- 5 months ago
America's favorite serial killer is back and better than ever! Join us as we examine why Dexter's latest outing surpasses even the acclaimed original series. From its perfect blend of visceral thrills to its secret society of killers in NYC, Resurrection returns to form with sharper writing, stellar new cast members, and meaningful character development for both Dexter and Harrison.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00I felt like an alien.
00:03Because I wanted to kill people.
00:07Yeah, yeah.
00:09Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:11And today, we're looking at elements that make Dexter Resurrection stand out
00:15from the three current follow-ups to Showtime's killer dramatic thriller.
00:20Ready your stomach for some story spoilers.
00:22Red, I didn't know you have a son.
00:26More cutting thrills.
00:28Showtime's Dexter has always limited novelist Jim Lindsay's twisted vision
00:33of a forensic analyst who moonlights as a vigilante serial killer.
00:37Trust me, I definitely understand.
00:39The tamer gore is made up for with visceral violence,
00:42punctuating consistently tense cat and mouse games.
00:46As much as that declined over time,
00:48sequel series Dexter New Blood finds irregular suspense in a singular murder mystery.
00:54Prequel Original Sin went the other extreme of developing many bloodthirsty targets
01:00only to sharpen 20-year-old Dexter Morgan's skills.
01:04But Resurrection nails it.
01:06It's as violent as the original show ever was, but uses that to dramatic effect.
01:10What are you doing?
01:11Taking my life back.
01:13And the name you stole from me.
01:14What name?
01:15The Dark Passenger.
01:17There's no shortage of monsters to fan the fear that anyone around us could be on the hunt.
01:22And Dexter's hunt keeps every character's motivations and fate chillingly vague.
01:27Glad to have you back, Doctor.
01:32Glad to be back.
01:35The Doctor is in.
01:36Ben's the M.O.
01:38The true genius in Resurrection's suspense is how it extends the lore.
01:43New Blood is geared toward the serialized elements of the original show
01:47within the quaint New York town of Iron Lake.
01:50Hey, Jimmy.
01:51Morning.
01:52Coming line dancing tonight?
01:54Yeah, I wouldn't miss it, Pastor Brian.
01:55Original Sin was more about elaborating on the franchise's established backstory in Miami,
02:01splitting its time between a case of the week and subplots about Dexter's peers.
02:05Resurrection consolidates the character focus and moves the action to sprawling New York City,
02:11where Dexter uncovers a secret society of serial killers.
02:15There is more if you're willing to sell your trophies.
02:18Yours is a lonely path.
02:20This sets up a new lore that balances our anti-heroes' episodic investigations
02:25with overarching drama and mystery arcs.
02:28It's a fresh concept over the formula that made the original Dexter such an immersive saga.
02:33To new friends.
02:34Effective twists.
02:36At least the first half of Dexter's run was praised for its bold twists in character motivations,
02:43fates, and relationships.
02:44Hi, honey.
02:49Missed you.
02:50New Blood continued this, but more for drama than creative storytelling.
02:55Revelations like the identity of the main killer weren't especially surprising.
03:00There certainly weren't many surprises in the prequel series Original Sin,
03:04despite contrived liberties in characterization.
03:08Ouch.
03:09Hmm?
03:10Oh, yeah.
03:11Again, it's not until the climax when the first season makes breaks in the main cases.
03:17Resurrection revives the original show's knack for using twists to progress instead of punctuating the narrative.
03:23The nature of the serial killer club and its members is unfurled in a gripping slow burn.
03:29The way these turns also evolve the characters says a lot about the series' refreshing storytelling logic.
03:35Those men you killed are innocent.
03:39I mean, define innocent.
03:43Sharpened writing.
03:44The Dexter franchise has always cut the tension with dark humor and eccentric character types.
03:50With them came sharp dialogue and situations that often slipped into cheese.
03:55Watching Ice Melt, this is fun.
03:57Stand a little closer, Morgan, and I'll melt your heart.
04:00I think he's got a crush on you, Dex.
04:02Huh?
