The DEXTER Television Franchise (also known as the ”Dexter-verse” or DEXTER Universe) is a collection of various Showtime original TV shows based off the Jeff Lindsay novel series of the same name. The franchise currently consists of Three Shows with Two More Upcoming Shows in development.
The original show that kickstarted the franchise is called DEXTER starring Michael C. Hall which ran for Eight Seasons between 2006-2013. In 2020 the series received its first spinoff and direct sequel called Dexter: New Blood which acted as a new conclusion to the story of the original show and operated as a limited mini-series. In 2024 a second spin-off started airing called Dexter: Original Sin and soon afterwards another series was announced called Dexter: Resurrection. There is a fourth planned spinoff which will follow the Trinity Killer in his early years.
Originally additional media existed for the franchise such as Dexter Early Cuts which covered Dexter Morgan’s earliest kills but with the inception of Original Sin several details are being rewritten about Dexter’s early life which also expands on flashback sequences from the original series.
The Shows[]
Currently the franchise is comprised of five shows that are interconnected by one story centered around the life of Dexter Morgan and those connected to him. Currently the franchise spans the 1970’s to the 2020’s, with an intended prequel series based on Arthur Mitchell, one of Dexter’s greatest adversaries set during his early years.
DEXTER (2006-2013)[]
The first show in the series, originally based off the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by author Jeff Lindsay. The first season follows the book closely though diverts at several key points, including the death of Brian Moser and Maria LaGuerta's survival. The series introduced the world to Dexter Morgan, a serial killer who targeted other killers and quickly became a sensation. With its second season the series went an entirely different direction from the novels, focusing on Michael C. Hall's ability to show what was originally designed to be a cold, emotionless killer into a likable, charismatic and witty "avenger" who was driven by his instincts to kill but showed genuine humanity towards the victims of his targets, becoming a cult icon across the world. As Dexter's relationship with Rita grew and he had a son named Harrison Morgan it seemed he was slowly becoming more and more human as the series went on.
Unfortunately the conclusion of the fourth season ended in tragedy and led Dexter down a darker path, with much of his humanity being restricted to just his son and his sister Debra Morgan. Around this time the showrunners changed and direction of the series started to crumble especially when Scott Buck assumed control for the last few seasons. Dexter remained charismatic and witty but various creative decisions led to poor reception by fans, with Season Six and Season Eight suffering the heaviest negative reaction. Despite this however there were still many great moments that fans enjoyed...except for the finale.
In the conclusion of the series, Debra is fatally shot and effectively becomes a vegetable which prompts Dexter to spare her by ending her life. Unable to handle losing his sister, he loads her onto his boat and sails out into an active hurricane intent on letting nature take his life. His son Harrison is left with his love interest Hannah McKay, whom fans had mixed feelings over considering her attempts to poison both Dexter and Debra in the past. The two of them leave the country to Argentina, where she raises the boy as her own while Dexter's boat disappears in the hurricane. It's revealed that he survived the Hurricane and relocated to a place in Oregon where he lived as a lumberjack, completely isolated from everyone.
For several years fans were left reeling from this ending, many disappointed with how it played out. Eventually a new series would be announced, a mini-series meant to act as a "second ending" for the character that would air in November of 2021.
DEXTER: New Blood (2021)[]
Michael C. Hall returned in the titular role as an older Dexter Morgan, now named "Jim Lindsey", who had relocated to Iron Lake, NY where he started a new life. Living in a cabin outside of town, he is shown to be dating the local sheriff Angela Bishop and works at Fred's Fish & Game where he sells hunting equipment to the locals. He's taken on a quiet life, having locked away his urges to kill following the death of his sister back in Miami. Despite this he has to satisfy his need to hunt and at least once every day he runs through the woods tracking a White Deer - always sustaining from shooting it to keep his urges in check. He would keep to a strict routine to cope with the needs...and he was able to maintain this for some time before everything would come crashing down.
Dexter gets involved in a altercation with a man named Matt Caldwell that culminates in Dexter knocking him out after he kills the White Deer in front of him (also almost shooting Dexter in the process). He had earlier learned that Matt was responsible for murdering a group of teenagers in a boating incident and throws caution to the wind - setting up a kill room for the man who warns him about his father, Kurt Caldwell but Dexter kills Matt anyways. No longer having access to a boat and the Miami bay...Dexter initially buries Matt below his property until an investigation into the area and manhunt through the woods to find him result in Dexter needing to dispose of the body permanently - in an incinerator which sprays out ash into the town similar to snowfall. On that night Kurt notices this...and ultimately discovers that his boy had been killed, which leads him on a collision course with Dexter. As it turns out Kurt had been a serial killer active in the area for the better part of two decades, targeting young women in the area (hitchhikers) and given Dexter's history of encountering other serial killers...it was only a matter of time before the two would come across each other.
