Dexter’s father: How to raise a psychopath

Until now, viewers of the Dexter TV series had always seen Harry Morgan — the adoptive father of one of the most famous fictional murderers in popular culture — as a simple memory. He died years before the events shown in the series and, for eight seasons, he personified the voice of the protagonist’s conscience whenever he had an internal dialogue. Morgan was the man who managed to impose a moral code on a psychopathic mind, placing the murderer in a position as human and universal as that of a son.

The prequel, Dexter: Original Sin, is set in Miami in the 1990s. It’s about the beginning of the magnetic antihero, who was born in Jeff Lindsay’s books. The vigilante never kills innocent people… only murderers.

Christian Slater, 55, was one of the great Hollywood stars of that era. Today, the New York-born actor plays Harry Morgan, a widowed policeman and father of two children who becomes a key character in the plot.

Original Sin focuses on recounting what happened to the man who created Dexter as we know him. Hence this prequel — which, episode by episode, manages to get closer to the essence of the original Dexter — strives to unravel both the origins of the protagonist and those of his own version of Doctor Frankenstein. He’s a policeman who knows evil firsthand and isn’t afraid of it. He tries to channel his son’s instincts and justify that, in this way — by focusing on punishing criminals — he makes his city safer.

Slater defines Morgan as a tragic man, who is guided by the feeling of guilt. “Just as Harry shaped Dexter, life shaped Harry, as we’ll see in this series. He goes through several tragedies that affect many of the questionable choices that he makes.”

“We all have desires, passions and problems… we deal with them as best we can,” the actor reflects. He spoke with EL PAÍS via video call at the beginning of February, from his native New York.

Slater believes that it’s precisely “the way the series appeals to the dark side of free will that every human being possesses, but tries not to feed” that makes Dexter such a beloved and interesting character for so many people. “In another situation, he would be someone extremely questionable… but, as he’s represented, he becomes a figure that many people identify with. That’s why [viewers] want to follow his story and his journey.”

Slater starred in some of the films that young Dexter would enjoy in the movie theater with his father and sister in the 1990s. “I think Dexter would like True Romance and, obviously, Heathers. It would be an inspiration for him,” he smiles. Alongside him, other stars of his generation join the series, such as Patrick Dempsey and Sarah Michelle Gellar (the star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Patrick Gibson plays a twenty-something Dexter in Original Sin, during his early days working with his father in a Miami police station. But the original actor — the prestigious Michael C. Hall — remains as the narrator of the series. And Clyde Phillips, creator of the television adaptation of the Dexter series, is also in charge of this prequel. The iconic soundtrack by Daniel Licht is maintained in this installment, while many of Dexter’s supporting characters return in younger versions, from his teenage sister Debra, to his fellow police officers Maria LaGuerta, Vince Masuka, and Angel Batista.

“I like being the veteran among such young actors,” Slater confesses. “The other day, I was browsing a [streaming] platform and the algorithm recommended The Name of the Rose.” He was only 16 when he shot it. “I was just watching it going, ‘God, what an amazing movie.’ Sean Connery, F. Murray Abraham, Ron Perlman… all of these interesting characters. It brought back a lot of memories.”

“When you’re young, you take everything for granted. You don’t value the great experiences you have.”

Franchise in sight

The U.S. release of Dexter: Original Sin became Showtime’s most-streamed premiere in history. This data confirms that the story has a future.

Three years ago, the Dexter universe was already expanded with Dexter: New Blood, a sequel that served as the ninth season of the popular series. That was eight years after its run on Showtime ended. It radically changed the protagonist’s setting, from balmy Miami to a cold forest in the state of New York, and updated its themes, adding issues such as racial tension and environmental conflict.

When Paramount, the owner of the network, launched its own streaming content platform, Paramount+, it searched for a franchise that would keep its subscribers hooked. This is how Dexter: Original Sin came about, with the idea of narrating the birth of the character.

Almost at the same time, a sequel was announced: Dexter: Resurrection, starring Michael C. Hall once again. It continues the story left open by Dexter: New Blood. The streaming platform has confirmed that it’s already working on another spin-off as a prequel, focusing on the origin of the series’ most popular villain – the killer Trinity – who is played by John Lithgow.

“Even though it’s a prequel, Dexter: Original Sin still has a lot to explore,” Slater replies, when asked about a possible second season.

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