10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: ‘Dexter: Resurrection' holds new life lessons for the popular serial killer
Like Jason Voorhees but sexy, Dexter Morgan just won't die.
The sympathetic serial killer returns in a fourth television series, 'Dexter: Resurrection,' starring Michael C. Hall as the well-meaning murderer for the third time in this immediate sequel to ' Dexter: New Blood.' (The non-Hall starring prequel, 'Dexter: Original Sin,' aired between the two.) 'Resurrection' commences Friday, July 11, as Dexter hallucinates through a 10-week coma after encouraging his estranged son Harrison (Jack Alcott) to shoot him in the chest at the climax of 'New Blood,' which left off in 2022.
But Dex recovers to somewhat shakily — months of bedridden delirium are hell on one's corpse-carving skills — hunt down Harrison in New York City. Not to seek vengeance but to secretly watch over the lad, whom Dexter fears may have inherited his Dark Passenger trait that's ended so many lives.
Besides (mostly) following his code of only killing bad people, Dexter is a good father — and unlike many TV dads, far from clueless about his son's true nature.
As he has since the original 'Dexter' series premiered in 2006, Hall combines subtle, quicksilver physical expressiveness with sardonic voiceover comments to build a full, convincing picture of this man's split psyche. Parental considerations initiated last time out are foregrounded and more complex this time, as is an extra dimension of furtiveness.
Dexter also wrestles with a new kind of guilt. You'll recall that he killed an innocent deputy near the end of 'New Blood.' On top of that, he finds himself on the receiving end of generous kindliness unlike anything in his trauma-strewn past. While stalking a ride-hailing killer who's dared to dub himself Dark Passenger too, Dexter is taken in and love-bombed by one of the drivers, an African immigrant named Blessing (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, doing sweet if borderline magical-negro schtick that's the polar opposite of his piteous yet terrifying turn in the Apple TV+ series 'Smoke').
Confusing feelings, but Harry Morgan is back in Dexter's head, and too often onscreen, to guide and needle his adopted son into sorting it all out. James Remar returns from the first series as the mind ghost of the cop who taught young Dex to use his homicidal impulses for good. While Remar's performance is impeccable as ever, the conceit remains irksome. With all the other stuff that's swirling around Dexter's psyche, this manifestation of conscience feels like it's gilding a white lily.
Also back from the original series is Dexter's Miami cop colleague Angel Batista (David Zayas), very much in the flesh and increasingly suspicious that his old partner is, well, what he really is. He's among several good, dogged threats to the Morgan boys.
Alcott has matured well in the role of Harrison, now a bellhop at a swank Manhattan hotel and coming to terms with his own frightening impulses and inherited abilities, while dealing with more common coming-of-age issues as well.
Clyde Phillips, who's run all the 'Dexter' shows at some point, still constructs tight, sick, suspenseful stories. They're character-driven with well-placed humor too; 'Resurrection's' running Bee Gees gags and vegan cracks earn more smiles than they should, while the macabre stuff gets pretty wild.
A starry set of new maniacs is introduced by the fourth episode, which was the last shown to critics. They're played by Peter Dinklage, Uma Thurman, Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Stonestreet, David Dastmalchian and Krysten Ritter, all having a great time and dialed into their insinuating, intimidating strengths.
Dexter clearly has a full plate of conflicts and opportunities before him. We're eager to see if, after rising from the dead, he can still cut it.
