Summary

• Dexter may abandon Harry's code in Dexter: Resurrection, fully embracing his dark passenger.
• The audience won't approve if Dexter harms innocent people, but rules for victims could be relaxed.
• To maintain interest, Dexter might not fully indulge his dark side initially, but he might do eventually.

Michael C. Hall is gearing up to revisit the character of Dexter Morgan in the sequel series, Dexter: Resurrection. Filming will begin in January 2025, and it'll air next summer on Paramount + with Showtime. Dexter's dark passenger is not a secret anymore, with the true extent of his crimes discovered in Dexter: New Blood. It's unclear what direction the sequel series will go in, but the dynamic will be significantly different now that the world knows Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher.

It might be time for Dexter: Resurrection to fully unleash Dexter's dark passenger, with Harry's code a thing of the past. There's a chance Dexter will scrap his rules and embrace the true extent of his darkness, and kill anyone who stands in his way. He proved that he was willing to kill innocent people in Dexter: New Blood, when Coach Logan perished after he tried to stop him escaping from jail. All bets are off in Dexter: Resurrection, with the titular serial killer willing to go to great lengths to maintain his freedom.

Dexter Has No Reason To Follow The Code Now That He's Been Caught

The whole point of Harry Morgan's code was to prevent Dexter from getting caught. This poses the question: Why would Dexter still follow the code now that his secret is out? Of course, Dexter's ability to express human emotions did increase as the original series progressed, but he is still a nihilistic killer who has certain needs. Having said that, Dexter had abstained from killing in the years between the end of the original Dexter series and the start of Dexter: New Blood. However, Dexter is very much back in the game now, and likely to have the taste for all things murder again in Dexter: Resurrection.

There is one problem with the potential unfiltered unleashing of Dexter's dark passenger in Dexter: Resurrection and that lies with the audience. Fans don't want to see Dexter killing innocent people, just to satisfy his urges, because he would just become the villain rather than the anti-hero. Having said that, there might not be such stringent rules for what behavior qualifies someone for Dexter's kill table. In the past, Dexter would generally only kill other killers, but these rules could be relaxed in Dexter: Resurrection. If people try to stand in his way, and he is pushed into killing them, that could work to a certain extent, but only if the particular character is unlikable. For instance, an FBI agent on the hunt for Dexter who possesses loose morals could now be suitable for Dexter's kill table, even if they haven't killed anyone before. In contrast to that, an innocent woman walking home on her own one night would not be an appropriate victim for Dexter. However, there is no problem with Dexter: Resurrection exploring Dexter's urge to kill good people.

Dexter: Resurrection must feature Dexter returning to his old killing ways, as there would be no show without it. The final season of the original Dexter series was particularly devoid of Dexter's dark passenger, as he tried to move past his urge to kill. However, this different approach to Dexter arguably led to one of the most disappointing television finales of all time, and Dexter: Resurrection must avoid this at all costs. Dexter: New Blood saw Dexter get back into the groove of killing and following the code again, but by the end, he had let go of his late adoptive father's rules and killed an innocent person in his pursuit to avoid retribution at all costs. This showed the audience that Dexter can fully embrace his dark passenger if put under enough pressure.

If Dexter: Resurrection Wants To Have An Extended Run, This Could Prevent Dexter Fully Embracing His Dark Passenger For Now

Michael C. Hall revealed in an interview with Variety that Dexter: Resurrection won't be a limited series like Dexter: New Blood was, and it seems the intention is to keep the gravy train running with a new and invigorated interest in the Dexter universe. This could prevent Dexter's dark passenger from fully taking over straightaway. However, as the sequel series eventually reaches its conclusion, it should definitely feature a fully unhinged Dexter. This was essentially what happened at the end of Dexter: New Blood when Dexter killed Sgt 'Coach' Logan in order to escape punishment. Dexter: Resurrection has a problem justifying this kill, as Logan didn't fit the code, but a similar thing could happen during the ultimate conclusion to Dexter's overall story.

It's a tough position to put the audience in, in terms of rooting for a reprehensible human being like Dexter, but Harry's code was the one thing that let him off the hook, as fans could live vicariously through Dexter's 'vigilante' behavior. But, Dexter will surely have to pay for his crimes at the eventual climax of Dexter: Resurrection, and if he fully embraces his dark passenger, by disregarding the code and killing anyone who gets in his way, the audience will find it easier to finally let him go.