Clyde Phillips revealed that all 10 episodes of Dexter: New Blood Season 2 were fully written.
What if Harrison's journey continued beyond the divisive finale of Dexter: New Blood? Ahead of the series premiere of Dexter: Original Sin, showrunner Clyde Phillips shared intriguing insights into the original plan to extend the Dexter franchise following New Blood.
The envisioned sequel, centered entirely on Harrison Morgan after he killed his father and left Iron Lake, would have followed his attempts to start a new life in New York City. This continuation, which might have been titled Dexter: New Blood Season 2 or given a fresh name, was announced on February 6, 2023, alongside a planned Trinity prequel (the latter is now indefinitely shelved). At the time, we exclusively revealed details about the storyline and new characters in Harrison’s life, which you can revisit here.
As we near the close of 2024, with Dexter: Original Sin debuting its pilot episode, the landscape of the franchise has significantly shifted. Michael C. Hall is back as Dexter Morgan, taking part in what marks a third attempt to craft a satisfying conclusion for the character.
What Happened to New Blood Season 2?
The last we heard about New Blood Season 2 came on July 6, 2024, when Cinemaholic reported that filming would begin in January 2025. While this report was accurate, the show in question turned out to be Dexter: Resurrection, which at the time was still a well-kept secret.
Today, we’ve learned from Clyde Phillips that New Blood Season 2—a fully written, 10-episode sequel—was canceled before production began. In an interview with Screen Rant’s Zak Wojnar, Phillips revealed fascinating details about the franchise's twists and turns.
Clyde Phillips on New Blood's Limited Run and Season 2 Plans
“The way New Blood worked, and what I wanted to say to social media [was]... They went crazy when Dexter was shot, which just showed me how much they loved the character and the show,” Phillips explained.
“At that time, I only had Michael C. Hall for one year, so I had to end the show. It turned out that the finale—which I was privileged to write—became the most-watched episode in Showtime’s history. Showtime immediately ordered a sequel, so I brought my writers back, and we wrote all 10 episodes for the sequel.”
But then came a major shakeup:
“Chris McCarthy from MTV Entertainment and Paramount came along and said, ‘I don’t believe in sequels. I want to do a prequel. Can you come up with one?’” Phillips continued. “I pitched it to him and Gary Levine [President of Showtime]. Chris said four words at the end of the pitch: ‘Phenomenal. I love it.’ That’s how we ended up with Original Sin. I brought my writers back, and we started working on that.”
When asked whether Resurrection was based on the scripts for New Blood Season 2, Phillips unsurprisingly clarified:
“No, no. Resurrection is different. It’s a whole new thing. Michael [C. Hall] called me and said, ‘You know what? I’ve got Dexter in my bones. Clyde, you’ve got Dexter in your bones. Let’s keep going. Can you figure it out? How can I have survived what happened in the finale?’
“My team and I figured it out. We pitched it to Michael, he loved it. We pitched it to Showtime and Paramount—they weren’t going to say no to this. I mean, it’s their biggest show! We start shooting in a month. While filming Original Sin, we were already writing Resurrection.”
Watch the full video interview below.