Warning! This article contains spoilers from Dexter: Original Sin Episode 1.
Summary
The first episode ofDexter: Original Sinaired on Paramount+ with Showtime on December 13, and it featured a familiar tone to the original series, while offering something completely different.Patrick GIbson takes on the role of young Dexter as he embarks on an internship at Miami Metro,and Michael C. Hall’s narration is used to perfection to recount his life as it flashes before his eyes.
Episode 1 was directed by Michael Lehmann and written by showrunner, Clyde Phillips.The title of the episode is ‘And In The Beginning’, and it kicked off Dexter’s origin story in style,while also explaining howDexter is actually alivein the present timeline.
Dexter: Original Sin Episode 1
Starring
Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater, Molly Brown, James Martinez, Alex Shimizu, Reno Wilson, Patrick Dempsey, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Raquel Justice and the voice of Michael C. Hall
Directed By
Michael Lehmann
The burning question on the minds of many fans in the lead up to the return of the Dexter-verse, was how Dexter’s apparent death in the final episode ofNew Bloodwould be retconned. Until thefinal trailer ofOriginal Sinwas released, it was expected an answer wouldn’t be provided until the release of the sequel series,Resurrection, in the summer of 2025. However,Original Sindoes open with acameo from Michael C. Hall, and the return of his dulcit tones and a flicker of humor to boot. Dexter is reborn, and so is theiconic title sequence, which kicks in before a 20-year-old Dexter is introduced.
A beating heart, I’ll take it.
There is so much about the first episode ofOriginal Sinthat feels very familiar: fromVince Masuka’s dirty laugh, to Debra Morgan’s potty mouth, and Dexter’s social awkwardness. However,it never feels like a re-hash of the originalDexterseries, and more like a promise to fill in all the blanks about Dexter’s murky past.The cold and unforgiving opening setting of Iron Lake is swiftly replaced by the welcome return of theiconic location of Miami, and an introduction to a mixture of legacy and some intriguing new characters. This episode focuses primarily on establishing the dynamics of the Morgan household, and the re-creation ofDexter’s first kill, which is portrayed very well. It is refreshing to see a young Dexter who is very much not the neat monster yet, and still figuring out his particular modus operandi, which includes a very gruesome and satisfyingly different disposal of his first victim.
The First Episode Is Well Paced And Offers A Unique Insight Into Dexter’s Past
Christian Slater is a stand-out in this episode, and he very much makesthe character of Harry Morganhis own creation while also paying tribute to the road map laid out by his predecessor, James Remar.There is a shocking revelation about Harry’s past that both the audience and Dexter didn’t know about,and it adds another layer of complexity to the man who helped channelDexter’s dark passenger. There is a lot of story to get through in an episode that is just shy of 50 minutes, but it’s well paced and sets the scene for the rest of the season. Patrick Gibson nails Dexter Morgan’s unique outlook on life, whileMichael C. Hall’s narrationhelps to guide the viewer through the young serial killer’s thought process, with the wisdom of hindsight.
Original Sin’s first episode feels like a prelude to the actual start of the season, withDexter’s Miami Metro introductionarriving towards the tail end, and the new and old detectives only getting brief introductions. However,it’s a promising start for the long awaited prequel series, and there is enough for fans to get excited about.There is a nice high school element to this episode as well, which points towards some important storylines aimed at the Gen Z demographic. Debra (Molly Brown) andDexter’s future love interest, Sofia (Raquel Justice) vibe well in a couple of scenes, and Michael Lehmann’s influence on this series could lead to aclassic Heathers-style sub-plot. It’s great to have Dexter Morgan back on television screens, and embarking on the beginning of his deliciously dark hobby.
