As a self-proclaimed consumer of anything and everything good, the original Dexter series was one of the first binge-worthy masterpieces that I ever came across, and I immediately fell in love with it.
While Lauren Gussis’s creation had plenty of things to love, it was the unique darkness of the character, above everything else, that immediately hooked me.
Dexter’s hopelessness when it came to fitting in, his moral code, and the sheer deadpan nature of his actions brought forth an obvious quandary: viewers rooted for him despite who he was.
And the reasons still remain painstakingly simple.
In a normal world where the commons are regularly wronged, the anti-hero with a moral code is the closest one can get to a superhero.
And while that is undoubtedly a familiar trope, Michael C. Hall’s character stood out because he was as brutal as he was logical.
The rules when it came to Dexter were so twisted that those who understood him simply had no choice but to side with him.
Each time he plunged a knife into a taped-down body, the relief this character felt was felt by viewers as well, simply because viewers understood, empathised, and most importantly, agreed with him.
The people he killed deserved their fate.
Dexter, right from the first season released in 2006, was an enigma, but one that was fiercely loved by the audience.
That simple fact — that Dexter, the one-man killing machine, single-handedly made his namesake show such a cult (and mainstream) hit — seemed lost on New Blood, but not on Dexter: Resurrection.
Resurrection undoubtedly feels lighter and is a firm change in direction, considering the sheer darkness associated with the original series.
However, that is not a betrayal; it is a needed recalibration.
And for me, that recalibration both soothes and nags.
Why Dexter: Resurrection Was Always Going to Be Lighter
Resurrection is undoubtedly lighter; the show has moved away from the tone of the original to lend a whimsical, almost hilarious outlook on things.
It took away Dexter’s troubles, made him an almost invincible murderer who can take on and win against anyone, no matter what kind of human (and other) resources someone like Peter Dinklage’s Leon Prater may boast of.
Dexter, however, was never threatened and simply did not find himself in any situation where his life was under more than mild danger.
Resurrection effectively took away the seriousness of the stakes attached to his story and instead presented a plot that Dexter was always firmly in control of.
Like before, when he would find himself in a life-threatening situation virtually every episode and was against nemesis that he actually struggled with, Resurrection kept things firmly under Dexter’s thumb.
But that was always going to be the only way forward, due to an obvious reason.
When you bring a character back after a decade, you’re not just reviving plot threads — you’re reopening the emotional ledger fans kept.
New Blood not only gave fans an uncharacteristic Dexter who was seemingly bogged down, the show creators even seemed determined to take at least some of the focus away.
And when you try that with a character who had single-handedly run the original show, a reduced role, or even a slight detour from the actual substance that made Dexter such a hit in the first place, fans are bound to be left frustrated.
The way out, therefore, was always going to be a whimsical storyline that takes focus away from the improbable nature of how Dexter had progressed since the original show ended.
To make him the central attraction once again, the showrunners needed a plot that could bring him back to life.
And doing that while following the same tone that the original perfectly captured would never have worked, simply because of how the original series, despite its uniqueness, stayed grounded in reality and relatability.
Resurrection, therefore, not only needed a way to bring Dexter back, it also needed to be done in a way that fans could accept.
Hence, Resurrection simply needed to do the best with what it had; it needed to bring Dexter back to life, move away from the disservice New Blood did to the character, and chalk out a new path that could result in a potential phenomenon revival.
And while the jury might still be out, considering the biggest obstacles for Resurrection, a lighter route was always going to make sense, simply because of the complications New Blood had brought forth.
Dexter: Resurrection Gave New Life to the Series
The Dexter brand carried baggage.
The original finale and the New Blood wrap-up left a lot of fans bruised and angry: the former for faking closure and tacking on a lumberjack life, the latter for its grim, divisive climax involving Harrison.
Those endings not only took away the focus from what made this story a hit, but also left too much uncertainty over where things were headed.
After all, would the audience be interested in following Harrison’s story?
A watered-down, less skilled, more emotional version of the killer with a code we all fell in love with and continue to watch the sequels for?
Hence, even more than presenting a complete package and an intriguing storyline, Resurrection first needed to right the course by ensuring that Dexter remained the prime focus.
And if that needed a whimsical, almost comical tale where Dexter simply coasts from one murder to another, so be it.
I mean, the quickest way for this series to lose its following was to lose Dexter, and while he may be starkly different from before, his story continues.
Resurrection manages to conserve the original character, strips away the problems of New Blood, and effectively brings back everything that made Dexter so well-loved originally.
It is not the best sequel, nor the worst.
However, it kept the essence of the character alive and gave him a future once again.
That single-handedly gives Resurrection a future, one which New Blood had murkied with its intent to take the focus away from the one thing that makes Dexter work: Dexter himself.
So yes, the darkness, the moral ambiguity, and the actual heart-throbbing twists may no longer exist.
Instead, we now have a Dexter who almost has a cloak of invincibility, and plot devices so whimsical that it was a surprise Clyde Phillips even managed to make it work.
But yes, he did, and in return, we have a series that is going to do no harm to Dexter’s legacy.
And the best part is that there will be a second season!
What do you think?
Could Dexter: Resurrection have done a better job? Let us know in the comments below!
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