Hope has been the only thing fans of Showtime's Dexter have had to hold on to since the series
ended in 2013.
After eight seasons, when all is said and done, Dexter Morgan doesn't die, and he isn't
caught for the vigilante murders he's committed. The serial killer who only kills other killers
instead leaves everything behind and exiles himself from the world in what made for one
of the most frustrating TV finales of all time.
"Some people think Dexter might be capable of living happily ever after, and some think
'No, he needs to be punished.' But yet, we don't really do either of those."
The ending wasn't as conclusive as Dexter's demise would've been, but it did provide a
golden shimmer of hope that Dexter's story might not be over. Now, some huge news has
broken that takes that sliver of hope a step or several steps further.
"Don't get your hopes up" would be an easy response to any news that claims Michael C.
Hall's serial killer next door might be appearing on the screen once again. We've seen Dexter-related
hopes squashed before, and nobody wants to see this fandom hurt again.
We were promised a prequel, and we got an animated web series in 2009. We were slammed
with rumors of spin-offs that never happened. After a series of interviews with the Dexter
actor talking about how he wouldn't mind reprising the role for a season 9, fans latched onto
the words as a real possibility. Then, Showtime announced in 2019 that no active talks about
a ninth season were taking place. Fans' hopes were crushed for a while, anyway.
Everything changed on October 14, 2020, when Showtime announced that all of our Dexter
dreams are finally going to come true.
"Surprise motherf-----."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Showtime is bringing Dexter back for a limited series.
The series isn't set to be an ongoing thing as of right now. It'll run for a total of
ten episodes and bring Hall back as the world's favorite fictional serial killer. Even better,
the production is scheduled to begin next year, so it's not only talk. By every indication,
this is really happening.
The story is set to take place after the series finale, with Dexter living a solitary existence
as a lumberjack-type in a new life he's crafted for himself after faking his death at the
end of season 8. Despite Dexter's early retirement from his career of killing, there's sure to
be a lot of murderous happenings since it's a huge part of the character's identity.
In the vein of other "faked their own death" stories, there's a good chance that the upcoming
limited series will see Dexter haunted by the ghosts of his past. It's even possible
that Dexter will meet his end at the hands of the state you know, for all those murders
he committed. For what it's worth, that's the ending that Clyde Phillips, co-producer
and original showrunner on the series, had in mind for Dexter from the very beginning.
"How would you like to see Dexter end?"
"I don't know. It'd be cool if he —"
"If he's gonna die, he should die funny."
The Dexter limited series is bringing back Phillips as showrunner as well, so maybe he'll
have the chance to actually make good on his original vision. Phillips ran the writers
room until 2009, and during his time on the show, Dexter scooped up several Emmy Award
and Writers Guild Award nominations. His inclusion for this new ten-part sequel series is welcome
news indeed.
It's not every day that a series as well-known and as ultimately tragic as Dexter gets a
second chance. For anyone who hasn't seen Dexter, news of this limited series revival
would be like, in 2026, seven years after Game of Thrones ended, HBO making the announcement
that ten more episodes are coming down the pipe.
"Have you shot your final scenes yet, and are you happy with how things ended?"
"Yes."
Naturally, Dexter fans are pretty much freaking out about this one-off extension project,
as it might offer a better ending than the original's. On the flip side, though, some
are freaking out for a very different reason: They've been so badly burned by Dexter's ending
that they don't want anything to do with the limited series.
"I'm absolutely expecting mixed reactions from the fans. Some people will like it, and
I know some people hate it."
One fan wrote on Twitter,
"From the way it ended I honestly dont want anymore please."
Replying to that tweet, another user wrote,
"If you didn't like the end of the show then give this season a chance. It's been so long
that they have a fresh new idea for a story that could redeem the ending it got and dexter
won't be remembered having a bad ending."
One Twitter user didn't mince words in sharing their excitement upon hearing news of the
limited series, writing,
"Yes!!! That ending was the worst. I hope they fix that nonsense."
Elsewhere, a Dexter fan proposed that the minds behind the Dexter limited series should
not only, quote, "fix that trash ending," but also tap into the spirit of earlier seasons
of the show. They said of the series coming back for ten more episodes,
"The first 4 seasons of 'Dexter' was riveting, well-written & superbly acted television."
Elsewhere, another Twitter user agreed that Dexter is, on the whole, a quality show, but
that they're wary of it coming back and possibly ending in an even worse way than it did initially.
They tweeted,
"You'd think I hate dexter but I rlly rlly loved it I'm still just salty about the last
season and rlly don't want it ruined more."
At this stage, it's impossible to predict what the Dexter limited series will look and
feel like. Many are choosing to be optimistic about what's in store, while others are taking
caution. Whatever side of the fence you sit on, strap in for what's bound to be an interesting
ride when Dexter returns sometime in 2021.
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