‘Dexter: Resurrection’ Review: More Thrills Than Ever

Dexter: Resurrection is here, and perhaps the biggest compliment I can give it is that it both literally and figuratively resurrects the franchise from the dead in the best ways possible. Read our Dexter: Resurrection review.

The last we saw of Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) in Dexter: New Blood was him being killed by his son, Harrison. As they made this new series, they undid this permanent death and opted for another solution. In Dexter: Original Sin, he was being treated at the hospital. He was in critical condition on the verge of death. He, for a brief moment has no pulse but the nurses bring back his heartbeat with a defibrillator.

Dexter: Resurrection picks up from the aftermath of his resurrection. As Dexter is recovering, he starts to see some ghosts from his past—particularly the villains from the early seasons of Dexter. Eventually, his old pal Batista (David Zayas), who has recently learned that Dexter was the Bay Harbor Butcher, comes to find him. Dexter realizes Batista might not be there for a simple reunion and runs away to New York City, where his son Harrison (Jack Alcott) is.

Dexter’s storyline in the first episode is a bit muddled. It doesn’t quite fit the end of New Blood and doesn’t deal in the consequences of what happens at all. But that can easily be forgiven as them needing to move the story along and the only way to do that is to sacrifice what came before. Luckily for the show, they quickly set off on a new path, and it’s some of the best parts of the show.

Harrison, who was not very great in New Blood, deserves a Most Improved Player award for Resurrection. For a good chunk of the show, he has a separate storyline that is surprisingly compelling in every which way. It’s well written, well performed and is a departure from the annoying teen in New Blood. Now Harrison has his own life and personality which is vital for his reunion with Dexter. Them making Harrison a whole character makes the show all the better for it. For the first few episodes, he had the best material.

The main storyline takes a few episodes to kick in but when it does, it becomes the strongest material the Dexter-verse has had since Season 4. It features a star-studded lineup with the likes of Peter Dinklage, Uma Thurman, Eric Stonestreet, Neil Patrick Harris, David Dastmalchian, and Krysten Ritter. The latter four portray serial killers. Dexter’s hunting of these killers is really fun to watch, and the twists and turns that come with it were very well done. 

The show in many ways feels much more like a thriller than Dexter or Dexter: New Blood. The former had elements of a procedural and had 12 episodes so the development of the storyline was relaxed. Resurrection on the other hand deals with a lot and is quicker with its development of storylines. A lot of the time, it does work in the show favor. The show continually keeps you guessing on what’s going to happen next in a way I’m not sure the other seasons did as much. 

Batista is a big part of the season with his pursuit of Dexter and while it may have a couple of hiccups here and there, I really enjoyed it. David Zayas is as wonderful as ever in the role, and while he’s seen in a much different light here, his storyline was well integrated.

Speaking of great performances, Michael C. Hall, as always, is just incredible. He’s been playing the character for damn near 20 years now, and it feels like he could go 20 more if he really wanted to. He’s so incredibly natural in the role, he nails every single rhythm, every single beat that is required from the story. Even in the weaker seasons, Michael C. Hall was always the best part, so it’s really nice to see him get really good material again and show off.

Another massive plus is the New York setting. Dexter, which was set in Miami never really fully used that setting to its full extent. It was mostly sets and random non-distinctive locations but with Resurrection, New York is far more of a setting and it makes the show feel way more lively through backdrops and NYC-specific storylines.

While I did love many aspects of Dexter: Resurrection, I admittedly do have some qualms with how it deals with its climax. Episode 9 does a really good job of setting up certain beats that the finale doesn’t really use properly. The finale felt too rushed and anticlimactic for my liking. I thought the show prior to that was the right amount of thriller. How the finale deals with the main villain just isn’t as interesting as it could’ve been. It also doesn’t feel like the show acknowledges the consequences it teases in the previous episode.

The episode didn’t lack stakes on paper but when you look deeper, it falls apart too quickly. For a show that kept me guessing throughout its airtime, the finale was too predictable. It felt too easy for the characters. It’s my only major mark on an otherwise very good season of Dexter. 

Regardless, Dexter: Resurrection makes me very excited for the future of this show. There was a lot of debate about whether this show was necessary (as with Original Sin) after how New Blood ended but I think Resurrection makes it clear that it’s more than worth the watch.

Dexter: Resurrection stars Michael C. Hall, Jack Alcott, David Zayas, Peter Dinklage, Uma Thurman, Eric Stonestreet, Neil Patrick Harris, David Dastmalchian, and Krysten Ritter.

Watch the series below on Showtime:

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