The New York Ripper will be the oldest antagonist Dexter has ever faced. But, who ranks second?
After a long period of silence, big news finally dropped last week: Brian Cox, one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, is officially joining Dexter: Resurrection Season 2. Even more interesting, he’s signed on as a series regular, and he won’t be playing just anyone. Cox is set to portray the long-speculated New York Ripper.
Throughout the original Dexter run and its spinoffs, Dexter Morgan has faced many kinds of killers. But this time feels different. The New York Ripper is actually shaping up to be something we haven’t really seen before. Most notably, he will be the oldest antagonist Dexter has ever gone up against.
For months, many assumed a younger actor would take on the role of this infamous killer who once terrorized New York decades ago, and caused the brutal death of 22 citizens. Even here on Dexter Daily, the expectation was that casting would fall somewhere between 55 and 70.
Instead, showrunner Clyde Phillips and the writers went beyond those assumptions, breaking the usual age boundaries by choosing something unexpected: an antagonist aged 79 or 80, matching the actor’s real age, as was often the case in the past.
That brings up an interesting question: before Brian Cox steps in as the New York Ripper, who actually held the title of the oldest killer Dexter ever faced? Many of you might immediately think of John Lithgow’s Trinity Killer, who was in his early 60s. But that’s not correct.
The real answer is Walter Kenney, a lesser-known but memorable one-episode antagonist from Season 6. In “Smokey and the Bandit” (2011), Kenney was portrayed by Ronny Cox, and the character was confirmed to be 73 years old. Interestingly enough, another Cox held the record before Brian Cox now surpasses it!
Kenney, also known as the Tooth Fairy due to his creepy habit of collecting victims’ teeth, had been inactive for ten years before resurfacing. Responsible for the murders of 15 women, he ultimately made the mistake to return to his old ways, which of course allowed Dexter to track him down. He was so infamous in the 1970s and 80s that his case actually inspired Dexter to keep a scrapbook on serial killers.
There are already some interesting parallels between Walter Kenney and Don Framt, the New York Ripper. Both appear to be killers who managed to evade justice for decades before going quiet. Both had long periods of inactivity. And in the Ripper’s case there is confirmation of someone who now loves taunting victims’ families, which suggests a sadistic element that could rival Dexter’s most memorable enemies.
Although details are still limited, it’s easy to imagine the New York Ripper as a very isolated person. Like Kenney, he might be cut off from society, possibly without close relationships.
There’s also speculation about his past, based on his weapon, he could come from a working-class background and may have lived a modest life, possibly with some financial help from Leon Prater, who knew everything about him.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to the writers. But the thing that is already certain is that by casting Brian Cox as the oldest antagonist in the franchise shows that Dexter: Resurrection is actually exploring new territory. And...it’s important to remember that age doesn’t make a killer any less dangerous.