Dexter fans finally got some relief after the show’s notoriously criticized finale in 2013. On November 7, the revival series Dexter: New Blood debuted on Showtime, and fans couldn’t help but live-tweet their thoughts.
Dexter: New Blood follows the titular character Dexter Morgan, reprised by the original actor Michael C. Hall. This dark comedy explores Dexter’s life as a serial killer and his struggle to keep his secret hidden from his peers and family.
Throughout the show’s eight seasons, he suffered tremendous loss and sacrifice as he continued on his deadly antics. This revival series sees many of the show’s original cast returning such as Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Jones and Clancy Brown.
The revival is set ten years after the original finale and will consist of eight episodes. With fan and critic reviews rolling in, how is this new series being received?
Dexter: New Blood receives mixed reviews
With over thirty reviews, Dexter: New Blood has a critic reception of 69 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics are praising Hall’s performance but doubting the trajectory of the series. Critic Eric Deggans from NPR writes that the series has failed to learn from its prior mistakes.
In his review, Deggans writes, “Unfortunately, what Showtime’s limited series Dexter: New Blood mostly reveals, is that trying again — without a feel for what went wrong last time — doesn’t lead to a better result.”
Mashable’s Alison Foreman echos similar remarks, writing, “longtime fans of Dexter are sure to have an entertainment itch scratched with this not-so-new take on a beloved show. But whether they’ll walk away feeling more satisfied than last time is another matter,” in her coverage.
While the general consensus agrees that the series is enjoyable, it is clear that there is little hope for future episodes to do the story justice to its fans.
Dexter fans are enjoying the familiarity
Unlike critics, fans didn’t get a preview of the debuting episode. Instead, they tuned in to catch its evening premiere. Dropping at 9 p.m. ET., many took to Twitter to live-tweet the unfolding of the episode and their thoughts of the highly-anticipated first episode.
Praising the show’s strong debut, one fan wrote, “Dexter New Blood first episode was fantastic can’t wait for the rest.”
Others are complimenting the series on its stand-out pacing and engaging plot. It seems as though fans are hopeful for the series and were pleased to welcome their favorite serial killer back to the small screen. Another fan gave a shout-out to Hall’s performance and the show’s new setting— which is a fictional, rural town in New York.
While fans have to wait another week for a new episode, the show’s producer teased the show’s series finale and offered his optimism. Clyde Phillips shared, “The last script is redacted so that, I would say, a good portion of the people that work at Showtime haven’t even seen it, haven’t seen the whole thing.”
He continued to say: “A good ending should be surprising and inevitable — I think we got there.”
Dexter: New Blood is currently streaming on Showtime.