Dexter: Original Sin Completely Justifies The Prequel Show With An Underrated Returning Character's New Story

After Dexter: Original Sin episodes 2 and 3, one of the returning characters in the cast of Dexter: Original Sin has completely dispelled the idea that the prequel was unnecessary. The show has already added a lot of context to the Morgan family, from showing how weird Dexter was as a young adult to making Deb more sympathetic and showing her butting heads with Harry. One character who didn't get much focus in the original series, however, proves beyond a doubt that Dexter: Original Sin didn't just justify being made, it added invaluable material to Dexter as a whole.

Laura Moser Is The Perfect Example Of How Dexter: Original Sin Is A Great Prequel

Original Sin Has Given Laura Moser So Much More Depth & Intrigue Than Dexter Ever Did

The best example of how Dexter: Original Sin has already justified being made is Laura Moser. In the original series, Laura was mostly just Dexter's mother, a drug addict, and the woman Harry cheated on Doris with. She had a few good flashbacks in Dexter, like when she played in the yard with Brian and Dexter, but she was a bit of an underwhelming character on the whole. Even after all the flashbacks and Dexter's investigations into his past, the biggest impact Laura had on Dexter was the fact that her murder gave Dexter his dark passenger.

Original Sin, however, has shown a completely new side of Laura through Harry Morgan's flashbacks. The prequel series shows that Laura was a great criminal informant, a caring mother, and even a compelling love interest for Harry. She can lie and fit in with every echelon of the criminal underworld, she has a budding relationship with Harry that feels very natural, and she's far better than the one-dimensional character in Dexter. Laura's expanded role in Original Sin is an example of exactly what any prequel should do: expand upon the characters that the original didn't have time for.

Dexter: Original Sin Makes The Original Show Better With Laura, Harry & Doris' Flashbacks

Laura, Harry, & Doris' Early Days Add So Much Nuance & Tragedy To Their Ultimate Fates In Dexter

Original Sin isn't just making Laura Moser a better character, though, it's also making Harry and Doris Morgan's marriage more interesting, and it's enhancing the original Dexter series as a whole. By diving deeper into their stories - particularly the struggles Doris and Harry had after losing Junior Morgan in Original Sin and giving Laura more of a personality - Original Sin has made them even more compelling characters. Harry's affair with Laura is a lot more sympathetic after seeing how closely he worked with Laura and how much Junior's death affected his marriage. Likewise, Laura's death is even more tragic after seeing how multifaceted she was.

Related

Who Hector Estrada Is In Dexter: Original Sin

Dexter: Original Sin introduced Hector Estrada, a character from the original series, but it didn't explain just how important he is to Dexter's life.

Perhaps the best example of how Original Sin is making Dexter better is through Hector Estrada and his cartel. After seeing how Harry put Laura in harm's way and how likable she was as a character, both Estrada and Jimenez are much easier to hate, and Dexter's revenge is a lot more satisfying. In addition to that, Original Sin is also adding new fuel onto the central question of Dexter - whether Dexter's nature or nurture turned him into a serial killer - in such a way that it has restarted a discussion that began almost two decades ago.

Dexter: Original Sin Likely Has Even More Surprises In Store For Laura’s Story

Even Though Laura's End Is Already Written, Original Sin Likely Has More For Her To Do

The best part of Original Sin's treatment of Laura Moser so far is the fact that the show almost certainly has a few more surprises up its sleeve. The show has already carved out a tremendous story for Laura from a timeline that didn't give it much room. After all, Dexter had already revealed that Laura was Harry's criminal informant and how and when she died. It may not seem like there's much room left for Original Sin to explore Laura's story, but it has already found space to experiment with her once, and it will almost surely do it again.

There's no telling what Original Sin could do with Laura next. Her affair with Harry will almost certainly be a priority, but there are also still countless ways Original Sin could explore Laura's work as a criminal informant. Laura could get dangerously close to Estrada, and any confrontations would almost certainly be filled with suspense. The show could also dive deeper into her relationship with her children, and it may add even more layers to Harry's decision to adopt Dexter and not Brian. Based on how well it functions as a prequel already, Dexter: Original Sin seems like it's not wanting for great story opportunities.

• 

  Dexter: Original Sin explores the origins of Dexter Morgan as he transitions from student to serial killer in 1991 Miami. Guided by his father, Dexter channels his dark urges through a moral code while starting a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.

  Release Date December 15, 2024

  Network Paramount+ with Showtime

• 

  Based on the character created by author Jeff Lindsay, Showtime's Dexter follows Miami Metro Police Department's most skilled blood spatter analyst, Dexter Morgan, as he attempts to satisfy his Dark Passenger's need to kill by hunting down criminals who have escaped justice. However, using the rules his adoptive father taught him to remain undiscovered, Dexter must walk the fine line of seemingly blending into society while continuously feeding his dark urges. Dexter faces several serial killers as his facade slowly crumbles around him; with every problem solved by his Dark Passenger, another one arises for his suburban fatherly life. When Dexter takes things personally or feels that the law is failing, he takes matters into his own hands and even compromises the investigations of his co-workers. Dexter aired on Showtime for eight seasons before receiving a mini-sequel series called Dexter: New Blood, which picked up ten years after the show's events. You can buy each season for just $9.99 for Prime Day. 

  Release Date October 31, 2010