‘Dexter: New Blood’: 5 Nods to Dexter Morgan’s Past Life in ‘Cold Snap’
Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is back in Dexter: New Blood. He may be living under the guise of Jim Lindsay — a nod to Jeff Lindsay, writer of the Dexter book series — but Dexter can’t ignore his base instincts to kill. Did you spot these references to the original series in the premiere episode of Dexter: New Blood?
[SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers ahead for Dexter: New Blood Episode 1, “Cold Snap.”]
Dexter Morgan’s kill room is back
As a serial killer, Dexter’s method of killing didn’t change much throughout the original series. He may be a little rusty, but Dexter brings back his plastic-covered kill rooms in the season premiere of Dexter: New Blood.
Set in a sleepy town in upstate New York, Dexter’s new life is a quiet, simple one. He has a routine that keeps him safe from his past, but when Matt Caldwell (Steve M. Robertson), Iron Lake’s pretentious prodigal son with a checkered past, returns, Dexter can’t help but slip back into his old ways.
Instead of researching Matt’s background, Dexter seems to stumble upon the information he needs to justify his kill. “Fox got in the henhouse,” Dexter tells Angela Bishop (Julia Jones), a local cop and his love interest in the new series, as he’s setting up the kill room fans know and love, plastic, duct tape, and all.
Dexter’s ‘Dark Passenger’ narrates his life
In the original series, Dexter’s actions are narrated by his “dark passenger.” But for the majority of the first episode of Dexter: New Blood, we don’t hear Dexter’s inner voice until he kills Matt Caldwell.
“Tonight’s the night,” Dexter’s inner voice says as he completes his first kill in over 10 years. Only when he feels like himself again, surrounded by plastic with his knives in a kill room, does Dexter’s inner voice start monologuing his actions.
Dexter’s victims still get dumped into a body of water in ‘Dexter: New Blood’
“Cold Snap” may have started with Dexter’s new life free of killing, but meeting Matt immediately brings Dexter back. For Dexter, killing is like riding a bike. Everything comes back to him, from Dexter’s knife skills to his method of disposing the body in water.
Dexter’s killing methods aren’t the only familiar thing in the Showtime series. Before completing his kill, Dexter uses broken glass to collect his prize — a drop of Matt’s blood. Ultimately, he decides against keeping the trophy, claiming he doesn’t need them anymore. The glass slide gets dumped along with Matt’s body in the waters of upstate New York.
Jennifer Carpenter’s Deb replaces Harry as Dexter’s voice of reason
Harry Morgan (James Remar) haunted Dexter throughout the original series, serving as a reminder of “Harry’s Code” and Dexter’s voice of reason. But since Deb’s (Jennifer Carpenter) death in the Dexter Season 8 finale, it seems she has followed Dexter to Iron Lake.
Dexter’s new inner conscious is proud of who he has become. “I’m glad I went before you,” Deb says, expressing how lost she would be if she had to live alone in the world without her adopted brother. It’s only when Dexter gives in to his base instincts and kills Matt that Deb becomes disappointed. How long will she stick around and try to reroute Dexter?
Dexter welcomes his son Harrison back into his life in ‘Dexter: New Blood’
Harrison Morgan (Jack Alcott) Dexter’s only biological family, who he abandons in the finale of the original series, returns in Dexter: New Blood “Cold Snap.” Throughout the episode, a figure seems to be stalking Dexter in his new hometown. “I feel like I’m being watched,” he tells the ghost of Deb. Dexter’s paranoia reaches an all-time high when he arrives home to find someone else inside — it’s Harrison, and he’s looking for Dexter Morgan.
Initially, Dexter denies knowing Harrison or Dexter Morgan. But after killing Matt, Dexter starts feeling like himself again — someone ready to father the son he abandoned as a toddler.
Watch Dexter: New Blood on Showtime at 9 PM EST on Sundays.
