Clyde Phillips recently shared a few words about the spinoff that will never see the light of day.
Before Dexter: Resurrection became a reality thanks to Michael C. Hall’s desire to once again step back into the shoes of Dexter Morgan, Showtime had very different plans for the franchise.
Long before Dexter’s return from the dead was even on the table, the network was developing a spinoff series centered on Harrison Morgan, exploring the aftermath of his escape from Iron Lake after killing his own father in the Dexter: New Blood finale.
At the time, many fans referred to the project as Dexter: New Blood Season 2 since it was set to continue directly after the events of Season 1, while others simply called it the “Harrison spinoff.” But the series never made it to the screen. Once Michael C. Hall agreed to reprise his iconic role, the Harrison-led continuation was officially scrapped and shelved for good.
Clyde Phillips Speaks on the Abandoned Harrison Spinoff
In a recent interview on the Dissecting Dexter podcast, Dexter showrunner Clyde Phillips opened up about the unrealized series, and the controversial ending of New Blood itself. Before diving into details about the spinoff, Phillips expressed that he was “very proud of the Dexter: New Blood ending,” even though it sparked heated debate among fans.
Addressing the criticism, Phillips explained that the backlash only proved “how much people love the character and didn’t want to see him die.” He reiterated a point he has made in multiple interviews over the past few months: the ending wasn’t rushed by choice, but by necessity. “I wanted to get a banner and just hold it up and say, I only had Michael C. Hall for one year,” Phillips said, emphasizing the time constraints that forced Dexter’s death.
Showtime’s Original Plan: Harrison Morgan Takes the Lead
After New Blood wrapped in January 2022, Phillips, fellow producer Scott Reynolds, and Showtime executives—including then-network president David Nevins—began exploring ways to expand the Dexter universe. Among the spinoffs in discussion, continuing Harrison’s story was a top priority.
Not only was the show greenlit, but it was much further along than most fans realized. Phillips revealed that an entire season (ten full scripts) had already been written. “After New Blood, Showtime picked up Harrison’s story, and we wrote ten scripts of Harrison,” he said. “It was completely different than where he ended up in Resurrection, because Dexter wasn’t involved.”
Harrison Morgan’s Dark Path That Never Happened
So, what was the biggest difference between this lost series and the Harrison we now see in Dexter: Resurrection? The spinoff would have portrayed Harrison as a true heir to Dexter’s legacy, complete with a Dark Passenger of his own. In other words, Harrison would have embraced his father’s dark tendencies and become a serial killer in his own right, a “Dexter 2.0” of sorts.
But as Dexter: Resurrection confirms, that is not the direction the character ultimately took. In Season 1, Episode 5, Harrison tells Dexter that while he killed Ryan Foster and disposed of the body, mimicking the method his father taught him in New Blood, he is haunted by the act and feels no need to kill again. Harrison’s confession makes it clear that he does not share his father’s Dark Passenger.
A Fork in the Road for the Dexter Universe
If Showtime had stuck with the original plan, Dexter: New Blood Season 2 would have transformed Harrison into a full-fledged killer, diving deeper into the psychology of inherited darkness. Instead, the decision to resurrect Dexter himself changed everything. Now, with Dexter: Resurrection unfolding, fans are witnessing a very different story: one where Harrison’s moral struggle and refusal to kill set him apart from his father.