Dexter: New Blood Review

Dexter: New Blood Review
Michael C. Hall as Dexter in DEXTER: NEW BLOOD. Photo credit: Seacia Pavao/SHOWTIME.

Dexter: New Blood has a lot of work to do given how Dexter ended, so is it worth investing in?

For those who have been lucky to forget when Dexter (Michael C. Hall) wrapped eight years ago, he shut himself off into obscurity as a lumberjack in Oregon.

Now, ten years later, we pick up with Dexter having moved from the forest to the snow of Iron Lake in New York, living as Jim Lindsay, a clerk at a Hunting Goods store, and dating the town’s Chief of Police, Angela Bishop (Julia Jones). He is loved and thriving in the small town, and although he’s managed to keep the “Dark Passenger” at bay for so long, things are, of course, bound to unravel.

Complications arise in the form of privileged rich-kid Matt Caldwell (Steven M. Robertson), who gets under Dexter’s skin. Meanwhile Dexter’s teenage son Harrison (Jack Alcott), who was abandoned by Dexter and his then-girlfriend Hannah (Yvonne Stahovski) in the finale, returns to search for his father, which provides an interesting dynamic for the series’ opening hour.

Showrunner Clyde Philips, who oversaw the first four seasons of Dexter, sets up New Blood with a mostly fresh canvas given how much time has passed. It’s a smart move and one that doesn’t erase any of the history. Michael C. Hall steps back into the role with ease and it’s compelling performance. The chemistry with Jennifer Carpenter also hasn’t been lost in her new role, and Jack Alcott is also given a compelling story to work with.

Dexter: New Blood has a lot of potential to be the revival that corrects the errors of its predecessor, so release your inner Dark Passenger and add this to your watch-list immediately.

4 Stars

Dexter: New Blood is now streaming on Paramount+, with new episodes dropping Sundays.

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