Michael C. Hall recommends watching four specific episodes of Dexter before watching Dexter: New Blood. Hall has played the titular character, Dexter Morgan, for eight seasons and is returning to reprise the character in the much-awaited revival that will feature ten episodes. Clyde Phillips has been brought back as the showrunner after departing the original series at the end of season 4, and the revival will take place ten years after the finale.
The revival of Dexter will be sharply different than the original series, as previous teasers have confirmed, with Dexter Morgan having relocated to a visually and geographically different location in the snowy town of Iron Lake in upstate New York. Due to his new location and hidden identity now that he is operating under the alias of Jim Lindsay, he will be surrounded by an entirely different community of people, which will certainly be unfamiliar to fans who have watched the entire original run and saw Dexter working at a police station in tropical Miami.
In an interview with EW, Hall has shared his favorite episodes of the show that fans should watch while waiting for the premiere of Dexter: New Blood. Dexter has a total of 96 episodes in its original run, and it certainly is challenging narrowing it down to a small number since the show has had many memorable moments. Below is Hall's picks and reasons for his choices:
Dexter (Season 1, Episode 1)
"When I got the pilot script, my first thought was, 'wow, is this gonna work? A show about a serial killer?' And when I would tell people what I was up to, they would kind of say, 'oh, good luck with that.' I thought the show would maybe attract a niche audience. That it was as broadly popular or appealing as it was, was a bit of a surprise. It allowed me to keep going to work and telling stories that I felt like were worth telling."
Seeing Red (Season 1, Episode 10)
"Dexter makes a fundamental discovery about his origins and if nothing else, I love it because I got to do this really fun face plant into a room full of blood."
Go Your Own Way (Season 3, Episode 10)
"I really loved the episode in season 3 where Dexter and Miguel Prada, played by Jimmy Smits, end up having a face off on the roof of a building downtown and Jimmy Smits does this amazing thing where he...makes this gesture while he's yelling at Dexter that always really stuck in my mind."
The Getaway (Season 4, Episode 12)
"And then I would have to say the finale of Season 4. If you haven't seen the show yet, I won't say anything more than that. And again, I recommend that you watch all the episodes leading up to that, but you'll see what I mean."
All of these episodes of the show are unique in their own right and are loved for individual reasons. While Dexter lasted for eight seasons, the first four seasons, which included Phillips, are considered quality television for viewers and critics, so it makes sense for Hall that his favorite episodes were from that time. The final episode of season 4 was considered the series' high point and has continued to linger and affect Dexter Morgan and the events of the show following.
Hall has received consistent acclaim for his portrayal of the anti-hero, receiving many accolades for playing Dexter, and there is no doubt that will continue when Dexter: New Blood premieres. With the return of the original creative team, there's hope the revival can bring back Dexter's best qualities that made it so entertaining and enticing during its early seasons. With a much different season that will feature new and returning characters, it will be exciting to see how everything comes together when Dexter: New Blood debuts on Showtime on November 7.
Source: EW