Every Dexter Spinoff, Explained — And How to Watch Them in Chronological Order

The story of Dexter Morgan didn’t originally include multiple television series, but as of 2024, two have been made and two more are on the way. Dexter was one of the biggest television shows when it aired. Telling the story of a vengeful serial killer hunting other murderers that fit his code, Dexter sees the titular character navigate his horrific nightlife with his daytime facade of being a blood-splatter analyst. This show was hugely entertaining and profitable, resulting in the series continuing for eight seasons.

The show causes the audience to question their own morality and ethics when they happily watch a sick and twisted serial killer enjoying murdering people. Not only is the premise exciting, but the show also has infinite creativity and storytelling. Unfortunately, some fans believe the show started to take a dip in quality halfway through its run and ended up closing on what some consider to be the worst finale in television history. With fans disappointed by this ending, the showrunners thought to resurrect the character in more ways than one. Not only did Dexter receive a sequel series, but also two more series on top of that.

Dexter’s Transition Into a Serial Killer Premieres This December

Dexter: Original Sin (Upcoming Series)

Dexter is a fascinating character. In the original Dexter series, fans were treated to glimpses into his serial killer beginnings, including his very first kill in 1991. And on December 15, 2024, fans will be taken back to that year and get an entire series specifically dedicated to that period in his life. Dexter: Original Sin sets out to tell the story of Dexter’s murderous origins, and how he grows into becoming the Bay Harbor Butcher fans know and love. As per that first kill, audiences will possibly get to see how Dexter evolves as a hunter, beginning to develop a lot of his killer tendencies along the way, such as his blood splatter slides and his love of plastic wrap.

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Michael C. Hall will return as the titular character, but only in a voice role as Dexter’s inner voice, or dark passenger. Playing the younger version of Dexter is Patrick Gibson. This Dexter seems to be straight out of college and entering the criminal justice workforce, following the steps of his father, Harry Morgan. Harry will be played by Ethan Slater, taking over for James Remar. The show will take place in Dexter’s hometown of Miami, and specifically the Miami Metro Police Department. From the teaser and trailer, it seems Dexter will begin his career there as a blood splatter analyst alongside notable characters from the series. Molly Brown will play Dexter’s foul-mouthed sister Debra Morgan, Christina Milian will play future captain Maria LaGuerta, James Martinez will play Dexter’s soon-to-be best friend Angel Batista and Alex Shimizu will play the gutter-minded Vince Masuka.

Not much about Dexter: Original Sin has been revealed, but if it’s anything like the original Dexter series, it’s certain to be a thriller that will leave its audience floored from beginning to end. Other cast members along for the ride include Sarah Michelle Gellar as Tanya Martin, Reno Wilson as Bobby Watt and Patrick Dempsey as Aaron Spencer. Taking cues from the previous Dexter series, it’s possible that one or more of these new characters could be one of the notorious villains fans see Dexter hunt down. There’s a mountain of possibilities for this show, and fans are definitely excited to see their favorite serial killer return to Showtime this December.

Dexter: Original Sin

Release Date

December 15, 2024

Cast

Christian Slater , Patrick Gibson , Molly Brown , Christina Milian , Alex Shimizu , Reno Wilson , James Martinez , Patrick Dempsey , Michael C. Hall , Sarah Michelle Gellar

Network

Paramount+ with Showtime

Producers

Clyde Phillips , Michael C. Hall , Robert Lloyd Lewis , Mary Leah Sutton , Tony Hernandez , Lilly Burns

Character(s)

Harry Morgan , Dexter Morgan , Debra Morgan , Maria LaGuerta , Vince Masuka , Bobby Watt , Angel Batista , Aaron Spencer , The Inner Voice of Dexter (voice) , CSI Chief Tanya Martin

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The Original Dexter Series Took the World by Storm

Dexter (2006–2013)

The original Dexter series was one of television’s biggest drama shows. The original series finale of Dexter drew in almost three million viewers, which was the largest in Showtime’s history. The season eight premiere was the most-watched episode of the series, with more than three million viewers. It’s safe to say that this show’s impact has made waves within television since its release, and still influences episodic storytelling today, especially in the thriller genre. Dexter tells the story of Dexter Morgan, a blood splatter analyst for the Miami police department. Dexter solves crimes by day, and kills the ones who got away with them by night. Balancing the life of a serial killer and an upstanding citizen every day made for excellent television that millions tuned in for every week.

Over the course of eight seasons and ninety-six episodes, Michael C. Hall played the notorious, murderous, titular character. Alongside him was Jennifer Carpenter as Debra Morgan, Dexter’s foul-mouthed sister and brilliant police officer working alongside her brother. Throughout the seasons, she played a perfect protagonist foil to Dexter’s morally gray character and gave the show a sense of ethics that Dexter needed. Also fulfilling that role included characters like Angel Batista, played by David Zayas, Dexter’s love interest and wife Rita Bennett, played by Julie Benz, and Dexter’s inner conscious and deceased father, Harry Morgan, played by James Remar. Dexter works so well because of how well the characters are written and how they interact with one another. The contentious, but loving relationship between Dexter and Harry especially makes for great storytelling.

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But probably the best part of the show is Dexter‘s villains. Each season showcased its own kind of monster, everything from different serial killers to religious extremists to mobsters. In season one, the Ice Truck Killer terrorized the streets of Miami, hunting down Dexter Morgan, who he knew was a serial killer. In season four, John Lithgow plays his Golden Globe-winning part of the diabolical Arthur Mitchell, also known as the Trinity Killer. And while the criminal characters are always fun, the show’s best antagonist was probably the one who always stood on the right side of the law. Erik King iconically plays Sgt. James Doakes, the officer who’s been onto Dexter from the very beginning.

