In what may be the turnaround of the decade, season 1 of Dexter: Resurrection proved that everyone’s favourite serial killer still had the pull and allure of a plastic-wrapped psycho, still warm to the touch. With the first season exploring Dexter coming to grips with his new home in NYC and his complicated relationship with Harrison, on top of the high-stakes drama centring around Prater and Angel, season 2 has a lot to live up to.
With only two episodes made available at the time of this review, it’s hard to pass final judgment on whether or not Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 should live or die, but the first two episodes, despite a somewhat slow second episode, seem promising for what’s in store for the Morgan clan. Episode 1 of season 2 kicks things off with a distraught Dexter struggling with a midlife crisis, made worse by his atypical aptitude for murder.
As if bound by destiny, Harrison (Jack Alcott) continues to follow in his father’s footsteps, with season 2 showcasing his start as a rookie cop, made complicated by an unexpected run-in with newcomer Detective Claudette Wallace (Kadia Saraf). Dexter, in turn, juggles his role as a father while in pursuit of the Rapunzel killer, making for some fun dynamics for the father-and-son killer duo. Season 2’s main antagonist also seems to be the Five Borough Killer, a tech-savvy introvert who spends the runtime of the opening hours of the season blatantly terrorizing the public and the NYC Police Department by publicizing his kills to an audience.
Uma Thurman returns as Charley, but this time, her intentions seem more aligned with Dexter, offering to continue the role she once played for Prater (Peter Dinklage), essentially giving him a license to kill on a golden platter — whether or not this element is too good to be true remains to be seen. Still, it creates an interesting plot thread that beckons to be unravelled.
Joseph Quinn (Desmond Harrington) makes his return to the cast, which, as of right now, feels most like him filling in Angel’s shoes, but without the high-stakes tension of suspicion, making his inclusion feel a bit uncertain. Regardless, it is nice to see a legacy character return, and it will be interesting to see how his inclusion complicates the already tumultuous lifestyle.
Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 seems to fully take advantage of the fact that the property has recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, with the show honing in on Dexter’s age. It features the titular character struggling to make out the font on his phone, coupled with misinterpreting a thumbs-up emoji sent by his son in classic boomer fashion, making for some genuinely funny moments that add brevity and life back into the often bleak subject matter of the series.
“…it’s hard to pass final judgment on whether or not Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 should live or die, but the first two episodes, despite a somewhat slow second episode, seem promising for what’s in store for the Morgan clan. “
Dexter and Harrison’s relationship also feels fleshed out in a way that feels more authentic, harkening back to the few true relationships Mr. Morgan has had with characters in the series past. Elements of tension still add a layer of fragility to the father-son relationship, in part due to Dexter’s commitment to his Dark Passenger, but also simply coming to terms with being a real father, for what feels like the first time for the anti-hero character.
Other interesting elements that set up the rest of the season include a more intimate look at the New York Ripper, Donald Framt (Brian Cox), who so far feels like an inept cripple too busy relishing in his notoriety even to be aware of Dexter setting his sights on him, making for some funny sequences when the two interact.
In essence, Dexter: Resurrection Season 2, like its debut season, has a lot of moving parts going for it. Even two episodes in, it does little to reveal its hands, which ultimately plays to its strengths, giving audiences a lot to potentially look forward to as the season continues to roll out. If there is any room for concern, it would be in regard to the stakes, which, as of right now, feel more like a pale imitation of what season 1 did so well, but ultimately, it is far too early to see how the season changes things up and hopefully subverts expectations of the viewer.
