call Saul worked so well because Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) was a casual caricature in Breaking Bad that was later fleshed out in the prequel. With “Dexter” the exact opposite threatens to happen: you take a protagonist who has already been developed over many seasons and subsequently distort him into a decal.
Since we know exactly where “Dexter” stands at the beginning of the very first season, there are clear limits for “Dexter: Original Sin”. There is very little new to discover, as in the original the character's past seemed to have been explored through the numerous flashbacks. In the pilot episode of the prequel, And in the Beginning… (1×01), entire passages from the young Dexter's life are repeated. Homage or lack of imagination?
Old showrunner, new problems
The script also has weaknesses, which is particularly sad when you consider that former showrunner Clyde Phillips was brought back especially for the prequel (as with “New Blood”). For a long time, fans believed that the dip in quality of the original “Dexter” had to do with his leaving the series after the fourth season. The season with the Trinity Killer is still considered the strongest in the entire franchise – by the way, a prequel about the villain is currently in development.
Back to “Original Sin”: Before you get to know the young Dexter actor Patrick Gibson (Shadow and Bone), the old man appears again, i.e. Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall. He is the face of the franchise – and also the voice, because he remains in the voiceover. His brief appearance doesn't bring much joy right from the start because it's a well-calculated cross-promotion maneuver with the sole aim of announcing the big revival with Dexter: Resurrection.
ASMR intro reinvented
The new intro to “Dexter: Original Sin” is a little more pleasing because it is the only example of successful homage. You hear the legendary opening theme by composer Rolfe Kent and see various allusions to Dexter's good old morning routine. The small deviations are quite charming – for example when father Harry (Christian Slater) has to do the shaving because babyface Gibson apparently lacks beard growth. The idea of focusing on the entire Morgan family (including Molly Brown as sister Debra) is also a good one. This takes pressure off the title character.
To stay on the positive side, Gibson actually has a few strong moments in the pilot episode. The scene is particularly beautiful when Dexter sits in his teenage room and imagines what his name could become as a serial killer. Like a child who dreams of being a superhero – and in a certain way, “Dexter” has always fit into the superhero genre. The interaction with Slater, which is so central to the series, also looks promising.
Otherwise, superstars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) also bring joy every time they are on screen. Dempsey sports a wonderful mustache, which may be his main qualification for the position of then-captain of the Miami Metro Police – the look is even better when you remember that Dempsey was voted “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2023. Unfortunately, he and SMG as a brilliant forensic pathologist are seen far too rarely in the first episode. Could this elite cast perhaps only be afforded with limited screen time?
Costumes instead of characters
As far as well-known characters like Vince Masuka, Angel Batista and Maria LaGuerta are concerned – who are played here by Alex Shimizu (The Blacklist), James Martinez (Love, Victor) and Christina Milian (Grandfathered) – one unfortunately has to say again that the caricatural predominates. Because of his distinctive fashion style, Angel seems like a funny disguise in which his new actor Martinez inevitably gets lost. One can only hope that these supporting roles gain more opportunities to reinvent themselves as the film progresses.
In the stylistic showdown, small details repeatedly come out negatively: sometimes as a very unsubtle reference to the novel “American Psycho”, sometimes in the form of a strange comment about cats (which Dexter is said to have suddenly discovered for himself?). The broken hospital lettering that spells out “Emergency” and “Emerge” at the same time is also a bit embarrassing – just before we jump to Dexter's birth scene. At least the series makes its own level clear early on. But the fact that you actually start at the birth of the main character can only be a joke. Or?
Interestingly, the first episode was directed by “Heathers” director Michael Lehmann (he and Slater also had a project together in 1988). One of the most annoying things about “Dexter: Original Sin” is the music selection. You can hear songs again and again that just don’t fit “Dexter” at all. “Ice Ice Baby” is particularly memorable – which can only be excused with an allusion to the refrigerated truck killer, but otherwise it plays no role.
Repetitions and deviations
Nurse Mary was chosen as the first opponent for young Dexter. She is the angel of death who poisoned Dexter's father and then became the first (human) victim ever for the main character. Seen in this way, it's a logical starting point for the prequel, but unfortunately a lot of what was already seen in flashbacks in the original is repeated here. Maybe Phillips and company want to attract new viewers, but it's annoying for the old ones.
Now a small spoiler paragraph (which can be skipped if necessary): With regards to old fans, “Dexter: Original Sin” may cause confusion in the pilot by adding a new detail about Harry. I personally have seen the first four seasons of Dexter at least five times and have absolutely no recollection that Dexter's adoptive father had a son before him who drowned in the swimming pool while drunk watching football. A scene whose drastic nature doesn't fit into the overall picture. Although in theory, Harry's tragic backstory would be exactly where the prequel needs to go. Especially since you can rely on Slater as the strongest member of the main cast…
Finally, a quick word about the setting and the premise (we would have quickly forgotten that because of all the anger). The story takes place in Miami in 1991: Dexter struggles with medical school because it isn't bloody enough; and starts an internship in blood trace analysis. But how does he get there? The prequel could have come up with so much here, especially since his father has a direct connection to the police. Also? It's simple: Dexter goes to a career fair. That's it.
Conclusion
All in all, it remains to be said that the premiere of “Dexter: Original Sin” is not much fun. The prequel raises doubts about whether the expanded “Dexter” franchise that is currently being built is even viable. Maybe the first half of the original “Dexter” was simply the fluke result of a perfect storm back in the 2000s. Maybe this spirit can't be specifically summoned – although mastermind Clyde Phillips has now failed to do so.
You don't want to blame him at all, because the wrong decisions were probably made at the broadcaster level. The new prequel “Dexter: Origin” is already overshadowed by the upcoming sequel “Dexter: Resurrection”, which is supposed to star Michael C. Hall. Patrick Gibson and the other new stars of “Original Sin” are not to blame either. They are still the best argument for giving the reboot at Paramount+ a chance.
We therefore have two out of five bitterly disappointed knives to start with.
