If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Before Dexter: Resurrection, Showtime was planning on a new spin-off centering around Dexter's son
Showtime secretly greenlit a Dexter spinoff focusing on his son Harrison - then shelved it in favor of Dexter: Resurrection
Popverse's top stories
- Critical Role's Matt Mercer teases Campaign 4's new setting of Aramán - and how it differs from Exandria
- What to Watch October 2025: Halloween is just around the corner, and Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Prime Video's Hazbin Hotel, and HBO's IT: Welcome to Derry are just a few ways to stream and scream
- Helluva Boss changed the way the industry saw me, says Sallie May actor Morgana Ignis
On January 9, 2022, Showtime aired the season finale for Dexter: New Blood, and fans were divided. The shocking episode ends with Dexter Morgan being shot by his teenage son Harrison following an angry confrontation.
According to showrunner Clyde Phillips, he chose this ending because he was limited by actor Michael C. Hall’s contract. “I wrote the ending of New Blood and was very proud of that as well,” Phillips says during an appearance on the Dissecting Dexter podcast. “A lot of criticism, which is interesting because it shows that people love the character and did not want to see him die. I wanted to get a banner and just hold it up and say I only had Michael C. Hall for one year.”
So, where was the franchise supposed to go from there?
It turns out the plan was to continue the franchise with a spinoff about Dexter’s son Harrison. Not only had the show been greenlit, but ten scripts had already been written. “After New Blood, Showtime picked up Harrison’s story, and we wrote ten scripts of Harrison, which was completely different than where he ended up in Resurrection, because Dexter wasn’t involved.”
However, those plans changed when Michael C. Hall told Phillips he was up for more Dexter. “Michael called me with the famous two sentences, ‘Dexter is in your bones Clyde, and it’s in my bones. Can you figure out a way to un-kill me?’ So, I call Scott Reynolds, and within a week we had it figured out, and we had Resurrection.”
With that, Showtime shelved the Harrison spinoff and went ahead with Dexter: Resurrection. The first episode revealed that Dexter survived his gunshot wound. Harrison’s story remains a big focus of Dexter: Resurrection, but his journey is taking a different path now that his father is alive.
Dexter: Resurrection is currently streaming on Paramount+.
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.