Warning: SPOILERS for Dexter: New Blood episode 5.
Dexter’s original season 8 finale left plenty of mysteries and questions about The Bay Harbor Butcher, and Dexter: New Blood finally gives an answer. Dexter Morgan has been able to hide his true identity for the past decade, finally establishing himself in Iron Lake as Jim Lindsay. Just when he thinks he can maintain his quiet life, Dexter’s long-lost son Harrison Morgan returns with a Dark Passenger, Kurt Caldwell terrorizes the town as a serial killer, and his girlfriend Angela comes into contact with an important figure from his past - bringing back the dark secrets he left in Miami.
In the original series ending, Dexter faked his death and changed his identity to start a new life in Oregon, with no proper goodbye to his old friends at Miami Metro PD. While it was revealed beforehand that Deb, Trinity, and Harrison would return in Dexter: New Blood along with the main serial killer, episode 5 revealed a surprise cameo of original series character Angel Batista. Angel arrived in New York City to speak at a law enforcement conference about missing persons cases, which Angela happened to be attending. New Blood finally gave an update on the beloved original series Dexter character, while also answering a long-held mystery about the police department’s knowledge of Dexter’s secret identity.
While Angel is speaking at New Blood’s conference, he mentions how The Bay Harbor Butcher was so difficult to catch and that many were under the impression it was an employee at the police station, referencing how James Doakes was blamed for Dexter’s murders. Dexter seasons 7 and 8 proved to be the closest that Dexter came to being caught as Miami’s Bay Harbor Butcher, with Maria LaGuerta actually finding out before Deb reluctantly killed her. Dexter’s series finale hinted that Angel, Joey Quinn, and Masuka may have actually discovered that Dexter was The Bay Harbor Butcher, but decided to withhold this information as he was already deceased. Miami Metro knowing Dexter’s secret identity was left ambiguous after the finale, but New Blood finally confirms that Angel and the department are still in the dark about The Bay Harbor Butcher.
When speaking at the conference, Angel mentions that The Bay Harbor Butcher was an especially difficult case, with Molly telling Angela that she did an episode on him and how Miami Metro thought it was a cop. Angel’s speech ends without him declaring who the Butcher was, suggesting they still believe all the murders to be done by one suspect, but don’t know who. While talking to Angela, Batista remembers Dexter very passively, simply stating that he and Deb Morgan died in a tragic situation while leaving behind a “cute kid” named Harrison - whose name he actually forgets for a few moments. If Batista knew that Dexter was The Bay Harbor Butcher, he wouldn’t have such a nonchalant memory of him, and would still recall every detail about the prolific serial killer who he often declared to be his best friend.
At the very least, Batista and Quinn know that Dexter purposefully set up and murdered Oliver Saxon in the original series finale. Dexter makes it seem like he stabbed Oliver in self-defense, but Batista and Quinn clearly knew this isn’t true - they just let him go because Saxon just killed Deb, their respective sister, friend, and girlfriend. While Miami Metro still hasn’t put the pieces together that Dexter is The Bay Harbor Butcher, Angela and true-crime podcaster Molly Park are quickly closing in on revealing his true identity. After a decade of living off the grid, New Blood is proving that Iron Lake’s police will do what Miami’s never could: identify Dexter as The Bay Harbor Butcher.