10 Best Moments Of Dexter: Resurrection Season One, One Year Later

The iconic serial killer drama Dexter returned with a new iteration of the show this time last year, meaning that it’s now celebrating its one-year anniversary. Dexter: Resurrection saw the return of Michael C. Hall in the role he made so famous in the late 2000s, but this time with a twist, as the new show is set in New York City.

The creators of Dexter: Resurrection didn’t plan on making the show. Dexter: New Blood, which released in 2021, was made to be the conclusion of the title character’s story. New Blood ended with Harrison Morgan killing his father, thus putting an end to Dexter’s reign as one of the world’s most prolific serial killers.

The reception to the finale of New Blood was far from what the creators envisioned. Dexter’s death was met with remarkable backlash, with fans also upset at the fact that his son was the one to do it. That reaction was part of the reason why Resurrection was made, with the writers wanting to undo the ending and give fans a more satisfying story overall.

Resurrection season one proved to be just that. The new show received much better reviews than its predecessor, and now ranks as one of the highest seasons of Dexter on Rotten Tomatoes. Resurrection is full of amazing moments, from cameo appearances to classic Dexter scenes, which helps it to be a much more successful reboot.

The Ghosts of Dexter’s Past

Zach Dilgard / ©Paramount+ with Showtime / Courtesy Everett Collection

The first episode of Resurrection begins with Dexter in a coma. It’s explained that he survived the gunshot wound inflicted by his son because of the freezing cold temperatures in upstate New York, which slowed down the blood loss in his body. Dexter is still gravely injured, however, and that leads to him reuniting with some old faces.

Dexter meets a number of characters from the original show while he’s in a coma. First, he sees Arthur Mitchell, aka the Trinity Killer, and Dexter then goes on to meet Miguel Prado and James Doakes. He also reunites with his father, who then guides him throughout the rest of the season. These scenes are pure fan service, but in the best of ways. They feel justified, in large part because it serves the story of Dexter as he recovers from the events of New Blood.

Dexter And Batista Reunite

After waking up from the coma, Dexter is immediately met with another familiar face, but one that is very much not a ghost. Angel Batista is there to greet him, and has some pressing questions to ask regarding Dexter potentially being the Bay Harbor Butcher. Batista is onto Dexter from the moment the two reunite, which adds to the tension of the scene.

This scene is one of Resurrection’s best, not only because of that tension, but because of the payoff as well. The franchise had been leading up to a moment like this for well over a decade, with the original show always teasing Dexter being found out by his work colleagues, but never actually committing to it. Resurrection does just that, which immediately sets the new show off on the right foot.

Dexter Crashes Leon Prater’s Party

Zach Dilgard/Paramount+

Dexter manages to shake off Batista by escaping through a side window of the hospital and stealing a truck to travel to New York City. While in the Big Apple, Dexter becomes engrossed in a gripping story regarding a meet-up club with serial killers. Although he wasn’t invited, Dexter steals the invitation given to the Dark Passenger, and then poses as him.

Dexter crashes the meeting, which is run by billionaire Leon Prater (played by Peter Dinklage). The scene where Dexter comes into the party is one of the most memorable in the entire season, in large part because it feels like classic Dexter. Michael C. Hall’s killer is on the hunt for his next victims, but this time, he’s in a remarkably different setting.

Dexter Kills The Tattoo Collector

While at Prater’s gathering, Dexter meets the Tattoo Collector, played by Neil Patrick Harris. Dexter befriends him, but also identifies him as his next victim, as the Tattoo Collector talks about taking another life in the next few days. Dexter doesn’t want that to happen, so he accelerates his plans to kill Harris’ character.

This isn’t Dexter’s first kill in Resurrection, but it’s the one with the most impact in the entire season. That’s because of the Tattoo Collector’s reaction; when Dexter reveals that he is actually the Bay Harbor Butcher, Neil Patrick Harris becomes struck with fear, immediately trying to escape and get free. It’s, once again, a great payoff for a franchise which has spent years building Dexter up to be this boogeyman type of character.

Dexter Reunites With Harrison

While all this is happening, Harrison Morgan is also adapting to a new city. He’s trying to get back on his feet after what was a tumultuous time in Iron Lake, and at this time, Harrison believes his dad, Dexter, is dead. However, Dexter is very much alive, and he comes up to his son on the street to reveal himself. In doing so, Dexter is also saving Harrison from turning himself into the police.

Resurrection is a show that’s all about payoff, and this is another huge moment in that regard. Seeing Harrison and Dexter reunite pulls at the heartstrings, and is also incredibly satisfying after the show was building up to it for so many episodes.

Leon Prater Crashes Dexter And Harrison’s Dinner

Dexter and Harrison are at odds with one another for a few episodes, but eventually get back in each other’s good books. The duo go to dinner together in New York City, but their evening is crashed by Leon Prater, who reveals himself to know Dexter’s true identity. This moment works so well because it’s the inverse of what Dexter did to Prater earlier in the season. However, this time around, it’s Prater who is infiltrating Dexter’s private circle, which causes plenty of problems for Hall’s character.

Angel Batista’s Death

Angel Batista doesn’t give up on the hunt for Dexter, as he follows his former friend to New York in the hopes of bringing him to justice. Angel eventually stumbles upon Leon Prater and his serial killer obsession, which leads to Peter Dinklage’s character setting Dexter up to kill Batista. Prater wants Dexter to betray his values and kill someone that doesn’t fit his code, but he’s unable to do so.

After a fight breaks out, Prater eventually kills Batista. It’s a huge moment in the Dexter franchise, as one of the characters who appeared in the pilot of the original show dies after uncovering Dexter’s true identity. It’s a heartbreaking moment, but one that lives long in the memory.

Brian Moser’s Return

Zach Dilgard/Paramount+

After Batista’s death, Dexter is locked in Prater’s vault, with seemingly no escape. It’s at this time that he’s greeted by his brother, Brian Moser, who returns to the show for the first time since season six (and hadn’t been a regular since season one). Brian’s appearance is not only great fan service, but also serves Dexter’s character arc greatly as he attempts to juggle all the different parts of himself.

Dexter Kills Leon Prater

With Harrison’s help, Dexter eventually breaks out of the vault. He quickly finds himself back in it, though, when he puts Leon Prater on his kill table. Dexter killing Prater after what the latter did to Batista is a satisfying moment, and one that, again, represents a huge payoff in the season.

Dexter Gets A New Boat

Prater’s final gift to Dexter, if it can be described as such, is a boat that the latter takes for himself. This is the first time that Dexter has owned a boat since the original show, and it sets up how the character is going to get rid of his future victims. This moment is pure fan service, but one that works incredibly well for the Dexter franchise.

Release Date

2006 – 2013-00-00

Showrunner

Clyde Phillips