04:03New Blood was much heavier and struggled to sell the comic relief like ill-fated podcaster Molly Park.
04:09Otherwise, it continued bad habits of melodrama and questionable character motivations
04:14that plagued later seasons of the original.
04:17Original Sin went particularly broad with its more youth-orientated scenarios and punch-up.
04:23Debra?
04:26Debra?
04:28Debra?
04:29But Resurrection really gets the sick wit that started it all.
04:32The plotting is concise and organic, with clever lines and natural patter.
04:37It also grasps the irony and introspection in Dexter's campy voiceovers.
04:42For all its pulpy faults, Resurrection's scripting is more refined where it counts most.
04:47I'll never get used to killing in front of an audience.
04:50New Players
04:51One of the riskiest moves with any sequel, and even prequel, is adding to a beloved cast.
04:57Not many fell in love with the newcomers in New Blood.
05:00Businessman Kurt Caldwell is an ultimately effective, if overly telegraphed villain.
05:05I'm sorry.
05:09Well, you should be.
05:11You made my son out to be some kind of criminal.
05:13But Dexter's communal ties in Iron Lake don't hold up under his neighbor's banality.
05:18Police Chief Angela Bishop's inconsistent investigative skills have been particularly criticized,
05:24and Original Sin was too involved in bringing back classic characters to do much with the new ones.
05:30Resurrection perfectly utilizes its colorful ensemble, genuinely humanizing Dexter through the decency of the Kamara family,
05:39and sustaining momentum with no-nonsense NYPD detective Claudette Wallace.
05:43No key required and no cameras.
05:46Of course, the effectiveness of the killers is especially crucial when their faces are so recognizable.
05:51So, what is it you do?
05:54Wow, you really are that off the grid.
05:57Catchier headliners.
05:59One thing Resurrection definitely has over its predecessors is star power.
06:03Certainly, New Blood boasts recognizable talents like Julia Jones, Jamie Chung, and the reliably terrifying Clancy Brown.
06:11Look, maybe it was a bad decision. I don't know.
06:14Sadly, Original Sin underutilized Patrick Dempsey and legendary Scream Queen Sarah Michelle Gellar as Dexter's mentors.
06:23With the most important figure being his father Harry, Christian Slater surely has the magnetism to carry the whole prequel.
06:30We're not going to let it get that far, not this time.
06:33We're going to do everything in our power to save that kid.
06:35Resurrection could have easily been overpowered by the celebrity of Peter Dinklage as wealthy murder enthusiast Leon Prater,
06:43and Uma Thurman, Kristen Ritter, David Dastmalchian, and Neil Patrick Harris in his cast of killers.
06:49Instead, their force behind the unpredictable villains is precisely what makes their every scene so enchanting.
06:56Good news, there's more where that came from.
06:58Returning to the scene.
06:59Before Angel Batista's new lead on the Bay Harbor Butcher, Dexter Newblood fulfills its title.
07:05Dexter Morgan is alive.
07:07Original Sin, on the other hand, strained to get the team back together.
07:11Nearly all of Dexter's colleagues from the top of the original series are already working at Miami Metro PD when he joins,
07:18and their broadest quirks are brought to the forefront.
07:21With Resurrection, Vince Masuka and Joey Quinn return only briefly to help put things into perspective.
07:27What, are you going to open another restaurant and write a novel, start a podcast?
07:31Yeah, don't tell me you're going to start an OnlyFans account.
07:33I mean, I'll be supportive.
07:35But I ain't going to like it.
07:37Batista, now retired, heads up the supporting cast with his ace detective skills and complicated relationship with Dexter.
07:44The Butcher's imagined conversations with his vile victims are certainly more compelling for a morality play than a guilt trip.
07:51Never mind the ghosts of his conscience.
07:53Hello? Is anyone there?
07:57Surprise, mother f***er.
07:59Like father, like son.
08:00And daughter.
08:01The complicated bonds within the Morgan family are the crux of Dexter's character as a moral sociopath.
