DEXTER: RESURRECTION

Michael C. Hall as the ever-delightful Dexter

DEXTER: RESURRECTION (2025). 

Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) , the serial killer who generally only murders other serial killers, did not die at the end of his last mini-series. He survived being shot in the chest by his own son, Harrison (Jack Alcott). Dexter continues to have conversations with his dead father (James Remar) -- a device that is a bit tiresome, frankly -- as he makes his way to Manhattan (!) to see if he can be reunited with his son, who's got himself into a bit of trouble due to his lack of impulse control. Meanwhile, a truly evil serial killer is sawing off the heads of unlucky cab drivers; detectives are looking into the brutal death of a hotel guest/rapist; and Angel Batista (David Zayas), who always suspected colleague Dexter was the Bay Harbor Butcher, is determined to bring him to justice. If that weren't enough, Dexter learns that a strange midget billionaire named Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage) has assembled a group of serial killers for his own weird purposes. Will Dexter bond with these people who have some of the same "urges" as he does -- or kill them?

Jack Alcott as Harrison Morgan

I admit when the midget and his gathering of sickos are introduced I feared that Dexter: Resurrection had gone off the rails. But once I accepted that this storyline was even more far-fetched than usual, I found myself mightily enjoying the series. Hall is a terrific actor, and sheer perfection as Dexter. He is matched by Alcott, Zayas, and Dinklage, and there are also fine performances from Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as Dexter's friend and landlord, Kadia Saraf as the ever-grim Detective Wallace, and many others. Uma Thurman is also effective as Prater's head of security. Although top-billed with Hall, she doesn't really have that much to do. 

Peter Dinklage

You wouldn't imagine that the subject matter would lend itself to it, but Dexter: Resurrection is as much a (very) black comedy as it is a horror story. (Detective Wallace giving in to her adoration of the Bee Gees' "Staying Alive" from Saturday Night Fever is hilarious.) With a variety of twists, bizarre characters, edge-of-your-seat escapes, and major suspense, Dexter: Resurrection is a winner all the way. It has been renewed for season two, airing in October. 

Verdict: Totally absorbing and oddball series with wonderful performances. ***1/2.

DEXTER: NEW BLOOD

Father and Son: Michael C. Hall and Jack Olcott

DEXTER: NEW BLOOD (2021 Showtime mini-series).

Dexter ran for several seasons and was certainly an unusual series. The anti-Hero, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), was a serial killer who only murdered people who really deserved it, such as other serial killers, child molesters, or those who had gotten away with murder. His task was made easier because he worked for the Miami police department, and part of the "fun" of the show was watching him stay one step ahead of his colleagues, especially his detective sister. The show ended with Dexter presumed dead, but turning up far north in a small town in upstate New York.

Olcott, Hall and Jones

Dexter: New Blood takes up a decade later, when Dexter, under an assumed name, has become firmly established in the small town of Iron Lake. The utterly far-fetched premise has him becoming the boyfriend of -- get this -- the female Chief of Police, Angela Bishop (Julia Jones)! You would think that our dear Dexter would want to stay as far away from the police as possible, and if he had this mini-series might have had a very different conclusion. Another complication is that Dexter's son, Harrison (Jack Olcott, a 21-year-old actor successfully playing about 16), finding out that his father is alive, comes looking for him. But does the boy carry his own "dark passenger," and exactly how much does Dexter want to share with his son? And considering the number of women who have disappeared from Iron Lake over the decades, could there be another serial killer at large, and will he or she wind up on Dexter's kill table?

Like the original show, Dexter: New Blood is extremely entertaining, well-acted, and suspenseful. It also has a satisfying, dramatically-right conclusion, although it will undoubtedly disappoint those who were hoping to see another mini-series about Dexter. Michael C. Hall is superb as the conflicted, confused, morally ambiguous Dexter, and he is matched by Olcott as Harrison, who clearly has problems of his own. Jones, Jennifer Carpenter as Dexter's late sister (appearing in fantasies), Clancy Brown in a fine turn as respected townsperson Kurt Caldwell, Alano Miller as Coach Logan, among others, all help make the occasionally absurd proceedings more convincing. The series is also unpredictable, and may not go in the directions you think it will. Dexter: New Blood can be gruesome at times, but nothing over the top, and there are no scenes of (practically) lip-smacking torture porn like you will find in Criminal Minds: Evolution. Pat Irwin's theme music is a decided plus. 

Verdict: Surprisingly moving wind-up to the strange Dexter saga. ***.