Dexter: Original Sin review – Fresh blood can't save this tired, uninspired prequel

Except that wasn't really the end, because eight years later, Michael C Hall reprised the title role in a follow-up series titled Dexter: New Blood that was set 10 years after the so-called "final" episode. There, showrunner Clyde Phillips and his team took another shot at ending the story, with far better results.

More than just a mere cash-in or publicity stunt, Dexter's death at the hands of his son brought his story to a fitting close. This was the ending Dexter always deserved.

And in case there was any doubt, Philips even confirmed at the time that "Dexter is dead", telling Deadline that "it would be dishonest" to go back on his demise and resurrect him again. "I wouldn’t do that to the audience," added Phillips. "There is no question that this is the finale of Dexter."

Jump forward a couple of years later and Dexter is set to return in not one, but two new shows, helmed again by Philips. One of them, Dexter: Resurrection, will bring Hall back in another sequel series which undoes that second "definitive" ending.

But before that, a prequel series titled Dexter: Original Sin is taking us back to where it all began, revealing the origin of Dexter that's only been hinted at in flashbacks before.

Of the two shows, you'd think Original Sin would be more welcome, because there's less risk of it tarnishing what's happened previously.

Unfortunately, you'd be wrong, because the prequel doesn't just bring Hall back as a narrator recalling past events, it also picks up directly where New Blood left off, revealing how Dexter has been miraculously resurrected for the upcoming Resurrection show, despite a bullet to the heart.

It's a cheap move that looks cheap too, as a wounded Dexter watches the final moments of New Blood play back on a car window with shoddy effects while he lies in the back seat heading to hospital.

The idea is that Dexter's life is flashing before his eyes, which he even points out in the narration. That's why we're heading back in time, first to his birth — "In the beginning, there was blood!" — before jumping to the early '90s, where everyone's favourite Avenging Angel is but a cherub studying premed.

It's not long before this younger Dexter is picked out to intern at the Miami Metro Police Department alongside his father, who's already taught him his infamous "Code".

There's no dramatic reveal where Harry must come to terms with his adopted son's bloodlust. Instead, the conditions are already established, although Dexter hasn't given in and actually killed anyone just yet.

The first episode especially has a lot to juggle, sliding back and forth between each moving piece like they're wrapped in cellophane.

Aside from the connective tissue between Original Sin and Resurrection, there's also the main thrust of the early '90s-set narrative where everything is supposed to feel familiar yet still new enough to justify the show's existence.

On top of that, flashbacks to an earlier time frame also explore Harry's past, including how he met Dexter's mother and became the boy's father in the first place.

Original Sin tears into multiple directions, much like the cadaver Dexter dissects early on, and the result is a show that's simply trying to do too much at once. It's fairly well-paced, all things considered, but the plot itself is stretched thin, lacking the depth or nuance that even New Blood managed at points.

Although Original Sin doesn't need to be cerebral on the same level as something like Hannibal, for example, it should at least grapple a bit with the morality of Dexter's situation in ways that feel new and different. That's the whole point of this prequel, surely, to provide extra insight into what made Dexter this way.

On paper, the show does do that, but the experience of watching this unfold is very by-the-numbers, hitting the expected beats like Dexter's first kill without diving into why that should be so interesting for new and longtime fans alike.

At least the original wig Hall wore in flashbacks to Nurse Mary's murder has been binned, although a new hairpiece worn by his younger replacement, Patrick Gibson, doesn't fare much better.

Original Sin is supposed to be set in the '90s, hence the costuming and somewhat obvious needle drops like Ice Ice Baby. The problem is that the dialogue feels trapped in that era too. Lines like "Hello darkness, my old friend" and "I'm tiny, but mighty – Don't forget it!" are more dated than dialogue from the original Dexter show – and that started back in the mid-'00s.

The actors do what they can with the material to varying degrees of success. As you might expect, Christian Slater is a clear standout who channels the essence of James Remar's original Harry while still making the role his own across two separate timelines.

Reno Wilson is great opposite Slater as his friend and colleague, a new character named Bobby Watt, while longtime fans will get a kick out of Christina Milian introducing a younger version of the iconic Maria LaGuerta.

The rest of the police force don't fare as well, however, with some fading into the background. Even Patrick Dempsey struggles with a porn tash that does a lot of heavy lifting for his run-of-the-mill detective, who just so happens to be one of the show's few new characters.

The exception is Sarah Michelle Gellar, who's inexplicably credited as a guest star despite appearing frequently throughout the first three episodes in the role of Dexter's (somewhat detached) mentor in his new internship. How we long to see her back in a show more worthy of her talent.

The Morgan family dynamic fares better with Molly Brown's Debra often taking point in scenes set at home. The fact she doesn't know Dexter's inner truth while their father does can make for an intriguing dynamic at points, although some of these interactions still feel forced regardless.

That brings us to Patrick Gibson (of The Tudors fame), who's tasked with playing one of the most recognisable roles TV has given us this past century. The result isn't exactly killer, but he's not dead in the water either. Dexter's quirks are recognisably present in his performance, and he's convincing when it comes to channelling the character's sociopathic tendencies.

The problem is, Gibson lacks some of the charisma Hall brought to the original Dexter, and without that pull, it's sometimes hard to root for a guy who doesn't feel much of anything except for an obsession with blood.

The arrival of a new, younger Dexter back on our screens shouldn't be this dull. That's the show's biggest sin, really, and biggest contradiction too, because this is a formula that's already been proven to work before — across eight seasons, no less.

But for those who desperately crave yet another Dexter fix, there are some elements to enjoy here, particularly if you're looking for TV that can take you back to simpler (yet clunkier) times.

And especially if you're able to forgive Phillips for going back on his word by resurrecting Dexter for Dexter: Resurrection.

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.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.