The actress admits she has no idea what happens in the revival series.
It’s not uncommon for actors to avoid watching themselves on television. Many performers, despite delivering unforgettable performances, simply can’t stand seeing their own work on screen. But there’s another category of actors, those who refuse to watch the rest of a show after their character has been written off. Julie Benz, who played Rita Morgan, falls firmly into that camp.
Julie Benz has been candid for years about her disappointment with how Rita’s story ended. Not only has she criticized the decision to kill off the character, but she’s also expressed frustration over how late she was told about it and how Rita was written in Seasons 3 and 4. Fans who attended Scaradise 2025 earlier this month heard more of Benz’s thoughts during a Q&A session at the Dexter panel.
One fan pointed out that nearly every major character who’s died in the series has appeared again in some form, whether through flashbacks, dreams, or hallucinations, yet Rita has been noticeably absent.
The fan referenced the dream sequence from Episode 1 of Dexter: Resurrection, in which several dead characters returned, but Rita was nowhere to be seen. When asked whether that absence was because Rita never truly knew the “real” Dexter, Benz’s response left the audience both amused and surprised:
“Listen, I have no f**king idea. I’m sorry. I don’t watch the show. So, yeah, don’t be surprised.”
Her honesty drew laughter, but it also revealed something deeper. Despite her affection for the Dexter experience and the cast, Benz admitted she hasn’t watched a single episode since Rita’s shocking Season 4 death. “I don’t watch shows after I’ve been on them because the magic is ruined for me,” she explained.
She later clarified that her detachment is not personal, it’s simply how she copes as an actor. “It’s not that I’m upset,” Benz said. “It’s just that I haven’t watched it. If the writers ever felt that bringing Rita back made sense and it moved the story forward, I’d absolutely come back. But as for why I wasn’t in a dream sequence? I have no idea. Who was in the dream sequence? I have no clue.”
This isn’t the first time Benz has revisited her exit from Dexter with a touch of bitterness. Ever since 2010, she’s spoken openly about how blindsided she felt by Rita’s death and how difficult it was to say goodbye to a character that had become such an integral part of the show.