Dexter: New Blood (a.k.a season 9) will mark the return of Michael C. Hall's titular antihero, but who is the masked figure hunting (and likely also hunted by) Dexter Morgan? Eight years after concluding with the highly divisive Dexter series finale, Jeff Lindsay's creation returns for another stab at glory. Picking up an equal amount of time later, viewers will find Dexter having settled in upstate New York and still resisting his dark passenger.
Unfortunately (and predictably), however, Dexter will soon be drawn back into his old patterns. As seen in the official clips and trailer, a firm part of that appears to be a figure masked and clad all in white. Armed with a rifle sporting a high-powered laser scope, they appear to be hunting a woman as she runs for her life. A close-up shot of a woman appears later in the footage, again running. It's left unclear whether they are one and the same or separate targets. Either way, there is an air of frantic terror hanging over the respective proceedings. So, who exactly is that masked figure in the Dexter season 9 trailer?
One option that can immediately be ruled out is Dexter himself. As the title suggests, Dexter: New Blood will no doubt see Dexter return to his Bay Harbor Butcher days and shed some fresh drops. Equally, part of the identity he assumes in the small town is an employee at the local hunting store. As such, he will have easy access to such clothing and equipment. His previous murderous tenure also wasn't restricted to simply men. So, Dexter could easily be hunting women if he felt they fit his infamous code and are killers who escaped justice. That being said, the style and method really don't match his established M.O. After all, as Dexter fans will remember, though he has been known to adapt if necessary, Dexter much prefers using blades over rifles. Besides, hunting out in the open actively risks Dexter's new life in the reboot and conflicts with his need for a tight and tidy, close-quarters kill room.
There is also the fact, as previously mentioned, that Dexter himself appears to be hunted at one stage. Running through similar woodland to the location of the aforementioned women, the scene gives the impression that he's being chased. Of course, he may be running to save an intended victim, or the Dexter: New Blood trailer is simply misleading fans. In any case, that would serve to point the finger at Clancy Brown's mysterious villain. Named Kurt Caldwell, he's the de facto mayor of Dexter's new town and said to be somebody a person should never cross. As such, it could very well be him in the white mask, with hunting people being the twisted hobby that inevitably kicks off a cat and mouse game with Dexter.
Then again, it could be that the Dexter season 9 reboot is going back to its roots — with a mystery element with a surprising twist that ties to Dexter's former life. After all, Dexter left no shortage of bodies in his wake, from whom countless vengeful enemies could emerge. He also seems distinctly worried about his identity being discovered and what that could mean. That principally seems to mean law enforcement catching up with him. However, there would be something poetic about somebody seeking out the same kind of justice he used to deliver himself. As such, the hunting of others seen - and the blood left outside his cabin - could simply be a concerted effort to draw Dexter out. Whatever the actual answers, fans will find out for sure when Dexter: New Blood officially releases on November 7, 2021.