Marcos Siega, who directed many episodes of both Dexter and Netflix’s You, spoke out about the key differences between the two characters.
The 2010s proved to be a defining decade for TV, with several iconic series reaching their conclusions while new shows began carving out their own identities. Dexter wrapped up its original run in 2013, leaving many viewers divided. A few years later, in 2018, Netflix premiered a new thriller series that immediately became a hit, and also drew comparisons to Dexter. That show was You, and from the moment audiences started watching, the similarities were definitely hard to ignore.
Developed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, You is based on the novels by Caroline Kepnes. The series ultimately ran for five seasons and concluded this past April with a finale that sparked debate among fans, much like Dexter did twice, years earlier. Both shows center on deeply troubled protagonists and make heavy use of inner monologues, pulling viewers directly into the minds of characters who...commit murder. On the surface, the parallels are quite obvious, but the actual differences between the two series are far more significant.
There may be no better person to explain those differences than Marcos Siega, who has worked extensively on both shows. Siega serves as an executive producer and director on Dexter: Resurection, and also took on the same roles for Netflix’s You, acting as an executive producer for Seasons 1 and 5 and directing multiple episodes across those years. It is safe to say, his perspective actually gives weight to any comparison between the two series.
In a recent appearance on The Dark Passengers podcast, Siega addressed the similarities head-on and didn’t shy away from labeling You as a toned-down coutnerpart to Dexter. He explained that he was always aware of the overlap and described You as “Dexter Light,” emphasizing that while he is proud of the work done on the Netflix series, it operates in a very different space. In his view, You stands on its own, but it is not Dexter.
Siega went on to explain that comparisons are inevitable, yet the core difference lies in the morality of the main characters. According to him, Joe Goldberg is simply not a good person, and that distinction actually matters. He recalled reading the pilot for You and being struck by a vulgar moment he felt would never have made it into a show like Dexter. It raised a fundamental question for him about how the audience could be encouraged to stay...connected to such a character!
He shared that the creative team deliberately added a moment early on in which Joe helps a neighbor’s child, which of course is a classic storytelling technique made to soften the audience’s perception.
Even so, Siega pointed out that Joe’s behavior remains unsettling, including scenes that show his obsessive tendencies with his love interest in a way that actually feels deliberately uncomfortable. He described the mindset behind these moments as deeply disturbed, reinforcing how far the character is pushed compared to Dexter Morgan.
Siega also highlighted another major difference: Joe kills people who are completely innocent, including those who merely stand in the way of his romantic obsession. That, he argued, places You in a very different moral category. What fascinated him most was how strongly audiences still connected with Joe despite these actions, something he admitted he struggled to fully understand. And we can definitely understand.
In the end, Siega acknowledged that while Dexter and You share structural elements and thematic overlaps, the core of each show couldn’t be more different. The one area where he sees an actual similarity is in hte performances, praising the lead actors (Michael C. Hall and Penn Badgley) of both series as exceptional. For people who are into this genre of shows, the comparison between Dexter and You will likely continue, but as Siega makes absolutely clear, they ultimately tell very different stories.