Dexter Recap & Ending Explained: Everything You Need to Know Before New Blood

Dexter: New Blood is coming up quickly, so here’s a helpful recap of the original series ending and what’s important to know before diving back in. Premiering on Showtime in 2006, Dexter was a brand new concept of a crime drama as it was told from the perspective of the serial killer instead of those trying to capture him. It was also novel to make said murderer the sympathetic protagonist, with the series even branding Dexter Morgan as America’s favorite serial killer.

What set apart Dexter from other crime dramas was also the way that it portrayed Dexter Morgan as a vigilante serial killer with somewhat of a moral code. Dexter was raised by police officer Harry Morgan who gave him the “Code of Harry,” allowing him to channel his murderous urges into something good. Dexter was only allowed to kill known murderers, had specific rules to not get caught, and was not allowed to share his secret identity with anyone else. To top it all off, Dexter Morgan worked at the Miami Dade Police Department as a blood-spatter analyst – the perfect (or convenient) cover-up for a man fixated on bloody murders. The series typically followed Dexter hunting down a new serial killer each season, all the while having to hide his own identity from those around him.

Showtime’s Dexter finally came to end in 2013 after 8 seasons, though the finale was highly controversial. After another 8 years off the air, Dexter Morgan is finally coming back to the screen for a final season in Dexter: New Blood. The new season will follow Dexter as he hides his identity under a new alias in the fictional Iron Lake, New York, but his murderous past and urges taunt him when a killer terrorizes his new home. Dexter: New Blood premieres on Showtime on November 7, 2021, so here’s what to know ahead of its release.

Dexter’s Final Kill Count: Who Is Still Alive?

It wasn’t common for those Dexter knew to stay alive very long, whether it be a serial killer harming those he loves or knows, killers winding up on Dexter’s own table, or someone finding out Dexter’s secret and needing to be silenced Dexter-style. While he had more or less learned to control his serial killer urges onto only known murderers, Dexter’s kill count was fairly high considering he was never truly caught. Viewer estimates reveal that Dexter Morgan has killed 138 victims so far, though this estimate also includes victims who he didn’t directly plunge his knife into (such as Deb or Lumen’s torturer Jordan Chase). Since Dexter: New Blood suggests he’ll be bringing back his plastic wrap, knife, and blood slides, the kill count will likely go up in season 9.

Considering Dexter was fairly antisocial and most people he knew met an early grave, only a few characters from Dexter’s original series were still alive at the season 8 finale. From Dexter’s Miami Dade Police Department, Angel Batista, Vince Masuka, and Joey Quinn all made it out of season 8 alive. There are also a few who knew Dexter’s secret serial killer identity that were still alive at the end of the series, such as his season 5 sidekick Lumen Pierce and girlfriend Hannah McKay. It’s unknown if Lumen will make her way back into Dexter: New Blood considering she left her murdering era behind, but Hannah is another story. With Hannah McKay is still being alive, there will clearly be plenty to explain now that Harrison is back with Dexter. Hannah and Harrison were both last seen getting on a plane together as Dexter faked his death, so it’s unclear whether they immediately returned to the U.S., Dexter made contact with him, or Hannah raised Harrison and he eventually found his way back to Dexter. Additionally, Dexter’s stepchildren Astor and Cody are still alive, and it would be odd if they weren’t mentioned considering they’re Harrison’s half-siblings.

Dexter Season 8 Ending Explained

Up until Game of Thrones’ 2019 series finale, Dexter’s season 8 ending was one of the most controversial television finales of all time. Dexter’s series finale saw Dexter Morgan preparing to leave the country with Harrison and Hannah, partially because the police were getting much closer to capturing both him and his girlfriend for their crimes. All the while, Dexter was being tormented by serial killer Oliver Saxon, the biological son of Dexter’s psychologist who had originally helped Harry devise his killing code. When Dexter finally had Oliver tied up with Deb preparing to call in his capture, Oliver escaped his binds and shot Deb. She was sent to the hospital and seemed to be on the mend before having a massive blood clot, leading Deb to end up permanently brain dead.

Realizing all the pain his murderous life has cost those he loves, Dexter mercifully unplugs Deb’s life support and dumps her body in the ocean in his ritualistic style. Knowing Harrison and Hannah were already leaving the country, Dexter decides to drive his boat straight into the torrential storm hitting Miami, faking his death to everyone back home. Just when it seems Dexter Morgan may have been his own final victim, Dexter season 8 ends with a short clip of him with a fully-grown beard working as a lumberjack in Oregon. The idea that Dexter would simply fake his own death and adopt a new identity didn’t sit well with many viewers as a proper series finale, and now Showtime is finally trying to amend its mistakes with Dexter: New Blood.

Every Character Returning In Dexter: New Blood

With so many of Dexter’s original series characters deceased, there are only a few that even can make their way back into New Blood. Without really needing to be said, Michael C. Hall is reprising his titular role as vigilante serial killer Dexter Morgan, who is now living in an upstate New York town under the alias Jim Lindsay. Although her character died in Dexter’s season 8 finale, Dex’s sister Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter) is returning as his Dark Passenger, taking over the role from their father Harry Morgan in the original series. Debra’s death was one of the most divisive aspects of Dexter’s original ending, so her character serving as Dexter’s inner conscience is a great way to keep Deb’s spirit alive. It was highly theorized that Harrison Morgan would appear in Dexter season 9 as a teenager, possibly even as a new serial killer, and New Blood finally confirmed the return of Dexter’s son. Harrison will be portrayed by The Good Lord Bird’s Jack Alcott, taking over the role from season 8’s Jadon Wells. So far, the Morgan family are the only confirmed returning characters.

Why Dexter Is Out Of Hiding In New Blood

The past 8 years since Dexter ended have been a mystery, so the main serial killer living without a disguise in the open for season 9 is curious. Dexter Morgan was last seen living as a lumberjack in Oregon, but there’s no clear explanation for why he went from Miami to Oregon to New York under different aliases. It’s suggested he hasn’t used the Dexter Morgan since 2013 and has simply found certain ways to change his appearance so as to not be caught. Dexter‘s New Blood reboot hasn’t yet revealed whether the titular character has been killing since faking his death in the season 8 finale, but it is suggested that he has been controlling his urges since moving to his current home of Iron Lake, whenever that may be. He’s clearly been around town long enough for everyone to greet him as Jim or Mr. Lindsay around town and even has a romantic relationship with Iron Lake’s police chief, so Dexter seems fairly comfortable with showing his face and forming new friendships. Dexter: New Blood takes place in an extremely small New York town, meaning many of its residents likely have no idea what the names Dexter Morgan or the Bay Harbor Butcher even mean, not to mention what his face would look like.

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Jordan Williams
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Jordan Williams is a Movie/TV Feature Senior Staff Writer for Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies.

Jordan is based in Seattle, Washington and enjoys exploring the natural beauty the PNW has to offer. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having watched every film on AFI’s 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner.

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