Dexter: Original Sin - The Prequel Problem Strikes Again

Dexter: Original Sin, the 10-part prequel miniseries, has wrapped, and it's reignited my biggest gripe with prequels: the distinct lack of tension. When you already know where a character ends up, it's hard to feel any real stakes in their earlier adventures. Let's be honest, if we meet a new character in a prequel who wasn't in the original series, the writing's on the wall (and probably on a body somewhere). They're likely not making it out alive. See the problem?

Okay, okay, the nostalgia factor is undeniable. The Easter eggs and callbacks are fun for a while. Seeing younger versions of familiar faces, discovering the "origin story" of Dexter's boat (Slice of Pie, anyone?) – it's all a pleasant trip down memory lane. But novelty wears off, and fast. A couple of episodes in, the charm starts to fade.

And then there are the plot contortions. The miniseries feels compelled to cram in storylines that feel… forced. Take the chainsaw murder of Dexter's mother. We've seen glimpses of it in flashbacks throughout the original Dexter series. Did we really need a deeper dive here? It feels redundant. And then, out of nowhere, Bryan Moser shows up as a baby serial killer, years before his "Ice Truck Killer" debut. It just feels… unnecessary.

It's all a bit "been there, seen that," if you ask me. I'm left wondering if Dexter: Original Sin is really just a long-winded setup for Michael C. Hall's return in the upcoming Dexter: Resurrection, which picks up after the events of Dexter: New Blood. That's a lot of new narrative for a character whose core concept is, let's face it, a vigilante serial killer. Is there really that much more story to tell? Is the audience still hungry for more Dexter? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Watch the first episode.