He’s smart. He’s lovable. He’s Dexter Morgan, America’s favorite serial killer, who spends his days solving crimes and nights committing them.

Release Date

October 1, 2006

Cast

Michael C. Hall , Jennifer Carpenter , David Zayas

Main Genre

Crime

Seasons

8 Seasons

Creator

James Manos Jr.

Producer

Robert Lloyd Lewis, Timothy Schlattmann, Lauren Gussis, Scott Reynolds, Arika Lisanne Mittman, Drew Z. Greenberg, Dennis Bishop

Production Company

The Colleton Company, John Goldwyn Productions, Clyde Phillips Productions, 801 Productions, Devilina Productions, Showtime Networks

Number of Episodes

96 Episodes

Streaming Service(s)

Paramount+ with Showtime

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New Blood Set out to Fix Dexter’s Disappointing Finale

Dexter: New Blood (2021 Limited Series)

Even though it was the most viewed episode of television in the network’s history, fans were incredibly disappointed with how Dexter closed out its series. Unfortunately, it wasn’t simply the final episode that soured the story for fans. Audiences had been feeling that Dexter was declining in quality ever since season six. And the finale closes the story with a fan-favorite character dying from a serial killer’s fatal shooting, with Dexter taking their body into the sea as a hurricane comes on. Even against those odds, Dexter somehow survived and started to live a new, quiet life as a logger somewhere north. It was an unfortunately disappointing and oddly random pivot the season took, which damaged its glorious reputation among audiences. So in 2021, Showtime announced that they too weren’t a fan of the ending, and decided to give Dexter a fresh shot in Dexter: New Blood.

Dexter: New Blood sees Michael C. Hall return as the titular character living out his bloodless days in the snowy small town of Iron Lake, New York. Dexter has made a new name for himself among the locals and is enjoying his new life with Debra as his new dark passenger, in place of James Remar’s Harry Morgan. However, things change when a new serial killer starts to make waves in the community. Dexter is back to his serial killer motivations, and Harrison, Dexter’s son he left behind during the events of Dexter, manages to track him down. It’s a show that feels like classic Dexter, for better and for worse.

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Overall, Dexter: New Blood received mostly positive reviews from critics, but fans of the original series felt much more divided over the show’s story. Some enjoyed seeing their favorite characters return and explore a fresh environment, but also were disappointed when the show didn’t seem to add anything new. It was as if this could’ve simply been season nine of the original series. But no matter what the audience’s reaction was, the show proved that there was still a lot of interest in more stories about the Bay Harbor Butcher. So to answer the call, Showtime didn’t order one series, but two. Dexter: Original Sin and Dexter: Resurrection.

Release Date

November 7, 2021

Creator(s)

Clyde Phillips

Cast

Michael C. Hall , Jack Alcott , Julia Jones , Johnny Sequoyah , Alano Miller , Clancy Brown , Jennifer Carpenter , Jamie Chung , Gizel Jiménez , Michael Cyril Creighton , Kimmy Anne Dunn , Steve M. Robertson , Katy Sullivan , Fredric Lehne , Shuler Hensley , David Magidoff , Skyler Wright , Dustin Tucker , Oscar Wahlberg , David J. Curtis , Dee Nelson , Benjamin Breault , Henry Lynch , David Zayas , Michael Laurence

Seasons

1

Story By

Jeff Lindsay

Writers

Alexandra Franklin , Jeff Lindsay , Marc Muszynski , Clyde Phillips , Kirsa Rein , Alexandra Salerno , Scott Reynolds , Veronica West , Tony Saltzman , David McMillan , Warren Hsu Leonard

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Paramount+ , Prime Video

Directors

Marcos Siega

Showrunner

Clyde Phillips

Character(s)

Dexter Morgan / Jim Lindsay , Harrison Morgan , Angela Bishop , Audrey Bishop , Logan , Kurt Caldwell , Debra Morgan , Molly Park , Tess , Fred Jr. , Lily , Matt Caldwell , Esther , Edward , Elric , Teddy Reed , Chloe , Pastor Brian , Zach , Gig , Susan , Adam , Bill , Angel Batista , Wiggles the Clown

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How Is Dexter Going to Return in Dexter: Resurrection?

Dexter: Resurrection (Upcoming Series)

Dexter: Original Sin didn’t seem to satiate fan excitement for more of the titular serial killer. Reportedly, in the summer of 2025, Dexter will be getting another sequel entitled Dexter: Resurrection. This was a huge surprise to fans because Dexter appeared to be dead in the series finale of Dexter: New Blood. It’s probable that the writers will reveal some way that Dexter was able to survive that shooting and somehow get away, even with the police knowing exactly what he did. Or maybe, there will be some simple retcon that helps set up the new series rather than connect it to New Blood. Either way, Dexter is set to return next summer, and fans have been running wild with different theories.

Little is known about the new series. Michael C. Hall is set to return as Dexter for his now fourth television show about the character, and showrunner Clyde Phillips is slated to add this series to his already extensive Dexter repertoire. Along with some fresh faces, cast members of old may reemerge within the story. It’s difficult to say anything specific about what could happen, as the show is still being developed. The only thing that fans can count on is that they’ll definitely see the Bay Harbor Butcher rise again.