Warning: Spoilers ahead for Dexter: New Blood‘s ending, and by extension, for the original run’s finale.

Summary

• Dexter
  spinoffs
  Original Sin
  and
  Resurrection
  can interact despite being set at different points in time.
• Michael C. Hall returns as narrator in
  Original Sin
  and appears in person in
  Resurrection
  .
• For crossovers to happen, Dexter’s fate in
  New Blood
  may need to be altered to keep him alive.

With two upcoming Dexter shows coming up – Dexter: Original Sin and Dexter: Resurrection – the two spinoffs have the exciting potential to engage in a little back-and-forth, despite being set at opposite ends of the main character’s timeline. Original Sin‘s place in the Dexter timeline means the title character’s college years will be chronicled, whereas Resurrection is set after the events of Dexter: New Blood. The rapidly growing TV franchise has never had two properties active simultaneously, but the near future offers that very opportunity.

The ending of the original Dexter show back in 2013 was intended to be the conclusion to the serial killer’s story, but it became a fledgling franchise when the 10-episode New Blood miniseries began in 2021. The upcoming prequel and sequel shows flesh out the character’s timeline even further, offering a glimpse into Dexter Morgan’s formative years as well as the most distant point in his life so far. Michael C. Hall is confirmed to be returning as a member of the Dexter: Original Sin cast, but only as the show’s narrator. However, he is appearing in person for Resurrection​​​​​​.

Dexter: Original Sin & Dexter: Resurrection Can Easily Cross Over With One Another

Dexter’s upcoming prequel & sequel can surprisingly interact

Shows set within the same universe can’t always cross over in any notable way. For example, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul could only really converge near the end of the latter, when the events of both shows drew to within touching distance. Original Sin and Resurrection have far fewer limitations than some other shared-universe TV shows set so far apart, and all because they both share the same main character – albeit played by different actors in each project.

There will be key moments in
Resurrection
that will eventually go on to influence the events of
Original Sin
, and the latter could include flashbacks to those same occurrences.

Dexter Morgan will be played by Patrick Gibson in Original Sin, with the character being too young for Hall to reprise the role – although he will be providing the voiceover. With Hall heavily involved with both the prequel and the sequel, this creates many opportunities for both shows to explore each other’s periods of Dexter’s life. There will be key moments in Resurrection that will eventually go on to influence the events of Original Sin, and the latter could include flashbacks to those same occurrences.

Dexter: Resurrection Can Repeat The Original Show’s Flashbacks With The New Prequel Actors

Michael C Hall in a wig needn’t be young Dexter anymore

The original Dexter show was infamous for some of its flashbacks, which featured the show’s cast playing their much younger selves. The overall effect was more humorous than it was dramatic, with Michael C Hall’s wig convincing no one he was in his early twenties again. Dexter: Resurrection can correct this amusing flaw, as it can include flashbacks to the same periods glimpsed in Dexter. Thankfully, this time the franchise can include the new cast members brought on board for Original Sin to portray younger versions of the characters.

Resurrection
may avoid recreating the original flashbacks to reduce the impact on the franchise canon, or it could overwrite them by replacing them with similar sequences featuring more suitable actors.

Resurrection may avoid recreating the original flashbacks to reduce the impact on the franchise canon, or it could overwrite them by replacing them with similar sequences featuring more suitable actors. The fact the actors would also be active in Original Sin would be an added bonus. The door is also open for Resurrection to add even more glimpses into Dexter Morgan’s past, and possibly even moments that don’t even appear in Original Sin. The reverse is true for potential flashforwards in Original Sin, which could allow for a deeper dive into key or unseen moments in the Resurrection era.

Dexter’s Crossovers Only Work If New Blood’s Ending Is Retconned

Michael C Hall’s character is shot dead at the end of the 2021 miniseries

Potential crossovers between the upcoming Dexter shows can’t happen unless one specific thing takes place, which would, in turn, allow the back-and-forth in question. Put simply, Dexter Morgan needs to have survived the events of New Blood, which likely means changing the show’s ending. Dex is shown with a bullet in his chest lying in a pool of his own blood in the New Blood finale, and while he’s incredibly resourceful, he’s not immortal. Therefore, the Resurrection writers will need to work their magic to find an explanation for how he survived.

If Dexter’s New Blood fate remains unchanged, then the most likely theory is that Harrison will become the main character, with Michael C Hall playing an apparition perceived only by his son – similar to how Jennifer Carpenter’s Deb was used in New Blood. If this is the case, the flashbacks to Original Sin won’t work, as it won’t be the real Dexter, and Harrison couldn’t possibly remember his father’s college years. Similarly, Hall’s voiceover in Dexter: Original Sin can’t trigger a flashforward to Resurrection if the Dexter franchise’s title character isn’t alive.