Dexter: Resurrection Season-Premiere Recap: Dead Man Walking

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You can now stream the initial installments of Dexter: Resurrection on Paramount+. These episodes will also be broadcast on Showtime this coming Sunday, July 13th.

Fans of Dexter, it’s as if we never left! Though there was a significant wait between the controversial finale of Dexter in 2013 and the premiere of the follow-up series Dexter: New Blood in 2021, Showtime has remained deeply involved with the world of the Bay Harbor Butcher. The introduction of prequel series Dexter: Original Sin (which you can find my recaps for here) and now Dexter: Resurrection have solidified this commitment. With so many shows featuring colons in their titles, it can get a bit confusing! But don’t worry, we’re not starting from scratch with Resurrection – it essentially serves as the tenth season of the original show, albeit with a new label. While technically a separate series, it begins with a recap that covers the entirety of New Blood, and the first episode is filled with references to the original Dexter. With original showrunner Clyde Phillips at the helm once more, we’re in capable hands.

Indeed, Phillips was not only in charge of “New Blood” and “Original Sin,” but also these productions started off strong before slipping into chaotic conditions, much like how “Dexter” deteriorated post its fourth season. Yet, I choose optimism, despite the current dire circumstances. If repeatedly performing the same action while hoping for a different outcome is the definition of insanity, then I guess I’m crazy – but I believe that this fresh take on “Dexter” will be successful.

The title “A Beating Heart …” appears to cater specifically to fans, and as someone who falls into that category, I am easily swayed. Following his son, Harrison (Jack Alcott), shooting him in the chest, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) undergoes a miraculous recovery at Iron Lake’s Seneca Nation Clinic. During this recuperation period, he is visited by a variety of special guest-star ghosts. First among them is Trinity Killer Arthur Mitchell (John Lithgow), who murdered Dexter’s wife, Rita (Julie Benz), and left baby Harrison in a pool of her blood, which might have inadvertently set Harrison on the path to emulating his father’s serial-killing ways. Arthur argues that Harrison’s growing psychopathy isn’t his fault – it’s Dexter’s for trying to maintain a normal life alongside his Dark Passenger. The interaction feels like fan fiction, but I can’t help but appreciate the return of Trinity. Lithgow does an admirable job with lines such as “Sometimes you have to pass through hell to achieve resurrection,” which serves as a welcome distraction from the fact that Arthur appears to have aged significantly since his demise.

* Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits), the serial killer who was dispatched by Dexter in season three, reappears to remind Dexter of all the innocent lives lost due to his actions, such as Debra, Rita, Maria LaGuerta, and James Doakes.
* James Remar, who plays Harry Morgan, looks older than he did on the original series, but this is preferable to the unsettling de-aging effects (or recasting him with Christian Slater, who takes on the role in Original Sin).
* Maybe ghosts age! This isn’t confirmed, but Remar is a regular on Resurrection, which is an improvement over ghost Deb on New Blood (with apologies to Jennifer Carpenter, who deserved better treatment on Dexter).
* Harry advises Dexter to find Harrison to prevent him from turning out like Ice Truck Killer Brian Moser, who grew up without a father.
* Doakes (Erik King) makes an unexpected visit to Dexter, telling him that there is good within him and he must hold onto it for Harrison’s sake. This goes against how the real Doakes would behave, but since these are all figments of Dexter’s imagination, I’ll let it slide. It’s nice to catch up with old friends, even if they’re dead.

It turns out that Dexter Morgan, who spent ten weeks in a coma, isn’t deceased. He’s just as perplexed as everyone else about how he managed to stay alive and why he’s not behind bars. A doctor explains that the cold weather and snow slowed his heart rate and reduced blood loss, which seems satisfactory to Dexter. However, the doctor can’t provide any information about Harrison’s whereabouts, only confirming that the younger Morgan left Iron Lake following the shooting and hasn’t been heard from since. The rest of the backstory is revealed when Teddy Reed, now acting as sheriff, arrives with a letter from Dexter’s former police chief, Angela Bishop. The letter contains an old photo of Angela with her friend Iris, a victim of serial killer Kurt Caldwell, along with a message, “We’re even. Now get the hell out of Iron Lake.” This suggests that Dexter’s resolution of Iris’ murder and killing Kurt was enough for Angela to retract her claim that he was the Bay Harbor Butcher. Additionally, Matt Caldwell’s death has been attributed to Kurt. Angela departed from town after accepting the blame for shooting Dexter, leading us to believe that this is the last we’ll hear about the events of “New Blood.” I’m perfectly content with that!

Angel Batista (David Zayas) isn’t easily fooled, as Dexter discovers when he returns home to find Angel waiting for him. “I hope this is just another hallucination,” Dexter thinks. But it’s not. It feels like seeing a ghost to Batista, who can’t believe that Dexter faked his death and stole Debra’s body from the hospital in 2013. Angel wants to know why Dexter did this. The explanation Dexter gives is confusing: he says he was driven to these actions by grief, which led him to start a new life as Jim Lindsay. However, it doesn’t make much sense. The only thing that troubles Angel is the fact that LaGuerta told him she was certain Dexter was the Bay Harbor Butcher before she was killed. Angela also told Batista this, but then retracted her statement when he arrived in Iron Lake. It’s suspicious that Doakes has been identified as the Bay Harbor Butcher. After Batista tells Dexter that he can visit him at the clinic the next day, it sounds like a threat. The series finale of Dexter is confusing and leaves many questions unanswered.

