Dexter’s Reboot Already Proved The Original Hated Ending Was Pointless

Warning: Spoilers for Dexter: New Blood episode 2.

Dexter is known for having one of the most reviled series endings of all time, with Dexter: New Blood’s reboot quickly proving its controversial resolutions were pointless. New Blood kicks off nearly a decade after Dexter’s hated original series finale, following Dexter Morgan as he lives under the alias Jim Lindsay in Iron Lake, New York. Having avoided killing for nearly a decade, Dexter is confronted with his killing urges again after his estranged son Harrison finds him, a reckless resident returns, and a new serial killer terrorizes his town.

Showtime’s reboot series, New Blood, was promoted as a way to fix the shortcomings of Dexter’s controversial original ending, giving the creators and viewers alike a more satisfying conclusion. Dexter’s season 8 ending saw the serial killer preparing to leave for Buenos Aires, Argentina with his young son Harrison and girlfriend/serial killer Hannah McKay. Taking the time to put one last antagonistic serial killer on his table, Dexter’s plans are upended when the killer shoots his sister Deb and leaves her permanently braindead. After pulling the plug on her life support to allow Deb a merciful death, Dexter dumps her body in the ocean (his ritualistic burial ground) and drives his boat into the eye of a hurricane, seemingly to his death. His reasoning was to keep those he loves from getting hurt anymore and punishing himself for what he’s done, but the series ends with a quick twist revealing he faked his death and began living as a lumberjack in Oregon under a fake identity.

The show’s ending didn’t sit well with a significant portion of devoted audiences and critics, which soured many viewers’ perceptions of the series as a whole. In the time since Dexter ended in 2013, many creatives behind the show have come forward admitting they were dissatisfied by the ending as well – including Dexter Morgan actor Michael C. Hall and original showrunner Clyde Phillips. As New Blood attempts to undo the shortcomings of the original series, Dexter’s reboot demonstrates the pointlessness of the characters’ hated season 8 resolutions.

Harrison Developed Darkness FROM Dexter Leaving

Dexter even explains it himself that the reason he left Harrison was because he didn’t want to pass on his demons to his son, even though his leaving accomplished exactly this. Harrison may never have had his darkness see the light of day had Dexter stuck around, taught him how to control his impulses, and learned to overcome his trauma. Instead, Dexter became an even more potent aspect of Harrison’s trauma than even Rita’s death, especially since Harrison believed that Dexter left because he saw darkness in him. Once Harrison found Dexter’s letter to Hannah, he believed that he was so incurably filled with demons and dangers that his own father couldn’t stick around and raise him. New Blood‘s Harrison wasn’t saved by Dexter leaving; he was punished by it. Additionally, Dexter’s letter to Hannah said to contact him if she saw any signs of darkness, and never getting a response signaled to him that he made the right decision. Hannah never responding suggests that Harrison’s demons didn’t surface until reading that letter, meaning Harrison likely wouldn’t have become so dark had Dexter either stayed or actually died in the finale.

Dexter Lived A Normal Life With No Punishment

Part of the reason why Dexter abandoned Harrison and faked his death was to punish himself for his actions leading to the deaths of so many people he loved. Many felt that season 8 should have ended with Dexter’s real death, finally paying the price for the guilty and innocent lives he took. The original series never killed him, so leading a life in almost complete isolation focusing on the reflection on your wrongdoings was the next best punishment. This may have worked for a while for Dexter, but by the time New Blood begins, Dexter has been living a fulfilling, seemingly happy life in Iron Lake for a few years. He’s living the same life he could have had in Argentina or even in Iron Lake with Harrison by his side, he’s just doing it with no responsibilities or accountability for his actions. Harrison has a right to be angry at his father – it would be different if he arrived and Dexter was a recluse who was truly making sure nobody he knew could get hurt again, but instead his father is thriving while he was left to the foster system. Dexter supposedly left his life in Miami to punish himself, but he only succeeded in indirectly punishing Harrison.

Dexter Started Killing Again Anyway

The entire point of Dexter faking his death and living under a new alias in the season 8 finale was so he would stop killing, simply living a life as an Oregon lumberjack. While Dexter continuing to kill would make sense for him not wanting to raise Harrison, stopping makes it a lot less clear as to why he wouldn’t stay with his son. Dexter had apparently learned to suppress his Dark Passenger for a decade without any slip-ups, but now he’s killing again anyway. Part of what was so controversial about Dexter’s season 8 finale was that he decided he could get rid of his Dark Passenger, which was the opposite of what he had been saying the past seven seasons. Dexter learned to become more human and develop a better morality over time, but he had realized that the urge to kill would always be with him. That’s why Dexter simply becoming a lumberjack and not killing anymore made no sense – the Dark Passenger was always there, even if it was riding in the back seat for a decade.

Harrison Living A Safe Life With Hannah Didn’t Work Out

Harrison was also never going to be completely safe with Hannah – she was a wanted fugitive in the United States who still could have been tracked down to Argentina. If Dexter had truly wanted Harrison to live a safe life, he should have given him to Rita’s parents. Rita’s parents took in Astor and Cody after her death, which also would have been far better for Harrison’s development to have him living in Florida with his biological grandparents and siblings rather than just with a known killer in a foreign country. Instead, Dexter faked his death and left Harrison with Hannah in Buenos Aires, only for Hannah to die of pancreatic cancer five years later. For the next three years, Harrison knew his father was alive and abandoned him, with his anger only growing as he bounced around abusive foster homes. Dexter: New Blood proves that the original series’ ending made them all worse off, rendering Dexter’s original intentions pointless.

About The Author

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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