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Published Apr 10, 2026, 9:55 PM EDT
Shawn Van Horn is a Senior Author for Collider. He's watched way too many slasher movies over the decades, which makes him an aficionado on all things Halloween and Friday the 13th. Don't ask him to choose between Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees because he can't do it. He grew up in the 90s, when Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, and TGIF were his life, and still watches them religiously to this day. Larry David is his spirit animal. His love for entertainment spreads to the written word as well. He has written two novels and is neck deep in the querying trenches. He is also a short story maker upper and poet with a dozen publishing credits to his name. He lives in small town Ohio, where he likes to watch professional wrestling and movies.
The original Dexter is one of the best thriller TV series of all-time. Say what you will about the latter seasons and that odd finale. What Michael C. Hall created was such a compelling character that his creators refuse to kill him. Dexter gave audiences something dark and edgy, making it okay to cheer for a serial killer. The ending and the failure of Dexter: New Blood left a bad taste in the mouths of fans, so why in the world would creator Clyde Phillips try again, this time with a prequel?
A prequel to any franchise that has seemingly gone on for too long is usually a sign of desperation and creative fatigue. However, Dexter: Original Sin shocked everyone when it premiered on Paramount+ and Showtime at the end of 2024. Patrick Gibson easily slipped into the role of Dexter, and with a stellar cast made up of big-name stars like Christian Slater and Patrick Dempsey, Original Sin's 10-episode single-season demands to be seen if you never gave it a chance.
'Dexter: Original Sin' Kept the Nostalgic Plot Simple
If you're wondering how much effort would be put into Dexter: Original Sin, 90 seconds into the first episode is all it takes to be sold. After first starting with the end of Dexter: New Blood, and a possibly dying Dexter seeing his life flash before his eyes, the series brings back the iconic opening credit montage. The viewer watches Dexter waking up and starting his day like usual, but it's not just about him this time. Because he still lives at home, Original Sin shows his father, Harry (Slater), and sister, Debra (Molly Brown), in their morning routine as well, followed by the trio walking outside, all off to live their lives, as Gibson gives a sly and knowing smile to the camera.
Dexter: Original Sin is back in Miami, which immediately feels notalgic, but it's not interested in simple fan service. There is a compelling story to tell. When Dexter began, he had been a killer for years, a tortured soul born in blood who's deadly desires are reigned in and used for good by Harry (James Remar), the cop who took him and raised him as his own. Now, fans get to see how it all happened. In Original Sin, Dexter is a teenager obsessed with his desire, but a much different kind than other people his age. He needs to kill, and Harry, who understands (the series even shows the bloody, chainsaw death of his mother when he was a child), directs him.
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In Dexter: Original Sin, the anti-hero takes his first steps as a serial killer. Some of the tension may be removed because, since this is a prequel, the viewer knows he won't be caught and no one will best him. Still, it's compelling to watch how he develops his hobby as an amateur. Original Sin also knows this isn't enough. There is no suspense in what's already known, so the series delivers a fun mystery. A faceless killer is on the loose, and a small boy is abducted and still alive, his time running out. Has Harry taught Dexter enough that he will be able to save the child and find out who the killer is by season's end? Many seasons of the original Dexter showed us that season's big bad. The drama was in the pursuit. In Original Sin, Clyde Phillips and company deliver a classic whodunit filled with twists.
Patrick Gibson Becomes Dexter Morgan Without Being a Clone
Image via Paramount+Dexter: Original Sin has an entertaining season-long arc not interested in only being about fan service, but it means very little if they don't get the characters right. Michael C. Hall returns as the voice of Dexter, a smart decision to link to what the viewer knows. It's also a challenging one which puts Patrick Gibson on the spot. How will he respond when compared to Hall at every turn? The actor nails it. He has the mannerisms of Dexter and the same speaking pattern without coming across as a clone. Gibson does his own thing, feeling like the Dexter of the future, yet still coming across a teenager finding his way to who he's meant to be.
Christian Slater has more freedom. In Dexter, Harry Morgan exists as a guiding ghost in his son's mind. In Original Sin, he's still very much alive, a flawed man who cheated on his wife years ago, who now carries the pain of his own sins, her death, and the demons his adopted son carries. The viewer knows he's not long for this world, making him a tragic character where every scene matters. It's a more difficult spot for Molly Brown. Debra carries her own pain in Dexter, and Jennifer Carpenter did a tremendous job of bringing her to life. Brown has to follow that somehow. Yes, she still wears her heart on her sleeve and drops f-bombs left and right. There's also a more exposed vulnerability. She isn't quite so hardened yet. Debra is lonely, mourning her mother, and badly wanting to be included in whatever secrets her father and brother are keeping from her.
Dexter: Original Sin has plays with younger versions of the characters, like the spot-on portrayls of Maria LaGuerta (Christina Milian), Angel Batista (James Martinez), and Vince Masuka (Alex Shimizu). Sarah Michelle Gellar is sadly underused, but another famous actor, Patrick Dempsey, is very important to the plot as Miami Metro Homicide Captain Aaron Spencer. Even Dexter's serial killer brother, Brian Moser (Roby Attal), makes an appearance that's equally heartbreaking as it is scary. Dexter: Resurrection is seen as what brought the played-out character back to life. Although that show is perfection, he was already on his way back in the prequel, which succeeded by focusing on character first. Dexter: Original Sin went backwards to show the path forward.
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