Dexter star Reno Wilson on how Original Sin fills important gaps for longtime fans
"To watch Original Sin, for me as a fan? It was so much fun."
With the arrival of Dexter prequel Original Sin, longtime fans will be reintroduced to younger versions of their favourite characters played by a brand new cast.
Yes, Michael C Hall is returning to narrate the show (and will even reappear as Dexter in brief modern day scenes each week), but by and large, the prequel has hired a new fresh-faced bunch to be corrupted by all of Dexter's murderous shenanigans.
It's not just returning characters who have to contend with Showtime's Avenging Angel though. Alongside the likes of Harry Morgan and Maria LaGuerta, Original Sin also introduces original characters such as Bobby Watt, a detective who works alongside Dexter's father and grows close to the Morgan family.
Bobby is played by Reno Wilson, a seasoned veteran who started out as Howard in seasons 5 and 6 of The Cosby Show before going on to appear in Good Girls and Blind Justice, not to mention his voice work in the Transformers film series.
With his latest role in Original Sin, Wilson might be new to the world of Dexter, technically speaking, but it turns out he's been watching for years.
"As a fan of the show, for me, I was geeking out watching [Christina Milian] and James [Martinez] meet," says Wilson. "I was taking pictures on my iPhone. 'This is an iconic moment!'"
Read more:
- Dexter: Original Sin review – Fresh blood can't save this tired, uninspired prequel
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That's what "excites" Reno the most about this show, how Original Sin fleshes out the backstory of so many characters like this who fans already know and love. And he should know because he's one of them.
"There are so many gaps that are filled for people who are lovers of the OG show. To watch Original Sin, for me as a fan? It was so much fun."
While Wilson didn't spoil what these gaps might be, he did tease what fans can expect from his role as Bobby.
"Bobby Watt is just somebody who's really good at his job," says Wilson. "He's a really close friend of Harry. He's the godfather, of course, of Dexter, and Debra. He's a beloved part of the family."
Family is key to the show's appeal, notes co-star Christina Milian: "A lot of the show is really formed around family, whether it's family at Miami Metro or this family that is… It's trust. There's a certain vulnerability that you have.
"The fans fall in love with these people, even Dexter, even though you know he's the serial killer that kills the bad guys, he's the hero that you root for. And a lot of that is based on communication with family and trust. That's what I love so much about the show. So that's where [Reno's] part really does come into play."
Although we already know the fate of the Morgan family, watching them bond a decade earlier is a godsend for longtime Dexter fans who are desperate to know and fill in those all-important gaps.
Dexter: Original Sin premieres on Paramount Plus on Friday 13th December with the first episode, episodes will then be released weekly every Friday. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video.
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Authors
David Opie is a freelance entertainment journalist who writes about TV and film across a range of sites including Radio Times, Indiewire, Empire, Yahoo, Paste, and more. He's spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and strives to champion LGBTQ+ storytelling as much as possible. Other passions include comics, animation, and horror, which is why David longs to see a Buffy-themed Rusical on RuPaul's Drag Race. He previously worked at Digital Spy as a Deputy TV Editor and has a degree in Psychology.
