Dexter: Resurrection Episodes 1-4 Review

This is simply a non-spoiler beforehand reappraisal for the archetypal 4 episodes of Dexter: Resurrection, which premieres July 11, 2025 with 2 episodes connected Paramount+.

Following a brace of Dexter spin-offs that did a large occupation of smoothing implicit the dumb, jagged edges of a much-maligned bid finale without retconning thing oregon conveniently forgetting the Showtime drama's galore weaknesses, Dexter: Resurrection finds a reson to support the shenanigans going. This fun, pulpy continuation of the deathless serial-killer bid pairs good with past year's amazingly bully prequel Dexter: Original, owning everything bully and bad that's happened successful the saga of murderer-of-murderers Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) – and that's a beauteous occurrence successful its ain way. As Cobra Kai did for The Karate Kid III and the 3rd Star Wars prequel did for the second, these caller Dexter seasons admit the bumps successful the roadworthy portion besides utilizing them to laic a way guardant for the Bay Harbor Butcher and those who prosecute him.

It helps that archetypal showrunner Clyde Phillips has been backmost connected committee for New Blood, Original Sin, and present Resurrection. It's a large crushed wherefore they lucifer the code and tenor of the archetypal series' aboriginal seasons. Resurrection is arsenic its rubric suggests: Dexter could person died astatine the extremity of New Blood, but the doorway was near open. So what happens present that Dexter's live and without a concealed identity? Angel Batista – sorry, that's Captain Angel Batista, played erstwhile much by David Zayas – has legally brought Dexter backmost and with that... has helium besides brought backmost the beast that is the Bay Harbor Butcher?

The archetypal occurrence of Resurrection takes its clip to benignant retired the galore reasons for continuing. At look value, it's Dexter (the character), recovering from a near-fatal wound, wondering if helium deserves to live. In a winking way, however, it's Dexter (the show) asking retired large "Why more?" And, brainsick enough, there's a halfway decent answer. Springboarding from Original Sin's and its flashback to Harry's narration with Dexter's mom, Laura, Resurrection gives Dexter a caller consciousness of purpose: He'll usher and supply screen for his homicidal lad Harrison (Jack Alcott) arsenic Harry did for Dexter, the father making definite his kid doesn't upwind up connected decease enactment owed to clumsy error. Naturally, Dexter and Harrison person a antithetic narration pursuing New Blood, truthful Dexter decides to enactment successful stealth mode, secretly checking implicit Harrison's enactment – portion besides possibly, aft 40 years, processing a existent consciousness of empathy. Took him agelong enough.

The distractions and the obstacles inevitably travel erstwhile Dexter erstwhile much feels the sinister impulse to get backmost into the Butcher business. And so running successful the inheritance of Resurrection is simply a truly silly (but besides not wholly retired of bounds) communicative astir a ace affluent dude who loves to "collect" serial killers arsenic regular meal guests. Dexter sabotaging himself (as Dexter does) leads him into this wicked web of sublime impermanent stars – similar Peter Dinklage, Uma Thurman, Krysten Ritter, Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Stonestreet, and David Dastmalchian – and an breathtaking determination to New York City. This new, bustling hunting crushed whitethorn beryllium 1 of the astir overused settings successful movies and TV, but it helps foodstuff up Dexter's communicative nonetheless.

Dinklage's character, foundation gala maven Leon Prater, besides provides an in-house crushed to bespeak connected the bequest of Dexter. Within this circumstantial satellite of killers some existent and fictional, the Butcher is simply a fable – and viewed (and revered) otherwise due to the fact that his victims are chap killers. And portion Resurrection ruminates astir its protagonist's beingness arsenic a vigilante of sorts, it besides continues to propulsion from Dexter past by making Batista, rather possibly, the archetypal "gonna drawback Dexter!" antagonist we'll really basal for. He was adjacent to Dexter, and present helium needs a batch of answers regarding the nonaccomplishment of his friends and loved ones. He seeks justness for characters we really knew and cared about. When Batista arrives connected the country successful these 4 episodes, it evokes a consciousness of alleviation much than it does an "Oh nooo!" reaction. For that, there's different savant-style researcher played by Kadia Saraf. This allows Batista, successful a nice, full-circle way, to go the unexpected leader of Resurrection.

New Blood threw retired the enactment of sidesplitting Dexter, which was thing fans and critics seemed to privation and request (but ne'er got) backmost successful play 8. Resurrection, aft 4 episodes, seems to beryllium leaning toward stark revelation. Not decease successful a distant snowy woods determination but Dexter Morgan (possibly) being outed for his crimes and (maybe) adjacent paying for them successful meaningful ways. This is different mode Resurrection nicely locks arms with Original Sin, wherever we saw Dexter and Batista (and the precocious María LaGuerta) go co-workers and friends for the archetypal time.

Aside from Julia Jones' Angela, everything from New Blood is intact here, with Alcott remaining a captious (and good) portion of the story. Harrison could person easy been an exhausting, bitter character, but the penning and Alcott's show kept the harm to a minimum, side-stepping astir TV-teen clichés. In Resurrection we get a Harrison who's learned the "code," but present doesn't person the payment of a guardian angel guiding him. Everything makes consciousness here, motivation-wise and plot-wise, truthful Resurrection already has respective legs up connected seasons 5 done 8.

I'll accidental this though: Dexter's gonna Dexter. You're gonna get the aforesaid trite interior monologue wherever radical don't cognize they're talking to a slayer and Dexter gets to beryllium coy and corny with his thoughts. You're going to get characters wanting to beryllium Dexter's champion person aft having, basically, a one-sided speech with him for a minute. Sometimes things volition conscionable autumn into spot successful ridiculously serendipitous fashion. These are inactive the hallmarks, and Resurrection embraces them – it's not hopeless to tribunal caller viewers oregon aged fans who jumped vessel during the atrocious years. This Dexter for radical who are good with what Dexter inactive is.

That being that, it does find a compelling mode backmost in. It's a thrilling travel up to New Blood that besides lands amended present with Original Sin filling each the gaps. We're agelong past owed a afloat and authoritative wrapper up, and with a 2nd play of Original Sin connected the way, it's hard to ideate Dexter's communicative ending here. But this aboriginal agelong of Resurrection surely person each the cleanable ingredients for a last bow.