The series finale of the original Dexter was notoriously divisive, leaving many fans angry and disappointed. However, Dexter: New Blood would not exist without the hatred, according to those involved in the sequel’s production.
“It gnawed a little at us, and gnawed a little at Michael, that a series as good as Dexter didn’t end in a way that was perhaps worthy of the series,” Showtime’s President of Entertainment Gary Levine told Entertainment Weekly. After the finale, many fans called for restitution in the form of a ninth season, and Showtime was interested in continuing the show as well. In fact, the network considered and rejected multiple scripts by former and non-Dexter writers over the course of six years, but something was always missing.
Many critics and fans point to the exit of original showrunner Clyde Phillips after Season 4 as the start of Dexter‘s downhill slide in terms of quality. When Phillips left to spend more time with his family, the show became a revolving door of executive producers who all had different perspectives about what made Dexter work, resulting in a string of story arcs that many viewers found boring.
“It was schadenfreude,” Phillips said when asked his opinion about Dexter’s decline. “The show was untethered, and the character was untethered. I wasn’t in the room, and many factors go into it between executive producers and the network. But as an audience member with a vested interest, the show lost its way.” While he may have some satisfaction over the fact that the show was never the same after he left, he also didn’t want the finale to be the definitive end of Dexter’s story.
“Part of it had to do with Michael just feeling it was the right time,” Phillip explained. “I flew to New York, went to see Michael, put my recorder down, and pitched him between five and 10 pages of what the season would feel like. We talked about a couple of things, and then by the end of that conversation, he said, ‘I love it. I’m in.'”
Dexter: New Blood will differ greatly in terms of format from the original show; however, it will also see the return of several fan favorites, including Jennifer Carpenter’s Deborah Morgan and John Lithgow’s Arthur Mitchell/the Trinity Killer.
All seasons of the original Dexter are available to stream on Hulu with the Showtime add-on. Dexter: New Blood is scheduled to premiere on Nov. 7.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
About The Author
