Dexter finally revives one of the best parts of the original show that New Blood forgot

NOTICE! This article contains SPOILERS for Dexter: Original Sin season 1, episode 4!When young Dexter finally begins to implement Harry's Code, Dexter: Original Sin revives an important aspect of the main series that was practically absent from New blood. However DexterThe original series ended in 2013, the show has received a huge resurgence in popularity throughout the 2020s, leading to a limited revival in 2021, a prequel in 2024, a sequel set for release in 2025, and another prequel in development on DexterThe Trinity Killer. While each new program sees notable deviations from Dexteroriginal formulasome, like Original sinare more committed to recapturing the main series' recipe for success.

However Dexter: New Blood and Original sin generally had similar starting points, as Dexter killed for the first time in a decade in New blood while killing for the first time in Original sinthey took different approaches to telling episodic stories. In New bloodDexter was hiding his history as a serial killer, while still seeking a life of “normality” and trying to suppress his Dark Passenger. Meanwhile, in Dexter: Original Sintimeline, Dexter is just beginning to establish his ways as the eventual butcher of Bay Harbor, allowing the prequel to more closely mirror the original showformula.

Dexter: Original Sin brings back the episodic murders and hunts of the original show

Dexter targets multiple killers throughout Season 1 of Original Sin

One of the most intriguing aspects of the original show was seeing Dexter's method of hunting his victims, wearing his iconic clothes and gloves, and seeing him show or discuss his victims before killing them. Although Dexter does not target a new victim every episode, most seasons of Dexterwhich had 12 episodes each, featured him hunting new victims in several outings. He didn't always end up killing his targets, but he always had multiple victims across multiple episodes. in addition to the main “bad” one at the end of the season.

However, as Dexter was living in the small, isolated town of Iron Lake, New York, and was still working hard to suppress his Dark Passenger, the episodic deaths of Dexter were largely absent New blood. Instead, Dexter attacked and killed Matt Caldwell, tracked down and killed Jasper Hodge like he did in the old days, killed Elric Kane and Logan to find Harrison and escape prison, and killed Kurt Caldwell after discovering he was New bloodThe Runaway Killer. In reality, only two of these deaths showed Dexter as the hunter seen during the original series.

Since Dexter: Original Sin highlights how Dexter became the experienced serial killer seen at the beginning of the main series, the prequel also brings back episodic killings. As with the main series, Dexter doesn't kill a new victim every episode, but he still frequently hunts potential victims while the presence of the bigger villain lurks. and gradually builds in the background. Put Dexter: Original Sin Season 1, Episode 4, Dexter has already hunted three killers: Nurse Mary (who he kills), Tony Ferrer (who he kills), and Mad-Dog, who is run over by a vehicle after escaping Dexter's plastic restraints.

Dexter: New Blood Avoiding Episodic Killers Still Makes Sense

Iron Lake's small population wouldn't produce many killers

While it's exciting to revive the original show's original recipe of episodic killers for 20-year-old Dexter Morgan to track down in Original sin after being absent New bloodit made sense that the sequel series wouldn't include this element. On the one hand, Dexter didn't have many killers available to track. New blood repeatedly reiterates how small the town of Iron Lake is, which is part of why it's so shocking that serial killer Kurt Caldwell was able to kill for decades without being caught right under the police department's nose.

If Iron Lake had more active serial killers than Kurt, there would be some major questions not only about the efficiency of the town's police department, but also about why the small population produces so many murders. About that, Dexter: Original Sin and DexterThe main series has the titular hunted down killers in Miami, Florida, one of the most populous cities in America, with relatively high crime rates in both shows' timelines. Dexter being able to find multiple killers who have escaped justice in Miami each year is much more believable than finding multiple killers to track down in Iron Lake.

Dexter: the resurrection needs to maintain the episodic return of the death of original sin

Can Dexter return to vigilante murder after his identity as the Bay Harbor Butcher was exposed?

After Original sinthe momentum of the franchise's revival grows with Dexter: ResurrectionThe summer 2025 release, which brings back Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan. Original sinThe series premiere revealed that Dexter miraculously survived being shot by Harrison in New bloodis ending, with Resurrection following the life of the titular character after being revived by doctors. Although the Resurrection plot is still under wraps, Dexter was finally exposed as the Butcher of Bay Harbor in New blood suggests he'll be on the run from authorities or working to free himself from prison in the upcoming sequel.

Even if Dexter hides during Resurrectionhe will likely continue tracking down potential victims who fall under Harry's Code that he learned before Dexter: Original Sin. There is no Dexter if he's not acting like a vigilante killer, but he now knows he should avoid living in small towns and repeating his methods as a Bay Harbor butcher. It is possible that Dexter: Resurrection will place him in a highly populated city where he can blend in with the masses as he kills, or see him travel from place to place as he kills a new killer in each location.

New episodes of Dexter: Original Sin release Fridays on Paramount+ with Showtime.