At this time Dexter's own son Harrison had made his way to Iron Lake, seeking out his father after he became a drifter when Hannah passed away from cancer. When he finds Dexter he initially denies that he's his father but ultimately decides to help him, against the advice of a hallucination in the form of his sister Debra. As the two have a rocky road ahead of them to reconnect, Dexter keeps the dark truths about himself secret as best he can until he eventually admits to Harrison that he's a serial killer. He does, however, frame it as an act of justice - tracking down killers while saving the lives of their potential future victims and giving closure to the lives these killers claimed. Ultimately after Kurt tries to kill Harrison as revenge for what happened to Matt, he helps his father capture Kurt and witnesses the kill ritual in person - as well as the cleanup afterwards. Unfortunately prior to his capture and murder, Kurt sent an envelope to Angela's house with parts from a implant in his son that didn't burn in the fire. This prompts a further investigation into Dexter, whom she had learned the identity of prior, ultimately connecting the dots that he was in fact the infamous Bay Harbor Butcher and she arrests him.
Following his arrest, Angela prepares to have his old friend Angel Batista arrive with evidence that his deceased wife Maria LaGuerta had built up on Dexter. After threatening to have him sent back to Miami (where capital punishment was legal), Dexter tells Angela about Kurt Caldwell's cabin as well as the location of a silo where he had framed all of his victims's bodies. Angela, who had been intent on finding her best friend Iris Broussard and later her killer, could not fight the need for these answers and left Dexter at the station with Sergeant Logan as she sped out to the location. After finding the bodies of Kurt's victims including Molly Park, she puts in a call to Teddy Reed to get the Federal Bureau of Investigation to Iron Lake immediately. During this time Dexter had tried to get Logan to unlock his cell by capturing him at the bars but Logan, determined to fight against Dexter...tried to pull out his gun to shoot him resulting in Dexter snapping his neck. After he unlocks the cell he gets in touch with Harrison so they can escape Iron Lake together and tells him to meet out where the White Deer was shot.
When Harrison sees Dexter, he asks why he called from Coach Logan's phone...to which he finds out that Dexter killed Logan. Realizing that Logan was a good guy, not one of the bad guys Dexter claims he killed to protect others...he turns on his father and holds him at gunpoint. Distraught, upset over the loss of one of his mentors and now facing his father...he tells him to "OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID", echoing some of Dexter's first words in the original series. Dexter thinks of all the good people who died because they were caught up in his activity as a serial killer...and accepts his fate, telling Harrison to shoot him in the chest. Eventually Harrison pulls the trigger and Dexter goes down, blood pouring out onto the snow as he apparently dies on the ground. Angela shows up, allowing Harrison to go free while she stays by Dexter putting in a call about the shooting and Harrison leaves town, set to start a new life hopefully clear of his past.
The show's ending was once again conflictive within the fandom, with some feeling it was a fitting conclusion to the character now having come full circle for what he was responsible for and others displeased that this was the end of Dexter's story. After a few years it was determined that this would not be the end for Dexter - as two more spin off series would be announced. One of which was promoted as a prequel and the other a continuation of New Blood.
DEXTER: Original Sin (2024-?)[]
Picking up after the ending of New Blood, Dexter is shown to have survived the gunshot that had appeared to have killed him. As he lay, slipping in and out of consciousness in the back seat of a speeding police cruiser he replays the events of his son having shot him. Eventually he is rushed to the Emergency Room at a hospital and the doctors prepare to save his life, eventually achieving a stable heartbeat. As Dexter relaxes in his mind...he starts to recount his life, saying it's true what they say about your life flashing before your eyes - starting literally at his birth.
Dexter: Original Sin picks up in 1991 as Dexter is set to graduate his college at the age of 20. His father Harry Morgan is still a detective working for Miami Metro Homicide and his sister Debra is still in high school. The series adapts a flashback sequence from Season One of the original series where Harry had suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. It's here where Dexter killed his first victim - Nurse Mary. Expanding beyond this to show his investigation into her as well as additional content surrounding Harry's time in the hospital, he ultimately completes the kill and Harry recovers from the hospital, rejoining the police force with the added surprise of Dexter being alongside him - joining the Miami Metro Forensics department as an intern.
