Summary
The upcomingDexterprequel seriesDexter: Original Sincan finally solve one of the most glaring lingering questions of the original series. After Michael C. Hall reprised his iconic role as the charismatic vigilante serial killer Dexter Morgan in 2021’sDexter: New Blood, theprequel seriesDexter: Original Sinwent into development in February 2023. While it’s unclear whether Hall will appear onscreen in theDexterprequel series, which is set in 1991, fifteen years before the events ofDexterseason 1 take place, he is attached as an executive producer along withNew Bloodcreator andOriginal Sinshowrunner Clyde Phillips.
The series will chronicle a post-college Dexter as he embraces his “dark passenger” through the guidance and teachings of his adopted fatherHarry, who has developed a code for Dexterto follow to satisfy his violent urges while making sure never to get caught.Dexterfeatured a variety of flashbacks of Dexter’s upbringingwith Harry and the formation of the code, which the prequel will expand further on.Dexter: Original Sinwill feature a new actor as the legendary titular character for the first time in the franchise’s celebrated history. TheDexterprequel series has also recast Debra and Harry Morgan, two of the most significant characters and family members of Dexter.
Harry & Dexter Morgan’s Backstory In Dexter Explained
Harry adopted Dexter after his mother was brutally murdered
Harry Morgan is Dexter’s adoptive father in the series who took him under his wing when he was just a young boy. Harry, a highly respected career police officer and homicide detective at Miami Metro Police Department, discovered Dexter when he was just a toddler during the horrific Shipping Yard Massacre sitting in a pool of blood after four people, including his mother Laura Moser, were murdered in a shipping container. As it turns out,Harry had known Laura Moser because she had been a trusted police informant. This in part led to Harry legally adopting Dexter and raising him as his own alongside his biological daughter, Debra.
As Dexter started to develop from childhood into adolescence, Harry picked up on Dexter’s violent tendencies, often catching him torturing and killing small animals. These scenes are revealed in flashbacks throughout the originalDexterseries.Harry also appears throughout the original series as a “ghost” or a figment of Dexter’s imagination, often acting as a moral compass and confidant as Dexter finds himself in complicated dilemmas. Harry died more than ten years before the events of the first season ofDexterin what is revealed to have been suicide after walking in on Dexter dismembering a body.
Dexter: Every Character Who Knew About His Dark Passenger (& How They Found Out)
While Dexter’s number one rule was to not get caught, he slipped up quite a few times, leading several characters to discover his killer identity.
Harry Never Gave Dexter Traditional Therapy For His Trauma & Mental Health Problems
Harry took alternative and protective measures to turn Dexter into a vigilante serial killer
One of the biggest questions that the prequel presents is just how influential Doctor Evelyn Vogel, who was played by Charlotte Rampling and was introduced inDexterseason 8, was in the formation of Harry’s code and whether she or Harry is more responsible for harnessing Dexter’s “dark passenger” for apparent societal good. It’s revealed inDexterseason 8 that Harry brought Dexter to Vogel when he was younger but she ended up turning her patients into vigilante killers. What’s clear is thatHarry made it a point to keep Dexter’s “dark passenger” a secret in order to protect him, never sending him to traditional therapy or getting him mental health treatment.
With the rise in mental health awareness nowadays, it will be interesting to see howDexter: Original Sinwill portray Dexter’s “dark passenger” and if it will decide to go down the route of traditional therapy and mental health treatment. The series has historically used more abstract and illustrative language to describe Dexter’s violent and psychopathic tendencies, however, the introduction of Dr. Vogel put Dexter under the psychological microscope more than ever before. As of June 2024,no actress has been cast in the role of a younger Dr. Vogel, but considering the show’s history, it would make sense to expect Vogel to appear at some point inDexter: Original Sin.
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Original Sin Needs To Answer Whether Harry Was The Real Reason Dexter Became A Killer
The Dexter prequel series should explore just how responsible Harry and Vogel were
Dexter: Original Sinneeds to be much more than a portrait of Dexter as a vigilante in training.The prequel series had a golden opportunity to expand on the lore of the original show, starting by answering the question of whether it was Harry who was shaping Dexter’s worldview or whether Doctor Vogel played more of an integral role than initially revealed. If Harry and Vogel hadn’t created the code, would Dexter have definitely turned into a serial killer, or did Harry inadvertently encourage Dexter’s “dark passenger” by giving it a safe outlet? It will be interesting to see howDexter: Original Sinwill handle the ethics of Harry and Vogel’s code and could potentially explore what might have happened if Dexter had received better help for his past trauma.
Dexter’s Prequel Casting Makes The Original Show’s Funniest 7-Year Running Joke Even Better
Dexter’s flashback sequences brought unintended humor to the show, and the upcoming prequel project means the comedy of the moments is increased.
Dexter
Cast
Dexter is a television series following Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for Miami Metro Police who secretly leads a dual life as a vigilante serial killer. Released in 2006, the show focuses on Dexter’s internal conflict as he hunts down criminals who elude justice within the legal system.
