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Dexter: Original Sintotally understood its assignment. Fans wanted to see the backstory of Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) fromDexterplay out versus only in flashbacks. Score one for Patrick Gibson as a younger Dexter. They also wanted to dive deeper into the character of Harry, played by James Remar in flashbacks in the original and Christian Slater in this show. Score two.
There was even icing on top, including a new cast playing beloved characters from the original and greater context relating to characters like Brian Moser (Christian Camargo/Roby Attal), Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter/Molly Brown), and especially Harry. Score bonus points.Overall, the show is fantastic, but the ending left a lot to be desired. This is both a good and a bad thing and here’s why.
Dexter: Original Sin
Spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Dexter: Original Sin.
‘Dexter: Original Sin’ Left Us Hanging, and Not in a Good Way
Perhaps I went intoDexter: Original Sinthinking that this would be a one-season limited series, though showrunner Clyde Phillips hinted that he always meant for the show to run for longer. (It hasn’t yet been officially renewed).I hoped that it would continue, and the way it ended only solidified how necessary it was. If it doesn’t, the show has not served its purpose well.
That’s because the expectation for many fans was that the end would play out that pivotal moment when Harry catches Dexter in the act of dismembering a body. He already knew Dexter was doing this. But hearing about it and seeing it are two very different things. However, this hasn’t happened. Yet. This crucial moment is what ultimately led to Harry’sdeath by suicide, so it’s perhaps a good thing it didn’t happen because it means Harry is still alive. But as much as fans are happy that Slater will still be in the cast (alive versus as a ghost), if there’s a second season, it raises timeline questions.
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Fans ofDexterknow that Harry died when Dexter was 20 years old, the age he already is in the series. A slow passage of time can justify the snail’s pace of the story. Thatdoesleave 365 days to cover across multiple seasons, after all. But this will only work for so long before it comes across as a desperate attempt to draw things out for the sake of filling episodes.
Most importantly, failing to depict this moment leaves fans hanging with no closure to Harry’s story. We already know what’s coming, and it’s heartbreaking. Fans don’t want it to happen, but we also want to get it over with because we know it’s coming rather than deal with the reality of his pending death hanging over every episode. On the positive side, delaying this inevitability also opens the potential for so muchmore character-building. Especially now that Harry has come face-to-face with Brian for what was probably not the only time.
We know that Dexter eventually kills a drug dealer who killed Harry’s partner, which could allude to Bobby’s (Reno Wilson) death. InDexter,it’salso revealed that just before his death, Harry was seeing a therapist named Evelyn (Charlotte Rampling), to whom he disclosed all of Dexter’s dark secrets. All this is fodder that can play out in Season 2. However,the wayDexter: Original SinSeason 1 ended, too many questions were left unanswered. It felt like the show was just getting started.
The Mysteries of Brian Prevail in ‘Dexter: Original Sin’
Arguably one of the things that’s most irritating about the wayDexter: Original SinSeason 1 ends, with a presumption of a second season, is also what’s good about it. With Brian, areturning villain fromDexter,his interaction with Harry is somewhat anticlimactic, saddling Harry with even more guilt while simultaneously absolving him of it.
Fans know that Brian won’t and doesn’t let up, since he reappears in the first season ofDexteras a serial killer dubbed The Ice Truck Killer. It’s unclear when he discovers that Dexter has a Dark Passenger as well and if he has any run-ins with Dexter prior to this. If so, it would have to be another fleeting, random moment since Dexter’s memories ofwhat happened in the shipping yard containerremain repressed for another 15 years.
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‘Dexter: Original Sin’ is a prequel series to ‘Dexter’, which ended more than a decade ago. Is it really necessary to go back and watch the original?
So, fans are left curious how Brian remains at a distance for so long and why, especially once Harry is no longer in the picture. When the season ends with Harry, Dexter, and Debra happily dancing in a restaurant as Brian looks on from outside, it’s evident he has no intention of fully honoring Harry’s wishes. Inquiring minds want to know what happens, especially after only having just been acquainted with older Brian in the penultimate episode.
The finale, in fact, felt more like a penultimate episode than a season finale. Admittedly, sometimes fans despise cliffhanger endings, especially when there’s so much time between seasons. But in this case, I yearned for a more shocking cliffhanger that would leave me reeling and desperate to determine if the show would continue. Instead, I’m not left reeling, just puzzled.
‘Dexter: Original Sin’ Needs a Season 2
The way the season ends makes a solid case for renewal but also raises questions about when Harry’s death will occurand how slowly the story will be drawn out. With so much still up in the air, there’s a lot to unpack. If Harry was dealing with his emotions following Spencer’s betrayal, death, and heinous actions, sees Dexter in his kill groove, and endures Brian’s continued torment, there may be some vindication for Dexter as well. Maybe it was Brian and what he became that instilled fear about Dexter in Harry and not Dexter himself. PerhapsDexter wasn’t solely responsiblefor pushing Harry over the edge.
Every ‘Dexter’ Character Returning for ‘Original Sin’
Showtime’s hit series Dexter just premiered its latest spin-off ‘Original Sin’. So which characters can fans expect to see again?
Overall, the ending just didn’t feel like an ending. It felt like partial closure that was missing a major cliffhanger tease fans have been craving. Perhaps what was so wrong about howDexter: Original Sinended, then, isthatit ended. That’s a good thing, but it also puts pressure to deliver a story that stays true to the canon without pulling rabbits out of hats to make things interesting.
Ultimately, fans don’t want to see Harry go, especially given how well Slater plays him. But they also kind of do. Because it’s only then that Dexter will start to unravel and be forced to fight the inner Dark Passenger on his own for the first time. That hasn’t happened yet, leaving fans unsatiated and hungry for more. At least for now.StreamDexter: Original SinonParamount+.
