Warning! Spoilers ahead for Dexter: New Blood episode 1, "Cold Snap."
The revival New Blood sets up Dexter's most dangerous villain yet. New Blood, episode 1, "Cold Snap," delivers plenty of callbacks, as well as new elements and plot threads for the reboot to follow. Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) first debuted in 2006 via the original Showtime series. Very much a confusingly likable anti-hero, he was a serial killer who targeted others with the same kind of dark urges. However, even those without their own sort of Dark Passenger can be quite worthy and diabolical adversaries.
Of course, the key to Dexter's complicated set of morals was that he only went after other murderers and criminals and spared the innocent. If his urge to kill was inescapable, he could at least satiate himself as a vigilante. Despite making life much more complicated, tragic, and harrowing, this lifestyle even worked for him for a lengthy eight seasons - until the original, famously hated, Dexter series finale.
However, with Dexter: New Blood, the series has been revived. As previously mentioned, the first episode just hit streaming, and it introduces the show's namesake protagonist living his new life as a fishing and hunting store clerk named Jim Lindsay. Now residing in the dreary, snow-caked, compact town of Iron Lake, New York (a purposely stark contrast to Dexter's hometown of sun-soaked Miami), the stage is set for the rest of the season to unfold. Some of the (likely) main players have already been touched upon, including the franchise's newest villain.
How Dexter: New Blood Episode 1 Sets Up The Main Villain
"Cold Snap" sets up Dexter: New Blood's main villain when the show's main character relapses back into his bloodlust because of the rich, obnoxious Matt Caldwell (Steve Robertson). The son of a successful Iron Lake businessman, he's been nothing but arrogant, rude, self-absorbed, indulgent, and downright dangerous human being. Not only that, but he was also at fault for a fatal boating "accident" back in Ohio that a friend took the fall for. Naturally, Matt's gotten away with it because of his father's power, influence, and money. By the time the last 10 minutes of the episode roll, the character's karmic, darkly satisfying death feels welcome.
True to form, the sniveling Matt doesn't go out quietly at the Dexter: New Blood episode's end. The last sentiments he voices come in the form of a mini-rant directed at Dexter in which he screams threats, warning Dexter that Kurt Caldwell, Matt's wealthy father, would avenge him. Foreshadowing doesn't get much more obvious than that. Kurt Caldwell is clearly being set up as the season's villain. It's only fitting that Dexter's succumbing to his homicidal urges is what also lands him in an antagonist's sights.
Everything We Know About Kurt Caldwell In Dexter: New Blood
Interestingly, Kurt Caldwell doesn't actually appear in "Cold Snap." Actor Clancy Brown was cast as the Dexter: New Blood villain, but, so far, he hasn't made an official entrance. However, he can be seen standing next to Dexter in the reboot's trailer. At this point, Caldwell is still shrouded in mystery — aside from the crumbs of information that viewers can gather from the reboot's premiere. He's fairly wealthy (especially for the area), beloved by the Iron Lake community (according to Matt), and has the money and influence to get his son off the hook for multiple deaths resulting from a horrifying boat crash that he caused.
Also, according to his official character description from Showtime, Kurt Caldwell owns a trucking company and multiple trucks of his own — while also functioning as a big player within his hometown of Iron Lake. He's a very topical brand of villain to bring into the fold for a 2021 revival. Surely, his character will offer some implicit commentary on greed, corruption, living above the law due to socioeconomic status and notoriety, and much more. Most likely, he'll also be tied in with Edward Olsen — another wealthy man (although he made his fortune in the drilling industry) who is also set up to be a dubious sort of character in episode 1.
Why Kurt Caldwell Is So Dangerous
In the original Dexter series, everyone's favorite serial killer faced off against his fair share of formidable foes, but Caldwell's character will add a fresh spin on that. He'll have an abundance of money, power, influence, and resources to utilize in tracking down — and most likely aiming to kill — his son's murderer. Like Matt Caldwell said in anger and fear just before his death, it seems that everyone in the town of Iron Lake knows his father — whether they really do hold him in positive or negative regard.
Unlike other villains, like the Trinity Killer, the Ice Truck Killer, or the Brain Surgeon, Caldwell doesn't have to rely on being cunning or vicious alone. If he finds Dexter out as his son's killer (which, based on "Cold Snap's" events, he surely will), getting to him or those he holds dear will be far easier — and some of the work can even be outsourced. Caldwell has already proven that he can make murder/manslaughter charges disappear in the past. There's no telling exactly what else his extremely dark Dexter: New Blood character can do. Additionally, since "Cold Snap" ends with Dexter and Harrison reuniting, the show's star runs the very risk that the revival's ghostly, Dark Passenger version of Deb warns him about within the episode. In the past, many of those close to Dexter died. It's understandable and commendable to welcome his long-parentless son back with open arms, but he now has much more to lose again.
The entire point of faking his death in the original finale was to protect Harrison and start a new life away from the trappings of his old existence. But, to bring the franchise back to life, Dexter has to have some of his old vulnerabilities (at least Harrison and a double life with secret killing) back. Unfortunately, that just gives enemies like Caldwell extra pressure points to target when facing up against Dexter: New Blood's titular killer.