Dexter's New Spin-Offs All Involve Hill, Michael C.
Announcements made at San Diego Comic-con confirm that Michael C. Hall's title character is still very much the beating core of the series, notwithstanding the ending of Dexter: New Blood seeming to set the stage for a Dexter-less future for the franchise. Hall will not only be an executive producer but also the narrator for the prequel narrative in Dexter: Original Sin, which follows a younger version of the character, portrayed by Patrick Gibson. Especially more noticeable is Hall's participation in Resurrection. Like several past characters, Hall will really show on screen as a "Dark Passenger" guiding his son, Harrison.
Producers believe Hall's performance is so popular that he is still absolutely essential for the success of the show. Dexter Morgan passed at the end of New Blood, thus the show had the ideal chance to transition from the character into a bold fresh franchise. It's evidence of Hall's performance's appeal that producers believe he is still absolutely essential for the success of the show. Though Dexter's popularity shouldn't be taken for granted, it's also alarming that he doesn't seem to have a future without Michael C. Hall playing in the narrative.
Hall, Michael C. < Dominating Dexter Is A Concern For The Future Of The Show
The two distinct tangents the franchise is exploring show how many possible stories set within the Dexter universe could not call for Michael C. Hall's direct participation. A prequel and a sequel series are both intriguing paths the story might travel. The fact that Hall is involved in both Dexter spinoffs, however, raises alarming signals that the show depends too much on his presence to thrive.
Given he was the lynch-pin of the first Showtime series, this reliance is maybe unexpected. But it's a rather negative assessment of the rest of Dexter's cast and characters—none of them are judged strong enough to effectively forward the franchise. Rather, producers obviously believe that if the narrative is to grow, Dexter Morgan himself must be supported.
The irony of this is that, with Dexter overshadowing the events on screen, it is doubtful that either narrative will be able to stand on its own. While Harrison will be apparently obliged to share a screen with his father in Resurrection, Patrick Gibson's interpretation of Dexter runs the danger of being undermined by continuous and inevitable comparison to the always present Hall. In both situations, the two fresh Dexter shows risk reminding viewers of the past rather than forward-looking.
Dexter Search For A Character To Advance The Program
Viewers have now seen almost every facet of Michael C. Hall's Dexter Morgan shown on screen, even if he is still a very compelling lead character. Dexter has had a spectrum of transformational events in eight original seasons and one limited spinoff: starting a family, losing loved ones, and even giving his life to "save" his son. Still, it gets harder and harder to offer something fresh to his narrative each time he returns to the screen. Dexter Morgan will start to feel bored in due course, whatever his role is.
The franchise should assign a new character breathing room to survive on their own terms. If Hall keeps hovering over the narrative, both Harrison in a New Blood follow-up and Dexter in the prequel series Original Sin would still be younger versions but neither will be able to flourish. Many times, spinoffs thrived in the absence of legendary lead characters. For practically its whole run, Better Call Saul, for example, ran without Walter White. Dexter could follow a different road forward based on past performance. But if the original main character stays a big participant, evolution could prove nearly impossible.
