Welcome to Miami, circa 1991. In Dexter: Original Sin, the second spin-off continuation of Showtime’s flagship series, showrunner Clyde Phillips shifts to prequel mode. Dexter: New Blood concluded with Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) shot and left for dead by his son, Harrison (Jack Alcott). We pick up as Dexter’s life flashes before his eyes. Going back decades, they could not exactly throw on a baseball cap or some long hair and call it a day. The time reversal called for a recast of all roles. Every single actor matches their characters so perfectly that one would be remiss to hunt for a weak link. Perhaps greatest of them all is Patrick Gibson as Dexter, who puts on the gloves of a murder so seamlessly it’s as if he was there since the very beginning anyway. As a final touch, Hall returns in voiceover as Dexter’s Dark Passenger, narrating and tying the connections up with a perfect bow of finality. Bubbly and vital, Dexter: Original Sin makes a perfect companion piece to the original series, complete with bloody kills and campy humor.
Picking up right at the climax of New Blood, Dexter gets rushed to the hospital as he fights for his life. In opening this way, it already gives Original Sin a direct tie into the franchise, folding nicely in between seasons of the flagship series. Next up with be Dexter: Resurrection, but until then, Original Sin had some heavy lifting to do. Many fans were strangely upset about how New Blood concluded—I was certainly not among that camp, as I found Dexter’s apparent death-by-Harrison an apt way to close things out without turning him into a lumberjack. It felt final, but Original Sin excitingly opens up the floodgates for more stories in the Dexter universe. The ratings speak for themselves, as the prequel went on to become one of the most-viewed series of all time on burgeoning streamer, Paramount+. Original Sin has also already been renewed for a second season, which was surprising since it was originally billed as a limited series.
With the dying Dexter element out of the way, showrunner Phillips and his team of creatives visit twenty-year-old Dexter on the cusp of working as an intern at Miami Metro. They do not rush him there though, with the first episode nicely establishing family dynamics, and revisiting a storyline about a nurse who quietly poisons her patients that will be very familiar. If at first the premiere does not seem as significant, those fears should quickly vanish once Dexter makes his first-ever kill. What instantly impresses though is Patrick Gibson in the title role. There was never a second watching him that he felt different motivationally from the one we follow in the flagship series. He has the perfect voice, demeanor, and facial expressions of Michael C. Hall, and his own charismatic performance perfectly mirrors Hall. This makes Hall’s narration fit like a glove as we access the inner mind of a complex budding serial killer. In a show named after its title character, Dexter always remains the most compelling.
Dexter’s father, Harry (Christian Slater) still seems haunted by the loss of his younger son and wife. Throughout the season, we get a front row seat into Harry’s perspective for the first time. We see his bond with Laura Moser (Brittany Allen) develop from brash criminal and irresponsible mother to potential love interest and determined informant. These flashbacks are part of the story’s DNA unfolding in the present day. A strange man lurks in the shadows and begins killing off mostly homeless Miami folks in passionate ways. Later, the season reveals the identity to be none other than the Ice Truck Killer himself, Brian Moser (Roby Attal), Dexter’s brother. Harry’s story has a cyclical tragedy baked into it, as we all know how he will end up. But the nuances and revelations add an extra layer, fully-forming a father figure that makes an incredible impact on Dexter as a functional human being.
The other massive presence in the Morgan family, of course, is Deb, played here by Molly Brown. Similar to Gibson, Brown completely nails Deb’s persona, particularly in her line deliveries and generally abrasive attitude. She constantly catches herself on the fringes of Harry and Dexter’s relationship, fighting for attention as only a troublesome teenager could. Original Sin devotes more time than expected on Deb’s high school drama and the sibling dynamic, the latter of which works surprisingly well. Again, we know what happens to Debra in the future, but that does not impact the past. Her character has a vibrant quality that makes Deb a fan favorite. Naturally, that extends over to this iteration of her, a sarcastic, foul-mouthed miscreant who just wants to get along well with others and longs for connection. We get to see how their mother’s death truly affected Deb; while this was certainly mentioned throughout Dexter, we have never been alone with the young character in her earliest stages of grief.
So what of Miami Metro? Patrick Dempsey plays Captain Spencer, who gets a hell of a lot more to do than originally anticipated. In the finale, he goes full-tilt bonkers. The incomparable Sarah Michelle Gellar fills the shoes of forensics investigator Tanya Martin, a role tailor-made for the seasoned actress. Tanya takes Dexter under her wing considerably once he starts interning for her department. While Tanya never plays into the main storyline in a major way, she could become even more interesting in a subsequent installment of the series. Meanwhile, those we know and love look pretty much exactly how they appeared in Dexter: Detective Maria LaGuerta (Christina Milian) is fiery and distrusting; Vince Masuka (Alex Shimizu) is horny and overbearing; and Detective Angel Batista (James Martinez) has a romantic soul, and a penchant for fedoras. Miami Metro overflows with familiar faces, and has a similar feel of when we first visit the building in 2006.
Being set in the 90s, there’s a style and tonal difference from Dexter that makes Original Sin feel special. From the obviously great soundtrack to a grungy, aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, fun is the name of the game for this prequel. Original Sin isn’t just a recreation of what worked in the series, but an encapsulation of the greatness that made its earliest seasons magical. A true ensemble experience takes center stage, with even smaller players such as closeted Office Clark Sanders (Aaron Jennings) contributing to the overarching story. It never feels like the creatives are just checking off boxes—Easter eggs galore and references to franchise lore come organically, and entirely compliment what plays out onscreen.
Comprised of 10 episodes across three discs, Dexter: Original Sin comes in steelbook or regular Blu-Ray format. The sole special feature, a nearly ten minute featurette titled Dissecting Dexter: Original Sin, emphasizes how much fun the cast had on set, and compares the kill scenes to filming sex scenes. Finding time for family bonding and situational humor—see: Dexter accidentally eating pot brownies, or his attempts at being a normal boyfriend—makes the bursts of horror that much more effective. As we anxiously await further announcements from the Dexter universe, this companion piece finds its groove in channeling the energy of the best past seasons had to offer. Excellent writing helps to balance coming-of-age with murderous impulses. For once, a prequel actually feels essential. Fueled by its nearly identical ensemble in a jaw-dropping reflection of their future-timeline doppelgangers, Dexter: Original Sin proves there’s no stopping Harry’s code for a whole new generation of fans.
Dexter: Original Sin analyzes the origins of a serial killer, now on Blu-Ray from Paramount Home Entertainment.
