Dexter: Original Sin Blu-ray Steelbook Review
The cast deserves better.
“Dexter: Original Sin” is the third series in the franchise (the first two being “Dexter” and “Dexter: New Blood”). ‘Sin’ is a prequel to “Dexter,” but also serves as a sequel to “Dexter: New Blood” in that it partially acts as a bridge to the upcoming fourth series “Dexter: Resurrection” in that we see Michael C. Hall’s Dexter brought back to life after being shot at the end of ‘New Blood.” Did you get all of that? Good. ‘Original Sin’ is set in Miami in the year 1991. Dexter Morgan (played by Patrick Gibson here) is a college grad turned intern at the Miami Metro Police Department. He originally wanted to be a surgeon to stave off his killer urges but became attracted to forensic work. In the 10 episode debut season of this Showtime crime-mystery series, we learn a lot about Dexter’s family which includes his adoptive father/homicide detective Harry, his biological brother (Brian), his biological mother Laura (and how she met Harry), and his adoptive sister Debra. On top of that, we see Dexter’s first kill and the subsequent murders where he becomes a serial killer that kills killers. The season also features an ongoing story arc of a killer (with a personal vendetta) being tracked down by Dexter and the police.
Created by Clyde Phillips, “Dexter: Original Sin” is a pretty standard prequel series that feels like it’s trying to cash-in on the success of the original. It’s easy to see why Showtime wants to give fans more stories in the Dexter universe as it is a popular series, but do we need a young Dexter like we needed a young Hannibal in “Hannibal Rising”? Not really.
‘Sin’ at least attempts to offer up more characterization by delving more into Dexter’s childhood (via flashbacks) and his biological and adoptive family, but everything surrounding that feels like a rehash with Dexter killing, disposing of bodies, and trying to track down the big bad killer of the season. Visually, the show comes off as a bit hokey too with the overly stylized edits, the cornball 90’s recreations or callbacks, and Dexter’s horrendous wig. It all feels too safe and, frankly, lazy. The titular anti-hero character is really being wrung dry.
As lackluster as the series may be, the series is packed with star power that includes Patrick Dempsey, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Christian Slater and the aforementioned Patrick Gibson and Michael C. Hall (who is mostly just a narrator/inner voice). Gibson does a commendable job filling in for Hall, but he’s no Hall. Dempsey chews the scenery, Gellar is solid and Slater gives the show’s best performance as Harry. The scenes between Dexter and Harry are often the best of the series.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: Widescreen 1080p. How does it look? The episodes look pristine in hi-def.
Audio Track: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. How does it sound? The 5.1 track delivers crisp and clear audio.
The lone extra is a 9 ½ minute featurette “Dissecting Dexter: Original Sin” that breaks down this new show. Interviews, set footage, episode clips, and story and character discussions are included.
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