First, let’s discuss the situation of our character Harrison. He’s currently residing and working near Lincoln Center, specifically at the Empire Hotel in New York City. Harrison appears to be doing well, with a budding relationship with his coworker Elsa (Emilia Suárez), passing his GED test, and occasionally grappling with distressing flashbacks from shooting his father. However, Harrison’s inner demons — let’s call it his ‘Dark Passenger’ — can only be concealed for a limited time.

In a recent incident, Harrison steps in when he sees hotel guest Ryan (Bryan Lillis) attempting to sexually assault an intoxicated woman named Shauna (McKaley Miller). Harrison intervenes and manages to save Shauna from Ryan’s advances. However, the altercation between them escalates, resulting in Ryan making a threatening remark about having more victims like Shauna. This triggers a flashback of all the victims of Harrison’s father, Kurt. In a moment of anger, Harrison strikes Ryan with a toilet tank lid, killing him. Although Ryan was clearly deserving of punishment for his actions, a remorseful and bloodied Harrison realizes that this may not have been the most appropriate method to end his life. At least he can use the hotel cleaning supplies to clean up the mess.

In addition to his upbringing under a notorious serial-killer father who imparted skills on disposing a body, specifically during their disposal of Kurt, Harrison adheres to Dexter’s guidance in the hotel kitchen. Here, he meticulously dismembers Ryan and listens to “Bad Decisions” by The Strokes. Similar to its predecessors, Dexter: Resurrection does not shy away from graphic scenes. The body parts are stored in trash bags and transported via garbage truck, causing Harrison minimal distress. However, there are two complications. First, a trace of blood is spotted on the hotel-kitchen ceiling that could potentially raise questions. Second, the bags were not adequately sealed, resulting in some leg parts spilling out at the dump site. No-nonsense detective Claudette Wallace (Kadia Saraf) and her partner, Melvin Oliva (Dominic Fumusa), arrive on the scene, and she swiftly locates the remainder of the corpse and identifies it. Notably, they listen to “Stayin’ Alive” while working, acknowledging that music expedites tasks. Subsequently, the police are dispatched to the hotel, converting Ryan’s room into a crime scene. Unfortunate for Harrison, he struggles to maintain composure during this ordeal.

In Iron Lake, Dexter’s physical therapist laments the madness of the world, casually mentioning a gruesome discovery in New York: a body dismembered into nine parts and stuffed in trash bags. Dexter recognizes similarities with his own methods, and a brief investigation reveals that the suspect, Ryan, was a serial sexual offender who had repeatedly evaded conviction for assault. Harry acknowledges this fits the code, and suggests New York as an ideal location for Harrison to vanish. If indeed Harrison killed Ryan (a speculation that just happens to be accurate), he needs Dexter’s assistance. With that, Dexter decides he has had enough physical therapy, and just as Batista arrives for visiting hours, Dexter steals a deceased man’s car (he had no intention of using it anyway) and makes his departure. I would have waited to discuss matters with Batista before leaving, but doing it this way guarantees Angel will be pursuing him. This issue can wait for later, though. For now, Dexter is in New York – a place that has been waiting for him – and a quick drive past the hotel confirms his suspicions about Ryan’s murder upon seeing Harrison outside. “My son,” Dex says in a voice-over, laughter echoing from my speakers. “I can’t cry. Damn it.” We are back on track once more.

Blood-Spatter Analysis

Regarding our previous discussions, it’s great to delve back into the narrative of “Dexter: Resurrection” following my analysis on “Dexter: Original Sin”. Whenever I spot a title with a colon, it’s like a beacon calling me!

The opening scene features Uma Thurman’s character, Charley, who becomes instantly memorable with her striking short bob hairstyle. She employs advanced technological devices to burglarize an apartment, believed to belong to a notorious murderer. Upon discovering his collection of grisly trophies and a hoard of ID cards marked with bloody ‘X’s, Charley extends him an invitation. For those who prefer to avoid spoilers, I advise avoiding this trailer as it offers additional context.

In Charley’s scene, employing “Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave seems akin to taking shortcuts, as everyone recognizes it as Ghostface’s signature tune.

As Dexter has finally awakened from his long slumber, it seems the era of spectral appearances not belonging to Harry has come to an end. Frankly, I could use a bit more of those delightful cameos from beyond.

Additionally, t Final Cut.

Although I’ve voiced my concerns about the ghosts seeming older, what truly irks me in this episode as a fan is the noticeable growth in Dexter’s appearance during the flashback when Harry rescued him from the shipping container. In Original Sin, it was established that he was a toddler, but I fear that child will be on the verge of adolescence by the time we reach the series finale.

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2025-07-11 17:57