08:07Even after the series finale leaves him with nothing, imagined conversations with adoptive sister Debra bog down new blood with a depressing guilt trip.
08:16Though the prequel is surely driven by family, the sometimes far-fetched ethical quandaries in Harry training a vigilante eclipse Deb's teen melodrama.
08:25Resurrection knows how to use ghosts, especially Harry.
08:29James Remar gives another hypnotic performance as he guides Dexter's methods and parenting skills.
08:35And Harrison lost his mother because of you.
08:38Dexter, your son needs you.
08:41Generally recognized as the real Dark Passenger, Harry forces his son to confront the moral ambiguity in his vigilantism.
08:49As crucially as the Morgans represent the anti-hero's conscience, he needs a less abstract motivator.
08:55I blame myself for your suffering.
08:57But I know you're hurt.
09:00You have a higher purpose, son.
09:02Harrison's Characterization
09:04Jack Alcott's performance in the Dexter sequels has been consistently praised.
09:09But after Harrison Morgan reunites with his father at the end of a tumultuous childhood, his arc on new blood split audiences.
09:16This especially goes for the crude conclusion to Dexter's redemption arc, in which he allows his son to shoot him to cleanse the homicidal urges.
09:24I've never really felt love.
09:29Real love.
09:32Until now.
09:34Thus, Dexter miraculously survives to find Harrison in New York.
09:41What this hook lacks in logic is made up for in Harrison's richer, more personal development.
09:47His drive to rise above his impulsive murders poetically contrasts with his father's warped code.
09:53I can't, I can't live with it.
09:55I can't carry this guilt.
09:57And that's why I went to turn myself in.
09:59Whether their relationship is redemptive or a dangerous burden, Resurrection treats Harrison not as a glorified plot device, but as a worthy co-protagonist.
10:08Isn't that?
10:09Yeah.
10:10Did you know?
10:11No.
10:12Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
10:18You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
10:22If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
10:28Justice for Dexter.
10:29Really, Dexter fans have been conflicted ever since showrunner Clyde Phillips' departure after season 4.
10:35I love you, Debra.
10:37Most agree that Dexter mercy-killing Debra and going on the run made for a disastrous series finale.
10:43Phillips' return for New Blood didn't especially endear audiences with its preposterous representation of a psychopath suppressing his urges.
10:51And original sin naturally found him a bit rusty in his early 20s.
10:55In Resurrection, Dexter's cunning and cutting as a homicidal vigilante are back, but more complicated.
11:02His age and near-death experience bring perspective to his good intentions and wretched id.
11:07If I really am who you think I am, this can't possibly end well for you.
11:15When he steps over the line, it feels organic.
11:17The antihero is always compelling for his complexity and Michael C. Hall's amazing performance.
11:23Kudos to Original Sin's Patrick Gibson, too.
11:26But with Dexter Resurrection, the brand finally returns to its former gory glory.
11:31I'm Dexter Morgan.
11:33Who's that?
11:35The Bay Harbor Butcher.
11:36What is your favorite run in the Dexter franchise and how do you justify that?
11:41Give your statement in the comments.
11:43I'll be disappointed.
11:44And you don't want to disappoint me.
11:47I'll be disappointed.
11:49I'll be disappointed.
11:50I'll be disappointed.
11:51I'll be disappointed.
11:52I'll be disappointed.
11:53I'll be disappointed.
11:54I'll be disappointed.
11:55I'll be disappointed.
11:56I'll be disappointed.
11:57I'll be disappointed.
11:58I'll be disappointed.
11:59I'll be disappointed.
12:00I'll be disappointed.
12:01I'll be disappointed.
12:02I'll be disappointed.
12:03I'll be disappointed.
12:04I'll be disappointed.
12:05I'll be disappointed.
12:06I'll be disappointed.
12:07I'll be disappointed.
12:08I'll be disappointed.
12:09I'll be disappointed.
12:10I'll be disappointed.
12:11I'll be disappointed.
12:12I'll be disappointed.
12:13I'll be disappointed.
Be the first to comment