Dexter: Resurrection – Should Dexter Be The Actual Villain?

Key Takeaways

• Dexter might become the actual villain in Resurrection, deviating from his anti-hero role.
• Fans may initially resist Dexter’s villainous portrayal, especially across multiple seasons.
• Dexter’s transformation into a villain in season 2 paved the way for an enticing storyline in the series.

Dexter: Resurrection will head into production in January 2025, and it’ll be released on Paramount+ with Showtime next summer. Michael C. Hall will return as Dexter Morgan, as he fights for his life after being shot by his teenage son, Harrison. Dexter has always firmly been the anti-hero in the series, but his actions towards the end of Dexter: New Blood suggest he might be set to become the actual villain, and this idea could work very well.

The only stumbling block to proceeding with this angle in Dexter: Resurrection is the plan to continue Dexter’s journey across multiple seasons, and fans likely won’t go with Dexter’s villainous edge long term. Having said that, framing Dexter as the antagonist would work, especially if key characters like Angel Batista and Vince Masuka are re-introduced into the story.

Dexter Morgan Was Essentially The Villain In the Second Season Of The Original Dexter Series

Back in 2007, Dexter was heading into its sophomore season, with expectations very high after the breakout first run. Fans were eager to find out who the big villain would be in Dexter season 2, and they were shocked to discover that it was Dexter Morgan himself. Sort of. When the dismembered bodies of multiple victims were found at the bottom of the ocean in the iconic location of Miami, law enforcement branded it the work of a serial killer, who they named ‘The Bay Harbor Butcher’. Of course, the butcher was Dexter Morgan, and he spent the whole season trying to avoid suspicion. So, technically, Dexter was the villain, while also being the protagonist, and this created one of the most exciting storylines in the history of the Dexter-verse.

Dexter’s love interest, Lila Tournay, ended up being the ultimate villain, as she killed James Doakes, but let’s not forget: Dexter was already planning to frame Doakes as the Bay Harbor Butcher, and was possibly facing up to having to kill him as well. Doakes was the antagonist in many ways, but he didn’t fit Dexter’s code, and ended up dying because he tried to bring a guilty man to justice. Dexter is very much the villain in season 2, and the audience are guilty for rooting for him to succeed. The following seasons introduced killers much more deranged than Dexter, and audiences were never in doubt about their allegiance to the serial killer with the code. However, it might be time to change the format somewhat, and frame Dexter in a different light in Resurrection.

Dexter Crossed The Line In New Blood When He Killed An Innocent Man, So Resurrection Could Expand On This And Frame Him As The Villain

Dexter season 2 worked really well as it essentially turned the protagonist, Dexter Morgan, into the villain. It was the ultimate smart move in the age of antiheroes. Audiences have been rooting for bad people on television screens for many years now, and Dexter’s return in Resurrection could push the boundaries even further and turn him into the main villain. Dexter was already on a dark path in New Blood, with the unjustified killing of Coach Logan after he was outed as the real Bay Harbor Butcher. It isn’t known what the plot of Resurrection will be, but it’ll likely see Dexter running from the authorities. Of course, there will probably be the introduction of another villain who doesn’t possess Dexter’s code, who will go head-to-head with him. However, Miami Metro Homicide and the rest of the law enforcement community will probably be more interested in bringing Dexter to justice, seen as he is one of the most prolific serial killers of all time.

This isn’t to suggest that Dexter should kill innocent people in Resurrection, as that would absolutely go against his character arc, and turn the audience completely against him. Having said that, similar to Logan’s death in New Blood, if it’s a choice between escaping or getting caught, Dexter’s dark passenger could feasibly cross the line, and that would naturally make him more villainous. The creative team behind New Blood were seemingly pushing towards making Dexter the villain at the end of the limited series anyway, and it would be jarring if they pulled back on this in Resurrection, even if this new series is possibly set to run for multiple seasons.