Is Dexter the hero we all need or the villain that lies within us all
Hello, Dexter Morgan.
It has been a while since we have chatted. The last we saw of each other, you were lying in the snow with bloody wings expanding beneath you. Harrison, your long-lost son, stood over you holding the rifle of your undoing, it seemed. Had he learned “the code”? Had he fed his dark passenger in the ultimate, full circle moment, killing the man that had ultimately killed his childhood?
On Friday, Dec. 12 the first of two Dexter spinoffs released over the next year may answer at least one of those questions. It seems from the final trailer (SPOILER ALERT) that Dexter did not die on that snowy ground. Not really a spoiler when it was recently announced Dexter: Resurrection will grace our screens next year.
A continuation of the original timeline and an origin story, it’s a great time to be alive if you are a Dexter fan.
In the trailer for Original Sin, Dexter was rushed to the Emergency room following the events of the New Blood Finale, where his life would flash before his eyes. And there we are, seeing the life of a serial killer taught a code to use his “Dark Passenger” for good. Take out the trash. Judge, Jury, and executioner for other miserable characters all encompassed in a single, solitary, unfeeling character.
Answers to the story arc and cleaning up an ending that left fans divided is one thing, but the continuation of the overarching question of the show is another. Is Dexter the hero we all need or the villain that lies within us all? Hero is an interesting idea when about a character known for his “Dark Passenger” that leads him to commit some of the sickest murders you could imagine.
“But they were all bad,” if I can quote Harry Tasker from the James Cameron and Schwarzenegger classic True Lies.
But what does a hero do? That word means different things to different people. Not all heroes wear capes, of course. But in a world full of fictional heroes solving crimes and putting away the bad guy, Dexter fits the description. You could say Dexter is both hero and villain. Or perhaps an antihero.
In a social landscape where people are constantly at each other’s throats, politically, socially and generally, Dexter may be a representation of whatever hides beneath the surface and the anger that often bubbles up when people take to social media and comment sections. Truly criminal behavior if you ask me.
Will we see the “true” story of everyone’s favorite serial killer when Dexter: Original Sin graces Paramount Plus on Friday? Flashbacks from the mind of a psycho may not be exactly reliable, but Dexter’s inner voice has never steered us wrong. Has it? Which questions will be answered? How did the journey truly begin, and where will it end?
But, most importantly, how we will get there together, our “anti-hero” and the ones along for the ride.
Follow us on social media: Like what you see? Be sure to follow us on social media: Twitter and Facebook.