NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
If you’re a die-hard fan, there’s no better time to be a fan of Showtime’s Dexter. Originally a series of novels by Jeff Lindsey turned TV show now has a prequel series currently airing, a sequel series after a reboot, and now a spin-off prequel series in the works. After a strong showing from Dexter: Original Sin it appears Showtime is moving forward with a Trinity Killer prequel, but do fans really want it?
You’ll see all over social media how “Showtime is milking the Dexter series” and maybe they’re right. Yes, a second prequel series, after a reboot, and a prequel series does give the slightest hint that we’re getting out of hand with the expanded stories, but at the end of the day, it’s not as if they’re telling a bad story. It’s not as if we’re getting a Deb Morgan: A Dexter Series prequel. They’re expanding the story on one of their best villains in the series run.
I’m sorry, but when John Lithgow walked up into Miami Metro PD and right up to Dexter with the line “Hello, Dexter Morgan” was one of the coldest, most bada– moments out of all the shows I’ve watched. Yet still, there’s never a shortage of need for the popular murder/mystery genre. A Trinity Killer prequel allows the unique ability to expand the universe beyond the title character, something most series struggle to pull off. However, with the right cast of characters and just enough Easter eggs to tie it to the main show, it could be done.
The reality of it all is, that Arthur Mitchell was a very complex character. By day he was a a decon and a family man and by night, a ritualistic serial killer and an abusive manipulator. The duality of his life echoes the same patterns that we see in our anti-hero Dexter Morgan. The parallels between the two are very similar, yet we cheered for one and hated the other.
With that being said, going back and exploring his story and how he became the killer known as the Trinity Killer allows the audience a deeper dive into just how similar and dissimilar these two characters are. It gives viewers the opportunity to feel the impact of his role in Dexter’s life and much more. The most important part is how they tell the story. Will we see background cameos and tidbits along the way that tie into the main story? Can they captivate the audience with enough depth of character to allow his full villain arc or will it end up being a limited series?
Whatever the case may be, there’s never a bad time to explore more Dexter. If there was a Miami Metro PD show in the works as a police procedural that spun off, then we could agree they’re milking it. Telling more of a story from a complex character doesn’t exactly qualify as “milking it”.
