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Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
Everyone’s favorite serial killer is back! Dexter: New Blood Episode One is titled “Cold Snap”. Its story is written by Clyde Phillips and Adam Rapp, while Phillips serves as the writer of the teleplay. Marcos Siega serves as the episode’s director.
Discussion
Episode One is a great welcoming and establishes what’s to come for the season. The only returning members from the original show are Michael C. Hall as the titular serial killer, Dexter Morgan; and Jennifer Carpenter as Debra, although only as Dexter’s “Dark Passenger,” as she is seen during Dexter’s various inner-monologues. The show features the debut of Jack Alcott as Dexter’s son Harrison and Julia Jones stars as Angela, Dexter’s girlfriend and the police chief of Iron Lake, where the series takes place. The other cast members include Johnny Sequoyah, Alano Miller, and Clancy Brown.
Plot
The show continues where it left off ten years ago and sees Dexter in the fictional town of Iron Lake, New York, which is ironic due to the type of character he is as well as the environment in which he feels most comfortable. He goes about his day-to-day routine in order to have keep his homicidal urges at bay and prevent his Dark Passenger from coming to the surface again. This is interrupted by a man that seems a lot like the type of victim Dexter most often had in the past.
The recurring issue of Dexter wanting something he more than likely can’t have comes up again quite quickly in the new season. Although, it kind of wears out the audience as that was a big theme of the last couple of seasons of the series’ original run.
Despite the polarizing ending that audiences were given in 2013, the biggest reasoning for the character’s”death” was that, arguably, he’s responsible for everyone else’s death around him and it was something Dexter had to reckon with in the show’s last moments. This comes up again when Harrison shows up on his doorstep in this episode. The playout is very interesting to watch and sets up the second episode well, along with the other plot points of this first episode, which gets too far into spoiler territory for me to discuss.
Other Elements in Dexter: New Blood Episode 1
The other elements of the show, mise-en-scene, framing, cinematography, writing, et cetera, are great. The shots of Dexter alone in the wilderness of New York are some of the best of the whole show. There are also several overhead shot moments that are absolutely perfect as well.
The inner-monologues make a return as well and continue the sarcastic and comedic elements from the original show. Hall is fantastic in his return to the character, and Carpenter is, surprisingly enough, great in her return; and their interesting chemistry returns as well. Now, Dexter doesn’t necessarily have to do things like, for example, hold the door, so the change is nicely done and they’re even a little better here than in the original show.
Final Thoughts
On a final note, it is stellar to see this character on screen again. The original series’ ending wasn’t necessarily received well and fans have wanted something more from the character since. While this is just the first episode, the story seems to be going in a good direction. Additionally, the core of the season seems to be dedicated to Harrison and Dexter’s relationship, which is great. The episode ends with a chilling, yet dumb, mistake on Dexter’s part and hopes to be resolved in the next episode.
Have you seen the premiere of Dexter: New Blood? What’re your thoughts and theories on this season? For more on your favorite serial killer, stay here with TCS!
Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
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