‘Dexter: Resurrection’ Episode 3 Recap & Review: Dexter Goes Hunting in NYC

This article contains spoilers for Dexter: Resurrection Episode 3

Life is all about choices, and with those choices come the consequences, which shape both our lives and the lives of those around us. Dexter has always been a killer who had his own code, but being a killer, the butterfly effect from that life cannot stop him from what he does, even when he recognizes the possible repercussions. In Dexter: Resurrection Episode 3, “Backseat Driver,“ we see the consequences of some of Dexter’s choices, both good and bad, shining a very bright light on the fact that no matter what, we cannot stop being who we are.

To hunt down the killer of RideShare drivers, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) enlists the help of his new friend and landlord, Blessing Kamara (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), to get a RideShare driver’s license to help him track down the killer the press has dubbed the Dark Passenger. Of course, this name is something Dexter considers a personal insult.

Along the way, he struggles to learn the ins and outs of being a driver. Kamara takes his low customer rating a bit personally and shows him the tricks of the trade in terms of providing better customer service. Mwine continues to be a breath of fresh air, adding a much-needed different dimension to the trials and tribulations known as Dexter’s life. 

Meanwhile, Harrison (Jack Alcott) is beginning to feel the heat from his spontaneous murder, dismemberment, and disposal at the hotel. Detectives Claudette Wallace (Kadia Saraf) and Melvin Oliva (Dominic Fumusa) continue to push hard at the hotel, interviewing Harrison as part of the investigation. Saraf is wonderfully intense as Wallace, meticulously going over every last detail and soon concluding that Harrison isn’t telling the whole story. Her methods include walking crime scene areas solo while listening to music, and the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive,” which was an excellent touch. Harrison is worried, as he should be, and being not nearly as experienced as Dexter in these matters, it is easy to see how he might crack under the pressure. 

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Dexter concludes his due diligence in his search for the other Dark Passenger killer and prepares for the kill. The creators made a good choice here in terms of showing Dexter on a couple of occasions to be rusty and showing a bit of age, including almost fumbling the takedown of his target (who he later found out goes by the name Red). A gunshot wound and a ten-week coma would cramp anyone’s style, especially a serial killer with a very specific way of doing things. Regardless, he gets Red on his table and does what he does best, a familiar look of satisfaction on his face. 

What Dexter didn’t expect was to find the invitation, the envelope that Uma Thurman’s character had left for Red, that, along with money, invited Red to a meeting of like-minded individuals. This is an intriguing twist, not just for the show but for Dexter himself. A meet and greet with other serial killers? He never would have imagined something like that could happen. While cautious, the idea of belonging to something—a community of killers—must be intriguing. It opens up a wide array of possibilities and also presents more potential targets to prey on. After all, no one knows who he is, so what better way to investigate this invitation?

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Dexter: Resurrection Episode 3 is simply constructed, but the story is strong and gives the viewers more than a few things to digest. Dexter’s whole motivation for coming to New York was to, for the most part, find and help his son, Harrison. Of course, he also needed to slip away from his old friend Angel Batista (David Zayas), who, over a few drinks with some familiar faces, let it be known that he basically is not letting his interest in Dexter and Harrison go.

Dexter’s choices have begun to set in motion things that will most likely spin out of control and out of his reach to control, as they usually do. Still, he is who he is, and his Dark Passenger needs to be fed. Shout out to the continued great sense of dark comedy in this series, which never loses sight of the things that make this something more than your average serial killer show.

After Dexter: Resurrection Episode 3, the show now has three episodes under its belt and has done a solid job of setting the stage for the next act. While still dark and edgy, it remains fun and presents some very intriguing possibilities moving forward. I look forward to seeing what chaos Dexter will unleash, both through his own actions and the ramifications of those actions.

Dexter: Resurrection Episode 3 is now available for streaming and on demand for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan. The remaining episodes will premiere weekly, every Friday.