Do We Really Need More Dexter Morgan in Our Lives?

[Warning: The following contains spoilers for the premiere episode of Dexter: Resurrection. Read at your own risk!]

Dexter Morgan is back. Michael C. Hall reprised his character in the premiere of Dexter: Resurrection, and — no spoiler here — Dexter is alive and well. Or at least, he's as well as someone who survived a fatal gunshot wound can be. Of course, the same can't be said of Dexter's next batch of victims. 

This latest Dexter spin-off, which comes on the heels of the first sequel Dexter: New Blood and the prequel Dexter: Original Sin, really is a resurrection of the character viewers first met almost two decades ago. The premiere picked up with an explanation of Dex's fate: He survived because the cold temperatures kept him from bleeding out and he avoided jail time because Angela (Julia Jones) let him off for the Caldwell murder. 

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As Dexter recovered, the episode turned into a walk down memory lane with dream sequences involving some of his past victims and those who died as a result of his actions. The Trinity Killer (John Lithgow), Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits), and Doakes (Erik King) all returned to chat up Dexter about his inner turmoil. These ghosts were more than Macbeth-inspired Easter Eggs; they were Dexter's subconscious deciding he is the father Harrison (Jack Alcott) needs. That, coupled with a visit from Bautista (David Zayas), was the excuse he needed to flee to New York City. 

So, Dexter is back. The question is, do we need more of that character in our lives right now?

With the rise of true crime on television and the resulting — and deplorable — desensitization towards victims that has gone on in the 19 years since Dexter debuted, the easy answer is no. Glorifying killing and serial killers has raised a slew of moral questions, and this guy is one of the original celebrated (albeit fictional) bad guys. Our curiosity about the psychology of killers is one thing, but at some point that exploration morphed into glorification. With each project we're blurring the line between serial killer and celebrity, not to mention fact and fiction.

Look closer at this season, however, and Dexter is actually pointing a mirror at our own bloody fascination. By moving the series to New York and exploring the worlds of other serial killers in today's society, where press give them nicknames and a platform, Dexter — both the character and the franchise — is more relevant than ever. 

Dexter's internal monologue has always been an important part of the show, and it's the reason viewers relate to him. While not everyone carries a Dark Passenger, feelings of social isolation, being different, and not fitting in are universal. That's why Dex converses with his dead father, Harry (James Remar, who reprises the role in Resurrection), or sister, Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), in New Blood. 

Unlike so many true crime series or fictionalized dramas that sympathize with these killers, Dexter's inner dialogue reminds us that he isn't a good dude. He is a psychopath born in blood, and it seems as though his son is following the same path. Sure, he's never actually killed someone who isn't a murderer (most fans consider Debra a mercy kill since she was in a permanent coma), but he's still a killer. One whose actions have dire consequences as he continues losing the people he loves.

Where Resurrection is especially relevant is within the new modernized world it lives. Dexter sees past the cutesy nicknames and calls these new monsters what they are: killers. Once he has proof, there is no need for mercy; these killers suffer a swift and silent death with no fanfare. They simply disappear after entering Dexter's kill room, never to be seen again. No glorification or sympathetic backstories here.

We won't know how Dexter: Resurrection will deal with its biggest fictional serial killers until they're introduced, but it would be consistent that Dexter treats them the same way he treated past murderers. A handful of big-name guest stars are set to play serial killers who enter Dexter's orbit — among them, Eric Stonestreet's "Rapunzel," Neil Patrick Harris' "Tattoo Collector" and Krysten Ritter's "Lady Vengeance." Each one presents an opportunity to critique the way television and society have handled such characters in the past by viewing them through Dexter's gaze. How does he feel about the headlines and the calling cards? Will he call out the absurdity of it all? 

History indicates he will, and that's a needed counterpoint right about now. Dexter may no longer be depicted as the psychopath he once was, particularly as he veers into antihero territory in this latest chapter. But, if anyone can shift the cultural viewpoint, it's Dexter. He was, after all, TV's original main character serial killer, and even he knows he's showing his age.

The premiere of Dexter: Resurrection is streaming on Paramount+ and airs Sunday at 9/8c on Showtime.