Further indication that Dexter may be on the way out comes today with the news that James Remar has been cast in NBC's pilot Hatfield's & McCoys. The actor, who plays Dexter's deceased father Harry on the Showtime drama series, has been cast to play a Hatfield in NBC's pilot, which would take the infamous family feud to the present day for more drama.
Hatfields & McCoys comes from John Glenn and is set in the present day, when the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys is reignited when the McCoy patriarch dies. Deadline says Remar will play the wealthy and powerful Joe Hatfield, the estranged husband to Rebecca De Mornay character, Mary.
While it has not been officially confirmed that Dexter's upcoming eighth season will be its last, it's looking like that may be the case. Rumors of the series' approaching end were further fueled recently, when CBS president Les Moonves reportedly referred to Season 8 as the serial killer drama's last season. Remar's casting in a new project adds a little bit of fuel to that rumor. Granted, his character Harry isn't around as often as other characters, but he still has a presence in Dexter's life, showing up in the occasional flashback and serving as a vocal conscience in Dexter's mind. I can't imagine there are plans to write him out of the show if the series was expected to resume beyond Season 8. With that said, it's also possible the actor plans to juggle both series, should Hatfields find a place on NBC's line-up. We can only speculate at this point.
On the bright side, Hatfields & McCoys' cast just got even better. And it's one of numerous projects in the works for Remar. In addition to Dexter's eighth season, we'll also see him playing Derrick Perrish in the feature adaptation of Joe HIll's excellent novel Horns. His character is the father to Daniel Radcliffe's Ig. Playing the father of a troubled soul with a dark side is familiar territory for the actor. Horns is one more thing to look forward to for fans of Remar's work, as is Hatfields & McCoys, should the project go to series.
