Revival! Michael C. Hall, Scott Reynolds, and more on ‘Dexter: New Blood Wrap Up’
Dexter Morgan is an unconventional serial killer who solves crimes by day as a blood splatter analyst with the local police department. By night, he follows his “dark passenger” and commits crimes. The show aired for eight seasons from 2006 to 2013 and left viewers in a lurch when Dexter faked his death and disappeared from Miami during the last episode. This fall, Dexter is rebooting as Dexter: New Blood on Showtime.
This Showtime podcast series is hosted by Dexter’s executive producer, Scott Reynolds. On the podcast, he’ll unpack episodes, delve into character arcs, and share what went on behind the scenes with guests, cast, and crew. “Dexter: New Blood Wrap Up” is a great listen for fans of the original Dexter series and true crime podcast listeners.
Michael C. Hall plays “America’s favorite serial killer”
The first episode of “Dexter: New Blood Wrap Up” is guest co-hosted by TV journalist Stacey Wilson Hunt and speaks with actor Michael C. Hall who plays Dexter and serves as an executive producer for the show. Also on this episode are Dexter’s Showrunner/Executive Producer Clyde Phillips, and Showtime President of Entertainment Gary Levine. They all discussed how they wound up working on Dexter.
The guests shared the cultural impact of the series, and Gary started the episode by chatting about the show’s origins. Prior to Dexter, Showtime tried developing two serial killer shows that did not work. The idea for a TV adaptation of Dexter came from Jeff Lindsay’s book when a former colleague sent production the novel in 2004. In the novel, Lindsay found a way to make a heinous serial killer “relatable, compelling, and sympathetic.” The book was adapted by inventive writers and producers to bring Dexter to life on screen.
Dexter’s writers brought a central question to the forefront of each season. For example: Season 2, can Dexter have a girlfriend? In season 3, can Dexter be his authentic self with friends? Season 4, is Dexter becoming more ‘human’ with a family life? And are there exceptions to serial killers’ rules of conduct?
This episode also explores the show’s inclusivity and diversity in plot and characters, as the seasons followed Latinx and female characters’ storylines. The guests explained their decisions to kill off important characters throughout the series, and how they used humor and irony to offset the show’s darkness.
Michael C. Hall had just finished 6 years on the show Six Feet Under when he auditioned for Dexter after reading the script and Lindsay’s book. He discussed being typecast and the similarities between the two characters from these two shows and the secrets they held. Michael explores the importance of his character’s voiceovers on the TV show’s episodes, the components that reveal Dexter’s inner thoughts to the audience. Michael also shared his favorite Dexter moments.
In the second episode, listeners hear from Dexter’s colleagues from the police department: Jennifer Carpenter (Debra Morgan, also Dexter’s sister), David Zayas (Angel Batista), Erik King (James Doakes), and Desmond Harrington (Joey Quinn). Writer Lauren Gussis and director Marcos Siega shared insight on Dexter’s development in the third episode.
New episodes of the podcast, “Dexter: New Blood Wrap Up” are posted weekly. Starting November 7, Dexter: New Blood will air on Sundays at 9PM on Showtime.
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