Dexter: New Blood review by Bobby Blakey
There have been so many great series over the years, but none were quite like Dexter when it was released in 2006. The series brought a new take on the crime drama, but sadly after eight seasons the show came to an end. In 2021 they brought Dexter back for the mini-series Dexter: New Blood starring Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Jack Alcott, Julia Jones, Johnny Sequoyah, Alano Miller, and Clancy Brown. Could this return to the blood soaked world of Dexter be worth it or will it not be worth the kill?
Dexter: New Blood follows Dexter Morgan, everyone's favorite serial killer who is a Miami forensics expert that spends his days solving crimes, and nights committing them. But Dexter lives by a strict code of honor that is both his saving grace and lifelong burden. Torn between his deadly compulsion and his desire for true happiness, Dexter is a man in profound conflict with the world and himself. Set 10 years after Dexter Morgan went missing in the eye of Hurricane Laura, he is now living under an assumed name in Upstate New York, Iron Lake, far from his original home in Miami.
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While it wasn’t what I had hoped for in a finale, I was never bothered by it either. I felt it was a decent direction for them to go outside of just flat killing him off. This proved to be a good choice since it allowed them to revive the show in a unique refreshing way. I wasn’t sure it was going to work especially with the return of Jennifer Carpenter, but I loved that aspect of this new limited series as it evolved it and Dexter in a new direction of sorts.
This series really had no reason working, but I really ended up loving it. Of course
one of the most annoying aspects of the entire Dexter series was the convenience of another killer to contend with that worked much better with his forensics job to set up, but this time we don’t have that luxury. This aspect of the show is what we expect from the series, but also the part that kind of makes you roll your eyes a bit since it just happens every time. You have to let that part just go and then dive into the fun of it all.
I wasn’t expecting the direction and connection to his past that would be the catalyst to the story and also make the series title very fitting. This allows a new direction should they decide to do more, but also just to evolve and complete the story fans have been following since 2006. Michael C. Hall dives right back in to perfection and even though he is still the same character we love you can see there is a little something different about him and it make him all the more compelling. Carpenter brings her loud boisterous Debra back with a vengeance in a new way that gives her some fun new ground to cover.
This show keeps everything intact that fans love about the show while still bringing something fresh that makes you fall in love with Dexter Morgan all over again. For those wondering you do in fact need to see the original series for this one to fully make sense since it is not a reboot but a continuation. In addition to all 10 episodes of the series this release offers up bonus content including featurettes that take you behind returning to the kill room and the world of Dexter.
Grab your copy of Dexter: New Blood available now on Blu-ray, DVD and Limited Edition Steelbook from Paramount, CBS and Showtime.