Warning: Implied spoilers ahead for the original Dexter show.

Summary

• Sgt. Doakes missing in
  Dexter: Original Sin
  is intentional, preserving the dynamic for later seasons.
• Dexter: Original Sin
  takes place in 1991 Miami, exploring a new chapter in Dexter Morgan’s timeline.
• Doakes may still make an appearance in
  Original Sin
  , bridging the gap between the prequel and the original series.

Dexter: Original Sin has recast many of the characters from the original Dexter show, and although there’s still one very important figure missing from the prequel, it feels very much like an intentional move rather than an oversight. The cast of Dexter: Original Sin will be playing younger versions of those who appeared in the franchise’s original show, with the addition of Michael C Hall coming back to narrate the story. The omitted character in question didn’t appear in every season of Dexter, but it would be incorrect to say they weren’t a pivotal figure.

Dexter‘s original run began in 2006 and concluded in 2013 after eight seasons. In 2021, Dexter: New Blood ran for 10 episodes and rectified the parent show’s underwhelming ending. Now, with Dexter: Original Sin as well as another upcoming sequel show, Dexter: Resurrection, the series is rapidly becoming a sprawling franchise that covers more and more of Dexter Morgan’s timeline. The title character’s story is always at the heart of each project, which easily explains why one character from the first Dexter series isn’t in Original Sin.

Sgt. Doakes Being Missing From Dexter: Original Sin Is A Good Thing

Erik King played Doakes throughout Dexter seasons 1 & 2

Erik King’s Sgt. James Doakes is present throughout the first two seasons of Dexter. The show’s skewed perspective of right and wrong places him as the antagonist, although trying to find and punish a serial killer would give him hero status in many other stories. Doakes is only one of very few Dexter characters who doesn’t have a younger counterpart in the upcoming prequel show, which is a far better alternative than having him interact with Patrick Gibson’s Dexter Morgan too soon. Doing so would have hurt the franchise’s inaugural installment.

There aren’t many Doakes episodes where he doesn’t suspect Dexter to be the Bay Harbor Butcher. As a result, Doakes treats Dexter Morgan very differently from the rest of the Miami Metro Homicide team. Doakes’ confrontational attitude is part of what makes the first two seasons so exciting. If Original Sin revealed that Doakes had a history with Dexter that predated the original show by too long, then it would have negatively impacted their tense dynamic in Dexter. The rest of the team treats Dexter like family, which now makes even more sense given their shared past.

Doakes Could Appear In Dexter: Original Sin Eventually

Dexter’s nemesis may make a late entrance

Even though Doakes doesn’t currently appear to be part of the plan for Dexter: Original Sin, that doesn’t necessarily stop him from entering the fray eventually. It’s unknown how many seasons Original Sin will run for, but there is still plenty of space to fill in the Dexter timeline between the start of the prequel and the beginning of the original show. So, the ill-fated sergeant from Dexter may not be slated to appear in Dexter: Original Sin just yet, but the fact he’s a colleague of Michael C Hall’s character during his original debut suggests they met before 2006.