Patrick Dempsey, Christian Slater, and Sarah Michelle Gellar cannot save this redundant prequel to the Michael C. Hall serial killer series.
Plot: Miami, 1991. When his bloodthirsty urges can’t be ignored any longer, young Dexter Morgan must learn to channel his inner darkness as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer with the guidance of his father, Harry.
Review: Fans have loved Dexter since it premiered on Showtime in 2006. Running for eight seasons and ninety-six episodes, the serial killer series ended as the most-watched finale in Showtime history when it aired in 2013. Eight years later, the series was revived as the limited series Dexter: New Blood, which concluded with the death of Michael C. Hall’s Dexter Morgan. Now, showrunner Clyde Phillips brings back the character yet again for the prequel Dexter: Original Sin, a ten-episode look back at the formative years of the blood splatter technician for the Miami Police, who also happens to be a serial killer. Boasting a retro-90s vibe and a cast that includes Christian Slater, Patrick Dempsey, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Patrick Gibson as Dexter, Original Sin is a series that fans of the franchise will love despite being a redundant foray into stories already told in the original series.
Dexter: Original Sin, which premiered on Friday the 13th, opens with the final moments from Dexter: New Blood, which saw the title character’s son, Harrison, fatally shoot him before leaving town. Original Sin undoes that shocking moment by showing Dexter narrowly surviving his injuries in an emergency room where his life flashes before his eyes. These memories serve as the core of the prequel, which boasts Michael C. Hall narrating his character’s formative days as he graduates from the University of Miami while trying to manage his homicidal urges, which he calls his Dark Passenger. Patrick Gibson (Tolkien) takes on the younger role. Gibson has the physical presence that Hall brought to the role, along with a level of inexperience and primal urges pushing him. To support his murderous intentions, Dexter’s adoptive father, Harry (Christian Slater, taking over for James Remar), leads him to medical school to settle his bloodlust, but Dexter leans towards working for Miami PD. He finds his place there, which will set up the original series.
The original Dexter spent a good amount of time in flashbacks to the character’s youth and development as a killer, making a lot of Original Sin feel like a remake rather than a necessary series. While Molly Brown does not resemble Jennifer Carpenter much, they share traits and mannerisms similar to Debra Morgan. Everyone else feels like a caricature of the original character, including James Martinez, taking over as Angel Batista from David Zayas, Alex Shimizu playing C.S. Lee’s role of Vince Masuka, and Christina Milian as Maria LaGuerta, originally played by Lauren Velez. All these new actors are talented performers taking over roles from veteran performers but still feel like they are cosplayers rather than inhabiting original creations. New cast member Patrick Dempsey boasts an over-the-top mustache to portray Captain Aaron Spencer, Harry Morgan’s superior officer, with a penchant for the dramatic. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Detective Tanya Martin is the most balanced new character, but her place in the series remains unclear.
The 1990s setting is played with little subtlety. Scene after scene features a Top 40 song from the era, with Michael C. Hall’s signature narration littered with punny references to band lyrics and events from the decade. This is meant to add a layer of humor to the mix, but it feels more forced than anything. When the series is not trying to replicate the chemistry or formula of the original series, it shows signs of potential. The performances from Patrick Gibson and Christian Slater evoke the relationship that Michael C. Hall and James Remar brought to Dexter and Harry. Still, it plays very differently with these actors. The emotionless core of who Dexter is feels different coming from Gibson, who portrays a much younger character than Hall did. However, it still wavers back and forth between a true take on the character versus the new actor trying to emulate the older one.
Usually, when episodes are not provided in advance for a series, the network tries to keep plot points from leaking out early or is worried about negative critical reviews. In the case of Dexter: Original Sin, it is a combination of both. Original Sin is stuffed with Easter eggs and references to the original series and the novels by Jeff Lindsay, but these feel more like glossy coats to hide the lack of quality underneath. Clyde Phillips, who was the showrunner on the first four seasons of Dexter and New Blood, wrote the first episode. I had high hopes as Michael Lehmann, the director of classics like Heathers, Airheads, and the cult classic Hudson Hawk, helmed the premiere episode. Lehmann does evoke the look of the 1990s but with a high-resolution finish that takes away from the retro setting. This series has nothing visually distinctive, at least in the first episode, but there are nine more I have yet to see. Based on the premiere alone, there does not seem to be much that sets this prequel apart from the preceding show.
With Dexter: Resurrection slated for a 2025 premiere, it feels like Original Sin was conceived to bridge New Blood with the upcoming show rather than a necessary addition to the franchise. Dexter has always been an acquired taste, which I never truly appreciated as much as the hardcore fans. However, the original series boasted some stellar performances like John Lithgow’s award-winning Trinity Killer. Dexter: Original Sin still has the potential to deliver some memorable moments in the formative years of the title character, but based on the mediocre premiere chapter, I am not going to hold my breath. Dexter: Original Sin is likely to be the most forgettable chapter in the saga of Dexter Morgan and one that could have been more than an extended flashback. The fact that this series has flashbacks is even more ridiculous than the hair Patrick Gibson sports in the first episode.
Dexter: Original Sin airs Fridays on Paramount+ with Showtime.
