Dexter: Original Sin Immediately Blew My Mind By Setting Up Michael C. Hall's Resurrection Return, And Other Fans Are In Agreement

Spoilers below if you haven’t yet watched the first episode of Dexter: Original Sin on Showtime or with a Paramount+ subscription. (Here’s how to watch!)

Of all the extended fictional universes that popped up on the 2024 TV schedule in one place or another, only one franchise follows a seemingly immortal serial killer with extremely soothing narration skills: Showtime’s Dexter, which ramped up the blood-spattered fun anew with the prequel spinoff Dexter: Original Sin. The new series stars Patrick Gibson in the titular role made famous by Michael C. Hall, with a slew of co-stars who are mirror images of the O.G. series’ main cast.

But while we expected to see major events from the forensic analyst’s past depicted on the show, I can’t say I was ready for how the new show started off. It wasn’t with all kinds of 1990s throwbacks, but with a current-day follow up to the events of Dexter: New Blood’s seemingly deadly finale, which itself was meant to serve as a retcon for the disappointing final episode of the flagship run. Let's take a closer look at one of the more shocking TV moments in the final months of the 2024 TV schedule, and how they'll presumably lead into Michael C. Hall's return in Dexter: Resurrection.

How Dexter: Original Sin Set Up Michael C. Hall's Return For Resurrection

Before any prequel characters could officially make themselves known, creator Clyde Phillips knocked audiences for a loop by directly following up on the events of New Blood's finale, which saw Jack Alcott's Harrison Morgan shooting his father with a rifle as a response to Dexter having killed an innocent man to secure his own safety.

Dexter seemed like a total goner at the time, bleeding out into the snow. But as it happens, he was rescued just in time, and EMT were able to transfer him to a proper hospital, where the medical team successfully revived the notorious vigilante killer after he coded. And while he obviously wasn't instantly back on his feet and potentially tracking down Harrison, Dexter is officially back in the land of the living, and I can't wait to see what kinds of lifestyle changes he adopts in the new series.

I'm also curious to see whether or not the next spinoff will immediately follow up on the hospital scene shown in the premiere, or if fans will pick up with an already recovered Dexter. Hell, Original Sin itself might offer up some answers in that respect by the time its final comes around.

How Fans Reacted To The Dexter: Original Sin Premiere

Fan reactions to Dexter Morgan's return as a younger man were all over the place, which is to be expected for just about any new show, much less one that follows up on a widely beloved series. But more than a few viewers were right there on the same page I was in being shocked by the prequel's opening sequence. Here are some of the more elated responses found on X:

• Just got so giddy while watching the first minute of Dexter Original Sin!!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!! Ahhhhh fuck yes. - @AshleyESanders
• I love how they transition from Dexter: New Blood to the prequel and correcting what they did from the finale!!!! And this updated intro is fucking amazing! Goosebumps!!! So nostalgic and beautiful! #DexterOriginalSin - @NiceJanice19
• The opening scene to Dexter original sin gave me the chills man - @blexcii
• Not gonna lie, once my brain adjusted to Dexter being played by someone other than Michael C Hall, I loved Dexter: Original Sin episode 1. I’m pretty fuckin stoked for the rest of the season (and what those first couple of minutes ultimately lead to ) @DaBatman7
• I actually really like how Dexter Original Sin opens with a sequel scene to New Blood. The franchising of this show might be forced but at least they're cooking - @LynchUnhinged

Oh, and let's get one more in here just for Wilkes and giggles.

I'm sure there have been other TV shows that have altered their timeline to set up future storylines through prequel narratives, but I can't quite think of any that went the route Dexter: Original Sin did, and I can't imagine there are plenty of other shows that it would work for.

Of course, there were also more than a few commenters who had less than positive things to share about Dexter's younger days. Those comments ranged from calling the prequel a cash grab to criticizing it for rehashing already established story details to pointing out that all the characters have the exact same habits and tics as they do in the flagship series' timeline. And all those are valid, but still can't deflate other fans' excitement.

Here are a few sidebar comments that aren't super-positive or super-negative, but amused me all the same.

• Dexter: Original Sin should be an animated series - @YoungerPope
• That was no reason for Dexter original sin to use that bad chuckie wig again or even exist. - @hekoya1
• The new actor for dexter original sin looks like he is a serial killer just he is too afraid to kill anybody - @gavincombs15

Dexter: Original Sin airs Sunday nights on Showtime at 10:00 p.m. ET, and streams three days early on Paramount+.