Michael C. Hall says that the series finale of the original Dexter was necessary in order for Dexter Morgan’s story to continue on in revival spin-offs like New Blood and Resurrection.

“I think the idea that Dexter, given everything that went down in the series proper, you know, back in the day, [putting] himself into self-imposed exile – I think [it] made narrative sense, but people didn’t wanna see that,” Hall tells GamesRadar+.

“I think New Blood was a way to take responsibility for the fact that he was still out there, and people wondered what happened to him. And ultimately, I think it was a bridge to where we are now. It was the only way to get him all the way back to a place where he’s able to reclaim his identity, put down his burdensome past that he’s been carrying around, and move forward with a newly claimed identity and a commitment to the code. It’s the only way we could have gotten where we are, even though it was a rocky road to get here.”

The original series, based on the Dexter novels by Jeff Lindsay, hit Showtime in 2006, spanning a total of eight seasons, and ending in 2013. The series finale, season 8 episode 12, saw Dexter fake his own death following a boat wreck before a flash forward showed us his new life as a lumberjack in Oregon – complete with a stereotypical woodsman beard that was (in my opinion) quite obviously applied as a prosthetic.

The finale made its way onto several “Worst Series Finales of All Time” lists, with fans and critics alike calling it boring, bizarre, and anticlimactic. Some thought it made the most sense for Dexter to finally be caught and tried for his crimes, while others thought the show should’ve ended the same way as the final novel, where Dexter actually does die in the midst of the boat wreck.

The franchise was revived with Dexter: New Blood, which premiered in 2021 and took place 10 years later after the events of the series finale. The revival spin-off chronicles Dexter’s new life under a fake name in Oregon, where he reunites with his son Harrison (Jack Alcott) and, upon realizing his son has the same murderous urges, decides to teach him his special Code. This, of course, doesn’t go as planned, and ends with Dexter dying…or so we think. Dexter: Resurrection picks up right where New Blood left off, with both Dexter and Harrison running amok in New York City – while law enforcement is hot on their trail. Not to mention a web of strange serial killers have decided to claim Dexter as one of their own…

Dexter: Resurrection is airing weekly on Showtime and Paramount Plus, with the first two episodes out now. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2025 and beyond.