Dexter: New Blood came to an end this week with an epic conclusion that fans have been pining for since the original series finale aired to widespread derision back in 2013. There may not be enough words of disappointment to convey how the original ending made us feel, but we’re going to let bygones be bygones. And this is because showrunner Clyde Phillips gave us an ending we can live with, and one that doesn’t involve Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) becoming a lumberjack.
Speaking with Deadline, Phillips filled us in on the journey it took to make Dexter: New Blood and whether or not we can expect another season. For those of you who have not watched the finale of Dexter: New Blood, be aware there are SPOILERS ahead.
Dexter: New Blood wraps up Dexter Morgan’s storyline
The original Showtime series ran for eight seasons and followed the story of Dexter Morgan, a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlighted as a serial killer with a penchant for taking down other murderers. It’s no secret that fans absolutely hated the way the original series ended; trust me, I was one of them.
Well, nearly nine years later, we got another season that gave us an ending we can actually be content with, no matter how tragic it was. Throughout the additional 10 episodes, we caught up with Dexter Morgan, who was now going by the alias of Jim Lindsay and living in the small town of Iron Lake, New York. Everyone back in Miami presumed him to be dead after the events of the original finale, so he was able to start fresh.
Life seemed pretty idyllic for Mr. Lindsay until his son Harrison (Jack Alcott) showed up. Things took a turn for Dexter as he grappled with fatherhood and the return of his Dark Passenger, the darkness inside that drives him to kill. It was no surprise when Harrison turned out to be very like his father, and was ultimately the one to pull the trigger on him.
Phillips was asked if Dexter’s story had to end with death or if there were additional ideas considered. “Yes. We knew this had to happen, and I think it had to happen for the audience as much as for the character. To see him get caught time and time again and get out of it at a time and time again is a disservice to the audience,” he said. “And I think there’s a certain truth in this storytelling, in authenticity in the storytelling.”
When Phillips asked lead actor Michael C. Hall if he’d like to revisit Dexter Morgan, it didn’t take much convincing. Hall gave him an eager “I’m in” once he laid out how Dexter’s story would ultimately end.
And if there are any fans out there were wondering if Dexter Morgan is really dead (we saw him bleeding out, but nothing after that), Philips has just three words for you: “Dexter is dead. I wouldn’t do that to the audience. It would be dishonest. Here, there is no question that this is the finale of Dexter. Dexter is dead.”
Sigh. R.I.P. to the Bay Harbor Butcher. You will be missed?
Will there be a continuing storyline for Harrison?
It’s not completely out of the question that the show will continue. While there are no plans at the moment, Phillips is totally down to do more if Showtime is.
“As I mentioned, this show is a huge asset. When people start bingeing this after the finale, I’m confident the numbers will continue to go up. It’s up to Showtime to make the call to me if they want more,” Phillips explained. “If they ask me if I’d like to make a continuation of this, I would say yes. I have a lot of things going on but I would drop everything for this and say yes in one second.”
There are many ways a continuing storyline could work, especially since we know now that Harrison has the Dark Passenger just like his father. And to kill one’s father in cold blood is no easy thing. Clearly, he’s capable of anything.
“Harrison is such a complicated character and he has within him the seeds of the Dark Passenger. He’s capable. Look at that takedown of Dexter in the end, what’s in Harrison is that he has to kill this man,” Phillips said. “Also, Harrison brings a different perspective to the vigilantism of it all than Dexter did, which was kind of surprising to Dexter. He brings this youthful, optimistic innocence, that he and his dad are basically Batman and Robin. Think of every time we take out one of these bad guys how many lives we’re saving, that this bad person is not going to kill. Dexter never thought of that. Dexter was only taking out bad guys because that was his code.”
Personally, I enjoyed the juxtaposition of Harrison and Dexter’s ideals. It makes me want to see what Harrison’s life could be from this point onwards. Hopefully, Showtime will want to continue his story in some way. Alcott’s performance was phenomenal and I think he would be excellent as a lead actor.
Check out Dexter: New Blood in its entirety on Showtime now!
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