On Monday, May 20th Netflix announced that everyone's favorite serial killer would be making a terrifying arrival to the streaming platform.
Almost two decades after he first stalked our screens. Over eight seasons airing from 2006-2013, the Michael C. Hall–led crime drama was known for delivering unexpected performances, killer surprises, and a whole lot of blood. And calling it a “crime drama” alone doesn’t do Dexter justice, because it could also be described as a dark comedy, psychological thriller, mystery noir, and police procedural — like its main character and arresting opening credits, it contains multitudes. Dexter earned four Emmys over the course of its run, while Hall was a five-time nominee for his chilling and unforgettable performance as Dexter Morgan, a full-time forensic analyst and part-time murderer.
Whether you’ve seen Dexter’s homicidal handiwork before or are meeting him for the first time, here’s everything you need to know about the series.
Originally based on Jeff Lindsay’s 2004 novel, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, The book was served as the initial inspiration for Dexter. In all, Lindsay would end up writing eight Dexter books, which have little overlap with subsequent seasons of the TV series.
The series, set in Miami, Dexter follows Dexter Morgan. A seemingly normal forensic blood spatter analyst atthe Miami Metro Police Department. The son of a late, decorated cop, Harry Morgan (James Remar), Dexter is joined in the family business by his younger sister, the foul-mouthed detective Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter). He also has a loving girlfriend in Rita Bennett (Julie Benz), a mother of two emerging from an abusive marriage. Nothing out of the ordinary here, right? Well, it’s worth noting that Dexter does spend his evenings living a double life as a vigilante serial killer — an impulse he rationalizes by (mostly) murdering detestable criminals who have managed to avoid arrest.
Using his day job skills and guided by his “dark passenger,” Dexter is able to determine “worthy” victims, and proceeds to be incredibly cautious and precise in his execution — often drugging them, utilizing plastic-wrapped kill rooms, carving up the bodies, and dropping them in the ocean. As you can imagine, this kind of work can bleed its way into other parts of his life, with Dexter in a constant struggle to keep his extracurricular activities a secret from Debra, Rita, his police colleagues, and the rest of Miami’s seemingly large list of criminals to dispose of.
The series stars Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under), Jennifer Carpenter (Limitless), Julie Benz (Buffy the Vampire Slayer),Erik King (Oz),Lauren Velez (Ugly Betty), David Zayas (Gotham),C.S. Lee (Chuck),Desmond Harrington (Gossip Girl),Aimee Garcia (Lucifer) and Geoff Pierson (24).
The Emmy-winning series Dexter all eight seasons are set to begin streaming in the US on June 19!