Exploring the five key highlights from the official trailer of the Dexter prequel.
With only about 15 days remaining until the premiere of Dexter: Original Sin (December 13th), Paramount / Showtime finally dropped the full trailer and gave us our first glimpse at the future of the franchise (take a look below if you missed it). There’s a lot to unpack and discuss so I figured I would start by cherry picking the 5 things that stood out to me the most. Let’s dig in!
SPOILER WARNING: This trailer contains major spoilers for Dexter: New Blood
5.) The connection between Original Sin and Resurrection is Confirmed!
Let’s deal with the obvious one first. The trailer immediately confirms that the prequel series will be directly linked to Resurrection as I theorized a few months ago - probably with present day scenes to bookend the season. To be specific, the season will be narrated by Michael C. Hall because Dexter’s life is flashing before his eyes in the aftermath of New Blood as paramedics fight to save his life.
Perhaps more importantly, the trailer revealed that Michael C. Hall shot at least one new scene to be featured in the prequel; Giving longtime fans a little extra incentive to tune in for a show featuring a brand new cast. Of course, this will also serve to build hype for the sequel series which is expected to premiere in the summer / fall months of 2025.
While I kind of wish this reveal was kept under wraps until the show premiered, there is no denying that it was an incredibly smart move from a marketing standpoint. I am very optimistic about the new cast but it’s comforting to know that Michael’s presence will be felt throughout the season in a big way. The question now becomes: Just how much did Michael film and can we expect multiple appearances throughout the season?
4.) Hints of a ‘Big Bad’ are starting to emerge
One thing that has been noticeably absent from the Original Sin promotion is the existence or involvement of a primary villain for the season. The “Big Bad” has been a staple of the series since season 1 and it is always one of the first things I am eager to learn about. I can still remember when one of the earliest casting rumors for New Blood gave us the name “Kurt Caldwell” and we immediately started to suspect that his character was destined to be a bad guy of some sort.
Yet, here were are just 15 days from the premiere of Original Sin and we know next to nothing about this aspect of the season. The trailer doesn’t reveal much in that regard either but there are hints and glimpses of a character that might fit the bill. At one point, we see a masked person looking through a hole in a door at a young boy who is being held captive. While I don’t know for certain, I am willing to bet that this young boy is actually a character that was leaked months ago.
In that leak - which revealed several key pieces of information that we now know to be true - it was suggested that the inciting incident of the season involves the disappearance or kidnapping of a young boy whose father is a high-profile judge. Whether that character is being held hostage by our mystery villain or just falling prey to a “villain-of-the-week” is yet to be seen but I think it is safe to assume this our first glimpse at that character.
At one point further in the trailer, Patrick Dempsey’s character, Aaron Spencer, delivers a briefing to Miami Metro and alludes to the work of an active serial killer. I doubt Dexter is already the focus of an investigation at this point so it doesn’t seem like much of a leap to assume that an active serial killer will end up being the season’s “Big Bad.” This killer’s MO and the actor portraying them have been kept under wraps and while I am eager to find out, I am hoping it stays that way. I have always enjoyed the seasons that keep the identity of the killer a secret until later in the season and playing that hand again would be a great way to ensure there are some fun surprises coming our way.
3.) Patrick Gibson has that familiar look in his eye
On top of that, Patrick Gibson’s facial expression in this trailer really drove home to me why he was cast in the role. He has the boyish charm, fierce intensity, and unnerving calm in the face of violence that made Michael C. Hall such an iconic choice for the role. You can see it throughout the trailer when he’s staring calmy down the barrel of a gun, contemplating his first kill (Nurse Mary), or absolutely losing it as he beats down some poor soul at a party.
Take one look at the promotional poster for Original Sin if you don’t believe me. Patrick not only seems to have the range and intensity needed to play this character but he is also remarkably similar to Hall. Long story short, I think audiences are going to be pleasantly surprised by his performance. Of course, only time will tell.
2.) The birth of the code is at the forefront
In the original series, the code was already well established and while it was referenced a lot, it was always simplified down to its most basic components: Don’t get caught, leave no trace, always find proof, never kill an innocent. It all makes sense but I have always felt like there was probably a lot more nuance to be explored and that is what I think we are going to get in Original Sin.
One of the most exciting aspects of this series is getting to see a lot more of Harry when he was alive. While James Remar was another iconic casting choice, I expect that Christian Slater will be another popular and welcome addition to the cast. But more importantly, we will finally get a much clearer picture of Harry and Dexter’s relationship and how Harry developed and ingrained the code into Dexter over time. These intense conversations about the code are likely going to be a major component of the season that I can’t wait to see.
1.) There are still plenty of unknowns
From the day this prequel was announced, I have heard people say things like: “we already know what happens” or “is this origin story really necessary?” I understand the reaction but I don’t agree with it. The original series gave us disjointed glimpses into Dexter’s past but they were almost always in service to the present day story and they were always brief. In the end, we were given the broad strokes but there wasn’t a lot of room to truly explore how those moments came to be or what impact they had on him in his youth.
In fact, I think most people would be shocked if we added up the time that was devoted to these flashbacks throughout the original series. I bet we would find that there wasn't even enough time to fill a single episode. The simple fact of the matter is that a police officer raising a serial killer is incredibly complicated. The journey from point A (Original Sin) to point B (the original series) was certainly fraught with drama, interesting family dynamics, and violence that I think the fanbase is more hungry for than they might be willing to admit.
What this trailer drives home for me is that there were really important moments in Dexter’s youth that will finally have a chance to be expanded upon. Dexter’s first kill (Nurse Mary) was a huge moment for him but it was covered in mere minutes in episode 3 of the original series. Original Sin will not only recreate that moment with more elaborate sets (and less distracting wigs), it will give the moment more life by letting the scene breathe. We will get a chance to learn more about Harry’s illness, Dexter’s instinct kicking in, and the process that he went through to make his first kill a reality. It’s all very exciting if you ask me.
When I start to run with that idea and think about other moments that we know about, it only becomes more enticing. The secret serial killer training regiment, Dexter learning the ropes of blood spatter (from BUFFY!), and of course, Harry’s remorse and ultimate downfall are finally going to be depicted on screen. On top of that, they are going to be woven into another season-wide story arc that, at this point, we know almost nothing about. Long story short, there are plenty of exciting storytelling avenues to explore and plenty of gaps to fill that I think Dexter fans will be happy to soak up.
See you on the other side
Dexter: Original Sin premieres in just about 15 days and it seems unlikely that we will get another trailer before then. With that in mind, these are likely to be my final thoughts prior to the premiere. After the show kicks off, I’ll be back with my weekly episode analysis (just like I did with ‘New Blood’) and we will continue to cover all of the news and developments in the weeks to come so stay tuned!