I Like Dexter: Resurrection, But Am I The Only One Who Thinks It Has The Wrong Main Character?

SPOILER WARNING: The following article gives away several key details from Dexter: Resurrection. If you are not yet caught up with the revival of the killer series, or any of its previous iterations, don’t get caught stumbling on a spoiler if you continue reading on.

One of my all-time favorite crime TV shows is Dexter, which is why I was immediately intrigued when I heard Michael C. Hall’s serial killer with a heart of gold was coming back for yet another revival series called Dexter: Resurrection, which brings the action to New York City.

Considering the unfortunate reception to the endings of both Showtime’s original series and 2021’s Dexter: New Blood, I found myself certainly welcome to the idea of bringing Dexter Morgan back from the dead for another try. After watching the first couple of episodes of Resurrection with my Paramount+ subscription, I would say it’s a bloody good time, but I’m not so sure if reviving the title character was the right call. Allow me to explain…

Dexter's Storyline So Far Feels Repetitive And Uninspired

Resurrection picks up months after New Blood, in which the title character’s son, Harrison (Jack Alcott), seemingly shot him to death. It is explained that he survived due to the cold weather, which is a little ridiculous, but is the least of my issues. Those started for me when the comatose serial killer begins hallucinating about some of his most iconic nemeses (including John Lithgow’s Trinity Killer, who could also get his own spinoff) to reiterate various themes about his psyche and legacy that any fan should already be familiar with.

However, things become particularly repetitive when James Remar as Dexter’s late adoptive father, Harry Morgan, reappears, and soon, most of their conversations revolve around whether or not Dexter should attempt to reunite with Harrison. Suspicions that his son may have committed a recent murder in New York City do lead him to head for the Big Apple, where he makes friends with a rideshare driver named Blessing (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), who is far too trusting of this stranger, especially with a serial killer specifically targeting rideshare drivers on the loose. Inevitably, he makes it his duty to hunt this murderer referred to as “The Dark Passenger,” mostly because he feels he stole the name he gives his inner demon.

These are all the aspects of Dexter: Resurrection that have managed to bother the shit out of me so far, and I think the list is a little too long for only the first two episodes. With how often his storyline has relied on all-too-familiar themes, repeated dialogue, and plot conveniences, I cannot help but feel that showrunner Clyde Phillips really does not know what else to do with this character while still wanting to keep this franchise alive somehow. As far as I am concerned, the solution was staring him right in the face.

Harrison's Plot Is Far More Interesting To Me

Concurrent to Dexter’s main storyline is a B plot focused on Harrison, now seen working at an upscale hotel and earning a great reputation among the staff and guests. However, he is still haunted by guilt from ending his complicated relationship with his father by gunshot, pondering over the future they could have had if things had gone another way.

Things begin to really turn sour for Harrison when he impulsively murders a man who was about to commit sexual assault on a hotel guest, but manages to cover his tracks pretty well with tips his father taught him. Yet, even his cleanest getaway has a few flaws noticed by Det. Claudette Wallace (Kadia Saraf), whose powers of observation rival Sherlock Holmes. To make matters worse, he is now haunted by visions of his latest victim, driving him to indulge in reckless behavior to cope.

Harrison’s storyline is constantly bringing up questions for me, such as how far he will go to silence his guilt, how his violent tendencies might affect the relationships he has formed in New York, and how he will manage to avoid getting caught by Det. Wallace. In fact, it is the one thing keeping me engaged in Resurrection. I was hoping to have the same reaction to the elements revolving around our main character, but sadly, that is not the case.

I have tended to disagree with some of the more general complaints about the franchise. For instance, while Season 4 may be the best season of Dexter, I don’t think the subsequent drop in overall quality makes the series any less worth watching, and I was not at all let down by the ending of New Blood. I, for one, believe it was a perfect way to conclude the character’s story and, quite frankly, after seeing what he is up to in Resurrection, I think it might have been best if he stayed dead.

I recall, just a few years ago, there was (according to TVLine) an idea to continue this story after Dexter’s death with a series that puts the focus purely on Harrison. Considering how refreshing and engaging his storyline in Dexter: Resurrection has been, in my opinion, I question why that ended up on the chopping block. I am hoping that, by the time this latest revival concludes, my mind will be changed.