Did Dexter Season 8 Actually Replace Angel Batista?
Did you think Angel Batista (played by David Zayas) just kinda disappeared in the last season of Dexter? Yep, they pulled a fast one, using David Zayas' own son for some scenes. It's pretty crazy.
Why Did Dexter Use a Double?
- Well, if you noticed that Batista seemed less involved in Dexter Season 8, you're not alone! This was kind of the perfect opportunity to give Zayas a break on set. Think about it: his character wasn’t in those really important, high-drama scenes. They got his lookalike son to fill in!
- This is a super common thing in Hollywood! The actors don't even have to say anything! That makes it really hard to spot unless you are paying close attention.
So Why Was His Son Used?
- That's the funny thing about the Dexter show. Sometimes they like to have real family members take a part in those big scenes! David Zayas' wife actually got a role on Dexter Season 5, playing a mom of a murder victim.
- You gotta be really smart to figure this out - since Zayas' son even wore that awesome fedora and the same Hawaiian shirts his dad wears, so nobody would know that wasn’t Zayas.
Who Played Batista?
- David Zayas' son (who is actually named David Zayas Jr) took on some of the scenes for his dad in the last season. The two look so much alike, you can see how it worked out perfectly!
What About His Other Roles?
- David Zayas has stayed really busy since then! We saw him in tons of popular shows, including Gotham, Shut Eye, Blue Bloods. It's so great to see!
- David Zayas Jr also was in The Elevator, as an actor and director! You have to love it when those big stars share the stage with their families!
- Maybe he will be in more projects with his dad or those big Hollywood family acts!
The funny thing is: The show didn't actually give Zayas Jr. the opportunity to have a larger role in those flash back scenes, which was actually super obvious. They had this huge chance for the young Zayas to shine but they didn't. What could have been? Who knows, but this is a funny story that definitely shows those sneaky tricks TV writers use.
This really made me think of the other characters who got to shine in Dexter, too! Remember Dexter Morgan, the amazing detective - but he also is a secret serial killer! It was a wild ride from the very beginning, all the way through those eight seasons! Even after we got to see a whole bunch of Dexter episodes, the final season still gave Dexter Morgan so much to fight over - including Debra Morgan, Vince Masuka and a whole host of criminals. The entire Dexter original series got really dark at times - think of Dexter season 5, Dexter season 7 and that Dark Passenger that kept making things really tough for him! And that's why people keep asking, "Why did they replace Angel?" Well, maybe the creators felt it was best, but it's really fun to watch the story in all of its messy glory, all those details and those awesome moments, and all the awesome characters. You’ve gotta give those actors credit for those incredible roles and for being part of a super popular show.
