Warning: Spoilers ahead forDexter: Original Sinseason 1!WithDexter: Original Sinadding some much-needed context to the younger years of the franchise’s title character, the prequel show also manages to do so without falling victim to the same mistake as the originalDextershow. Although Patrick Gibson leads theDexter: Original Sincastas the infamous serial killer,original star Michael C. Hall is still heavily involvedas he continues to perform narration duties as Dexter’s inner voice. The recasting of Dexter Morgan was an obvious and necessary move given when the new show is set, but this isn’t something the original project considered.
Dexter’s endingwas divisive, but it did also strongly imply Hall was done playing the character and that the show was done for good. Luckily, the announcement ofDexter: New Bloodyears later meant the show was able to fix a few of the problems with its parent project. Unfortunately,Dexter: New Blood’s endingalso divided public opinion, andit has taken the existence ofDexter: Original Sinto give the beloved franchise another shot at redemption. However,it isn’t just the saga’s lack of a perfect finale that the Gibson-led show is trying to rectify.
Younger Harry Morgan In Dexter: Original Sin’s Flashbacks Looks So Much Better Than Michael C. Hall’s Original Flashbacks In A Wig
Hall should probably have been recast for Dexter’s flashback sequences
Originally played by James Remar inDexterflashbacks, Harry Morgan has been recast inOriginal Sin, with Christian Slater inheriting the role. Remar recently entered his seventies, so he would have been too old to reprise the role. However, the introduction of Slater to take over as Dexter’s adoptive father shows a great amount of growth for the franchise, as it once would have been sufficient to just slap a wig on Remar and call it a day - as proven by how Hall played Young Dex in the original show. That being said,Slater is still given the wig treatment.
Dexter: Original Sin Introduces A Shocking Realization About Dexter Morgan Throughout The Original Series
Dexter: Original Sin episode 5, “F Is For F**k-Up” reveals that Dexter let loose in his younger days, which he never did in the original series.
The difference this time around is that Slater’s subtle de-aging to play Harry in two eras twenty years apart is far more effective than what Michael C. Hall was subjected to. WhenDexterwould show its leading man in an unconvincing wig in scenes that were supposed to be dark and dramatic, it was very difficult not to find them amusing. This time around, the saga has learned its lesson and tried much harder not to make Slater’s wig quite so comical as Hall’s was. As a result,Dexter: Original Sin’s flashback sequences are more effective.
Dexter: Original Sin’s Flashbacks Have A Very Different Function Than The Original Show’s Did
Original Sin doesn’t focus on Dexter’s past quite so intently
Dexter’s flashback sequences were all from the title character’s point of view. They were a way of showing the audience his origin story - a task that is now being handled far more effectively byOriginal Sin’s “present-day” sequences. There was nothing in the flashbacks that Dexter himself didn’t already know, butOriginal Sinchanges all that by flashing back to Harry’s point of view instead. This way, what’s revealed to the audience during these moments is actually being withheld from Gibson’s version of the character.
Even if Dex does share these memories, they’re very unlikely to be identical.
Of course,Dexter is still in some of Harry’s flashbacks, asOriginal Showis using the scenes to achieve several things - including establishing how Harry and Dexter met. What separates Dex’s presence in theOriginal Sinflashbacks from theDexterones is that he is very young in the former, and he only really has a shot of remembering the scenes in which he’s in. Plus, with theOriginal Sinflashbacks being seen through Harry’s eyes, it’s possible that certain events are being remembered incorrectly. So, even if Dex does share these memories, they’re very unlikely to be identical.
Dexter: Original Sin’s Series Premiere Still Honored The Original Show’s Flashbacks
Dexter: Original Sinbegins with a remake of a classic moment: the flashback of Dexter’s first kill from the original show. This milestone is a vital part of Dexter’s character, so there was no real way the prequel could avoid acknowledging it. The issue was thatDexterhad already shown it, soOriginal Sinhad to make some tweaks to accommodate Dexter’s recastingand a few other factors that created canonical issues.
Dexter Just Solved An Odd 19-Year-Old Mystery About How He Kills His Victims
Dexter: Original Sin finally explained one of the weirdest parts of Dexter Morgan’s kill ritual, 19 years after the original show’s first victim.
Overall,Original Sindid an awesome job of adapting the scene, but that also meant it was beholden toDexter’s ridiculous decision to put Michael C. Hall in such an obvious wig. So the two versions of events aligned, the scene’s remake had to make sureGibson’s hair also looked like Hall’s didwhen their respective versions of Dexter Morgan took their first life. Thankfully,Dexter: Original Singave its title character a much-needed haircut almost immediately after the Nurse Mary flashback, doing away with one ofDexter’s worst mistakes.
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“And in the Beginning…”
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“Kid in a Candy Store”
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“F is For F*ck-Up”
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“The Joy of Killing”
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“Business and Pleasure”
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Dexter: Original Sin
Cast
Dexter: Original Sin explores Dexter Morgan’s early years in 1991 Miami as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. Guided by his father, Harry, Dexter crafts a moral code and navigates a forensics internship at Miami Metro Police, all while controlling his darker impulses.
Dexter
Dexter is a television series following Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for Miami Metro Police who secretly leads a dual life as a vigilante serial killer. Released in 2006, the show focuses on Dexter’s internal conflict as he hunts down criminals who elude justice within the legal system.
