The anticipated revival of Dexter will be much darker than the original series that aired for eight seasons. The ten-episode reboot that will bring back Michael C. Hall as the beloved title character is set to return on Showtime this upcoming fall, eight years after the extremely controversial series finale that left many viewers extraordinarily unsatisfied. Despite that, Clyde Phillips has been helmed as showrunner to the revival after departing the original series at the end of the fourth season, so many fans are hoping that the limited series can bring back the show's best qualities that made it so entertaining.
The revival will be bringing many fresh new faces since it has been announced by James Remar, who played Dexter's father, Harry, in the original, that most of the original cast members would not reprise their roles. Clancy Brown will play the major villain, Kurt Caldwell, an unofficial mayor of Iron Lake in upstate New York, where Dexter is now residing. Joining him will be Julia Jones, Alano Miller, Johnny Sequoyah, Michael Cyril Creighton, Jack Alcott, and Jamie Chung.
Per People, Chung has shared in an interview that the limited series will have a different atmosphere than the original, commenting that it will be darker. Chung will play a famous true-crime podcaster named Molly from Los Angeles. While Dexter was known for its intense and graphic moments, especially during the numerous murder scenes, it also had many humorous moments due to Dexter's inner thoughts and social circumstances, as well as one-liners from other main characters. Chung later went on to state:
The original series happened over 10 years ago. So there's certainly a different vibe of the way the actual show is shot in terms of the aesthetic. I do think it's a little darker. It takes place in upstate New York and as we know from the last season, Dexter's hiding. So it certainly carries on and you have a lot of fresh faces, but a lot of familiar ones. I think it will certainly satisfy everyone's appetite. Especially if you're a big Dexter fan.
The series finale, which was also considered one of the darkest moments in the show, saw Dexter taking his sister Debra, off of life support and dumping her body into the ocean of his victims, then leaving behind his girlfriend and son, faking his death, and living in Oregon as a lumberjack. The ending was considered the nail in the coffin for most viewers after a dwindling final season, so the revival gives the show a chance to make things right, since that will be on many fans' minds when it premieres. Chung's comments also hint at the fact that perhaps viewers may see the return of some old characters back in Dexter's Miami years.
It is understandable, and perhaps somewhat pleasing, that the upcoming Dexter revival will have a darker tone than the original due to narrative purposes and another chance of an ending that will bring closure, but it is ultimately all about what the story will be and where Dexter's path will go in these ten episodes that will be the testing point. Plot details are still being kept under wraps, but the recently released teaser of the ninth season has certainly given some promise, with Dexter going back to his original roots. Fans will not have to wait much longer to see the beloved serial killer, as Dexter will be back to answer for its events later this year.
Source: People