It’s hard to believe that it has been almost 20 years since Dexter first aired, introducing us to a complex character who helps solve crimes during the day but hunts and kills criminals at night. This unusual premise resonated with audiences, immersing fans in the complicated and often brutal life of Dexter Morgan, played by Michael C. Hall. The show sparked intriguing discussions about a serial killer who targets other bad guys and fellow serial killers, raising moral questions, all while providing captivating entertainment.
After a limited series and a prequel series, Dexter Morgan’s story appeared to come to an end. Fast forward to 2025, and a new series titled Dexter: Resurrection is set to premiere on Paramount+ with Showtime on July 11th. Waking from a ten-week coma, Dexter is back and trying to stay one step ahead of those pursuing him. His mission to reconnect with his son is suddenly interrupted by an intriguing invitation. Before he knows it, Dexter finds himself deep in chaos and bloodshed.
We spoke with star Michael C. Hall about the new series and its cast, which includes both familiar and new faces. Additionally, we discussed the audience’s ongoing fascination with serial killers.
HGL: Dexter is back from the dead, so to speak. Did you feel that his story was unfinished, or were the ideas in Resurrection just too good to pass up?
Michael C. Hall: It was both. You know, I do feel like how the original series had it ending, Dexter in self-imposed exile, New Blood had its ending, Dexter backed into this corner, his son shot him. But when we started toying around with the possibility that the gunshot wasn’t fatal, it became increasingly interesting.
We realized that were Dexter to survive that gunshot, he would have a literal second chance at life, and with that second chance, maybe, finally, be given the chance to move forward without dragging around the collateral damage of his past. He could put it down, reclaim his identity, literally and figuratively, and move in a more decisive way that maybe would put him in touch with some of the magic of who he was when we first met him.
With everything that’s happened in between, obviously, the relationship with his son and forming a much more adult version of himself in his life. Yeah, it just all felt worth exploring, and we rolled the dice, and so we jumped back in.
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HGL: The show features a heck of a cast. Does that give you a shot of professional adrenaline when you’re working with these familiar faces and new cast members?
Michael C. Hall: Yeah, it’s a collaborative thing, a team sport. You’re only as good as the people you play with. It was so gratifying for us to attract people of this calibre to join us. I think in every case, it was the first choice; people just said “Yes, I’ll do that.”
It was gratifying to get to work with those people, but also gratifying that the show has a reputation within the community of actors, where people want to do that. It was awesome, it was really fun sharing the screen with all of these people.
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HGL: The public seems to have a never-ending fascination with serial killers. But, even so, did you ever worry about serial killer fatigue over the years?
Michael C. Hall: Yeah, it’s been amazing. When we started doing this show and I would tell people of this pilot episode that I was doing, they would cock their head and look at me and say, “Well, good luck with that. I look forward to seeing what you do after that failure.” Yet here I am, almost twenty years later, still revisiting the character.
I think people have an endless fascination with the shadow side of humanity and its more extreme manifestations, and that’s a part of the abiding appeal of Dexter. It’s not the whole story of why people like the show, I don’t think, but it’s a bit part of it, a fundamental part of it.
Dexter: Resurrection premieres on Paramount+ with Showtime on July 11th.
