By MacKenzie Brady
Editor-in-Chief
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Showtime announced that “Dexter” will be returning for a 10-episode limited series in 2021. The limited series will go into production in early 2021 and it is tentatively set to premiere that fall.
The official twitter page for “Dexter” tweeted a video that played the show’s theme music and read “Being away has been murder. Dexter returns. Showtime” with the caption “Surprise Motherf*****. He’s back.”
“America’s favorite serial killer Dexter Morgan will return to Showtime in a new 10-episode limited series that will once again bring together series star Michael C. Hall and showrunner Clyde Phillips,” Showtime tweeted on Thursday, Oct. 15.
“Dexter,” which originally aired on Showtime for eight seasons from 2006–2013, was created by James Manos Jr. and starred Michael C. Hall as the titular Dexter Morgan, a blood-splatter analyst for the Miami police who doubles as a serial killer targeting serial killers.
Without giving away any spoilers about the original plot of “Dexter” — which can be streamed on Showtime or Netflix for anyone interested in watching it before the new season starts airing — the show centered largely around the justification of murder based on a specific code and Dexter’s navigation around that code as he formed relationships with other characters.
“Dexter lives by a strict code of honor that is both his saving grace and lifelong burden. Torn between his deadly compulsion and his desire for true happiness, Dexter is a man in profound conflict with the world and himself,” the series’ description on Showtime said.
According to IMDb, over the course of its airing “Dexter” won a total of 53 awards including those from the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Golden Globes, the People’s Choice Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. There were 195 nominations at these, and other awards shows.
“Hall previously has said that it was a possibility that he would return to the character. The reboot has been long-discussed with former Showtime boss David Nevins, who now is Chief Creative Officer, CBS & Chairman and CEO at Showtime Networks; he said back in 2015 that ‘Dexter’ was the one show that he would think about continuing,” Dateline reporter Peter White said.
According to Rick Porter at The Hollywood Reporter, “Phillips and Hall will executive produce the ‘Dexter’ limited series with John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Bill Carraro, and Schott Reynolds.”
When the series finale aired in 2013, many fans — me included — were dissatisfied with the ending.
“Liked it? I don’t think I even watched it,” Hall said about the series finale in The Daily Beast in 2014. “I thought it was narratively satisfying — but it was not so savory.”
“We would only revisit this unique character if we could find a creative take that was truly worthy of the brilliant, original series. Well, I am happy to report that Clyde Phillips and Michael C. Hall have found it, and we can’t wait to shoot it and show it to the world,” President of Entertainment for Showtime Gary Levine said.
While the plot of the limited series is currently unknown, it will hopefully prove to be more satisfying than what fans were left with in 2013.
Featured Photo caption: After a less-than gratifying series conclusion in 2013, the hit crime TV series “Dexter” is coming back with a limited series next year. Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia.