This Brutal Dexter: Original Sin Scene Finally Convinced Me That Patrick Gibson Is A Perfect Replacement For Michael C. Hall

As good as Gibson was at playing Dexter, I felt like he was missing a certain je ne sais quoi that kept him from fully being Dexter. It felt like he was imitating Hall, and while it was a tremendous imitation, it hadn't felt like Gibson had really left his mark on the character. That is, until Original Sin episode 9, and more specifically, a single scene in that episode. That moment proved me wrong in spectacular fashion, and I'm so happy that it did. It cemented Patrick Gibson as a more than fitting replacement for Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan.

Patrick Gibson Convinced Me He IS Dexter When He Got Captain Spencer On His Kill Table

Gibson's Dexter Was Delightfully Devilish While Toying With Dempsey's Spencer

Patrick Gibson's best performance as Dexter Morgan so far came in Original Sin episode 9, when Dexter had Captain Aaron Spencer (Patrick Dempsey) on his kill table. Ever since Spencer was revealed as Original Sin's villain, the entire show has been building up to Dexter taking him out, and the moment did not disappoint. The entire scene of Dexter toying with Spencer on the kill table convinced me that Patrick Gibson is just as good at playing Dexter as Michael C. Hall was. It was the first time I realized why Gibson was picked out of everyone else who auditioned; he really blew me away.

Dexter's confrontation with Spencer highlighted so many things about Patrick Gibson that make him a perfect replacement for Michael C. Hall. Gibson perfectly recreates some of Hall's best tricks as Dexter, like the bubbling rage at dealing with a child killer and the unbridled glee Hall had when toying with his prey. He even did the overly forceful forehead taps Dexter often employed. He also managed to make Dexter feel more innocent and more personally outraged at Spencer's betrayal. As Gibson quickly switched from over-eager grimaces to wide-eyed anger, I was finally convinced he was Dexter, rather than simply playing him.

I Thought Michael C. Hall Was Irreplaceable, But Original Sin Episode 9 Changed My Mind

I Thought Gibson Would Never Be Able To Fully Live Up To Hall's Legacy, But I Was Proven Wrong

Part of the reason Gibson's performance in Original Sin episode 9 was so surprising to me is because I thought that no one but Michael C. Hall could play Dexter as well as he did. For 19 years now, Hall has been the one and only Dexter. The character is inexorably tied to him, and many of the things fans like me love about him are things that Hall infused into Dexter. He turned an emotionless serial killer into a lovable dork, an easy to root for anti-hero, and a character who viewers deeply empathize with.

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Dexter Morgan has been a career-defining role for Michael C. Hall, and I thought that no one could ever live up to that. I have rarely been as glad as I am now to be wrong. Patrick Gibson may not have originated the character, but in Original Sin episode 9, he stepped into Dexter's shoes like he had made them himself. Gibson felt just as natural as Dexter as Hall has for the better part of two decades now, and if Hall hadn't already dazzled me, Original Sin may have convinced me that the character was written specifically with Gibson in mind.

I Need To See Patrick Gibson Play Dexter Again, Now More Than Ever

Original Sin Can't End With Season 1 - I Need To See Gibson Play Dexter More

The only problem with Patrick Gibson's portrayal of Dexter is that he stepped into his element too late. Original Sin episode 10 will be the season finale, meaning Gibson has only had a handful of minutes to truly live in the role of Dexter. Since Original Sin season 2 still isn't confirmed, and since Michael C. Hall is set to return to the role in Dexter: Resurrection, it's possible that Gibson won't get to play Dexter again. I would be extremely disappointed if Gibson finally found his stride with Dexter and started to put his own excellent mark on the character only for Original Sin to end.

After Original Sin episode 9, I quite simply need to see Gibson play Dexter again, ideally for several more seasons. Gibson was too good, too devilish, too dorky, and too quintessentially Dexter for his show to end just as he's hitting his stride. While I am excited for Hall to play Dexter again, I think the only thing that will make myself and countless other Dexter fans happy is seeing both him and Gibson play the role for years to come. Dexter: Original Sin needs another season, if only so that Patrick Gibson can dazzle us yet again.

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  Dexter: Original Sin

  

  6/10

  Release Date December 15, 2024

  Network Paramount+ with Showtime

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    Christian Slater

    Harry Morgan

  • 

    Patrick Gibson

    Dexter Morgan

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  Dexter

  

  8/10

  Release Date 2006 - 2012

  Showrunner Clyde Phillips

  Directors Clyde Phillips

  Writers Jeff Lindsay, Scott Buck, Scott Reynolds, Tim Schlattmann, Karen Campbell, Melissa Rosenberg, Kevin Maynard, Wendy West, Manny Coto, Daniel Cerone, Jace Richdale, Drew Z. Greenberg, Chip Johannessen, Adam Fierro, Jim Leonard