The series explores Dexter's early life as a killer, showing his very first victims as he perfects his craft. Patrick Gibson portrays the young Dexter Morgan, possessing many of the same mannerisms shown by Michael C. Hall in the role. Michael C. Hall continues to lend his voice to the internal monologues of Dexter, which has been praised as a brilliant creative decision on the showrunners part. Other actors were masterfully crafted for various roles from the original series including James Martinez as Detective Angel Batista, Alex Shimizu as Vince Masuka and Christina Milian as Detective Maria LaGuerta. Veteran actor Christian Slater portrays Harry Morgan across two time periods, first as the concerned father watching over his fledgling Serial Killer son and then as a Miami Metro Vice detective involved in busting the Estrada Organization. Molly Brown portrays a young Debra Morgan, capturing many of Jennifer Carpenter's mannerisms from later in Debra's life in her depiction of the character. Joining the established characters are actors Patrick Dempsey as Captain Aaron Spencer, Reno Wilson as Harry's longtime partner Bobby Watt and actress Sarah Michelle Gellar as forensics head Tanya Martin.
The show is currently airing on Paramount+ with Showtime and is set to air its eighth episode shortly.
DEXTER: Resurrection (2025-?)[]
TBA
Unnamed Trinity Series (202X-?)[]
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Viewing Order[]
Recommended Order[]
Based off the Release Order, this is how the series is intended to be watched by the viewer. Original Sin may be a prequel but the opening spoils the end of New Blood, which would require skipping the opening sequence until after the opening credits plays. Additionally Michael C. Hall’s narration appears to be that of a modern Dexter Morgan who often refers to sequences his younger counterpart experiences in the past-tense and references future events from the original show.
For the best viewing experience it is recommended to start with the original series and then watch New Blood before starting Original Sin.
- DEXTER - Seasons 1-8
- Dexter: New Blood
- Dexter: Original Sin - Season 1*
- Dexter: Resurrection - Season 1*
- Unnamed Trinity series when it releases
-* Rest to be determined after confirmation of additional seasons for both shows. If released back to back it is recommended to watch each one in sequence (example: Original Sin Season 1 -> Resurrection Season 1 -> Original Sin Season 2 -> Resurrection Season 2, etc.)
Chronological Order[]
For those familiar with the series and want to experience the show with events as they occur chronologically in the timeline. Exclusions apply for flashbacks in any series as it would require a watching portions of each episode in Original Sin dealing with the 70’s then skip over to flashbacks shown in the original show unless they are adapted into Original Sin via future potential seasons.
The Wiki may provide an order of flashbacks and episodes they’re in at a future date.
- Unnamed Trinity series - if it’s based on a young Arthur then the show could take place prior to the 70’s.
- Dexter: Original Sin - All seasons (if there are more than one). Skip the opening sequence except for Dexter’s birth on the first episode.
- DEXTER - All 8 seasons
- Dexter: New Blood
- Dexter: Resurrection - All seasons (if there are more than one).
Summary (Timeline Order)[]
The following are summaries of events that take place from the earliest known events relevant to the series. These do not include real life events unless specifically tied to a major story in the show. See Timeline of Events for a more detailed look at all events within the franchise.
Arthur Mitchell Early Life[]
TBC
1970’s: Harry, Laura and the Estrada Case[]
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1970’s: Dexter Morgan’s Childhood Post Adoption[]
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1980’s: Dexter Morgan’s Teenage Years[]
TBC
DEXTER: Original Sin Season 1[]
TBC
1991-2006: Dexter’s Early Kills[]
(NOTE: In the event that Dexter: Original Sin continues for more seasons and covers additional years this section can be reduced to only cover the years that Original Sin does not).
Following the conclusion of Original Sin Season One…TBC
Six months prior to the Ice Truck Killer Case Dexter Morgan is introduced to Rita Bennett after his sister answers a domestic abuse call involving her husband Paul Bennett. Dexter goes on his first date with Rita while pursuing one of his victims. Despite an awkward date interrupted by his hunt, the two would continue seeing one another eventually being introduced to her children Astor and Cody Bennett whom he develops a friendly relationship with. Debra would transfer into Miami Metro Vice following a similar career path to her father Harry and she began work as an undercover cop.
Weeks prior to his victims in Miami, Brian Moser would kill Rudy Cooper and assume his identity while also murdering two prostitutes in Brauer cutting them up into bloodless pieces.
DEXTER Season 1[]
TBC
DEXTER Season 2[]
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DEXTER Season 3[]
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DEXTER Season 4[]
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DEXTER Season 5[]
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DEXTER Season 6[]
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DEXTER Season 7[]
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DEXTER Season 8[]
TBC
2013-2020: Dexter Fakes Death and Harrison’s Childhood[]
TBC
DEXTER: New Blood[]
TBC
DEXTER: Resurrection Season 1[]
TBC