Dexter: New Blood returned with a bang in 2021. The highly-anticipated revival picked up a decade after the events of the Dexter series finale. Michael C. Hall’s Dexter Morgan resurfaced and reconnected with his son Harrison, played by Jack Alcott.
The first season of Dexter: New Blood ended with one heck of a twist. Is there going to be a Dexter: New Blood season 2? HollywoodLife has rounded up all the latest updates about what’s next for the Dexter universe.
Will Dexter: New Blood Have A Season 2?
Following the Dexter: New Blood season 1 finale, fans immediately started wondering: what’s next in season 2? Sadly, Dexter: New Blood will not be getting a season 2. Multiple sources told TVLine that Showtime is not “moving forward” with a second season of Dexter: New Blood.
After the season finale of Dexter: New Blood aired in January 2022, showrunner Clyde Phillips revealed his stance on continuing Harrison’s story. “It’s all in Showtime’s hands,” Clyde told TVLine. “If they were to call me and say, ‘We want to do Harrison. We want you to figure it out,’ I’m pretty busy, but I would drop everything I’m doing and jump right into it. I would love to do it, but it’s really up to Showtime.”
Showtime never officially confirmed anything about Dexter: New Blood, but it seemed like a sure thing given the massive ratings of the sequel series. During its 10-episode run, the series averaged over 8 million weekly viewers across all platforms. Dexter: New Blood became the most-watched series in Showtime history.
The finale had a total of 3 million viewers, marking the biggest Showtime finale in more than 8 years. The show also set a new Showtime record with 2 million viewers from streaming and on-demand platforms.
“We’re thrilled by the overwhelming response from the millions of fans of Dexter: New Blood these past 10 weeks,” Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc., said at the time. “Whether they loved the finale or couldn’t bear to see it end, we so appreciate their passion. Our deepest thanks to Michael, Clyde, Scott, and Marcos for delivering a profoundly powerful conclusion to our beloved and extraordinary series.”
Is Dexter: New Blood The End Of Dexter?
With Dexter: New Blood not happening, what does this mean for the Dexter universe? Showtime, which is set to merge with Paramount+, is reportedly looking into a prequel series centered around young Dexter Morgan, according to TVLine.
The network is exploring other avenues in regard to Dexter. If the prequel series did move forward, young Dexter would likely be played by a different actor than Michael.
What Happened At The End Of Dexter: New Blood Season 1?
There’s no denying that the original Dexter series finale, which aired in 2013, had one of the most controversial endings in TV history. Fans openly disapproved of Dexter becoming a lumberjack in Oregon and leaving his days as a serial killer behind after Deb’s death.
Dexter: New Blood certainly didn’t hold back when it came to a jaw-dropping conclusion. Dexter, known to those in Iron Lake as Jim Lindsay, was arrested for the murder of Matt Caldwell and tried to deny everything. When Angela revealed that Batista was coming to Iron Lake to help get Dexter extradited to Florida, that’s when Dexter spilled the beans.
He told Angela that he could prove Kurt Caldwell was responsible for Iris’ death and the other disappearances. When Angela stumbled upon Kurt’s lair, she realized everything Dexter told her was true. Meanwhile, Dexter escaped prison after killing Logan.
Dexter met up with Harrison to figure out what to do next. Harrison urged his father to turn himself in. Harrison grabbed his rifle as Dexter walked away. Dexter had an epiphany and knew that Harrison deserved a better, more normal life.
“I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you. You deserve better. A better life. A better father,” Dexter told Harrison. At that moment, he gave his son the okay to kill him. “This is the only way out,” Dexter said. Harrison responded, “For both of us.”
The voice in Dexter’s head said, “I’ve never really felt love. Real love. Until now.” Harrison then shot and killed Dexter. “You did good,” Dexter told his son as Deb held his hand in his final moments. After Dexter died, Angela showed up. Harrison thought he would be sent to prison, but Angela gave him some money and told him to leave town. She took the blame for Dexter’s death, calling it an officer-involved shooting.
Harrison listened to Angela and fled town. As he left Iron Lake, Harrison reread the letter Dexter sent to Hannah all those years ago. Harrison drove out of Iron Lake and into the unknown.
Cast Reaction To Dexter’s Death
“I was worried about it after we shot it, because I was like, Oh my God, I killed Dexter. I’m going to be the most hated man in America for at least a week,” Jack told Esquire. “Because even though it is the right ending, the ending the show deserves, the ending the character deserves, the ending the character wants, there’s definitely some guilt that comes with killing off one of the coolest TV characters of all time.”
Michael approved of Dexter’s death and how Dexter: New Blood came to an end. “The way the season concludes is one that resonates with me. It feels justifiable. As upsetting as it may be, I hope audiences will appreciate the resonance of Dexter dying this way at the hands of his son,” Michael told the Los Angeles Times.
He added, “People moaned about an ending that was admittedly open-ended and without any sense of closure… I guess you have to be careful what you wish for.”