Death becomes Michael C. Hall.
In HBO’s signature drama “Six Feet Under,” Hall was consistently praised for his role as David Fisher, the closeted gay member of a dysfunctional family operating a funeral home.
His star status was secured with his portrayal of Dexter Morgan, a Miami-based blood spatter analyst who moonlighted as a serial killer in “Dexter.” The drama flavored with dark comedy was Showtime’s most popular series during its eight-season run, which ended in 2013. And a 2021 reboot, “Dexter: New Blood,” scored solid ratings.
That limited series was most notable for its finale, in which Dexter Morgan was shot and killed by his emotionally damaged son Harrison (Jack Alcott). Acknowledging that devoted fans would likely be upset by Morgan’s demise, Hall was still eager to end the “Dexter” saga.
“It feels justifiable,” said Hall of the conclusion in a 2022 Times interview. “As upsetting as it may be, I hope audiences will appreciate the resonance of Dexter dying this way at the hands of his son.”
He also signaled at that time that he was more than ready to shelve the character he had inhabited on and off since 2006: “Playing Dexter … was a kick. It was an experience I’ve never had before and can’t imagine ever having again. But the desire for closure had to do with wanting to move on.”
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in “Dexter: Resurrection,” which is set in New York City.
(Zach Dilgard / Paramount+ with Showtime)
But instead of winding up six feet under, Dexter now lives to kill another day. It turns out he miraculously survived that “fatal” gunshot, and is ready to resume his deadly vigilante campaign in “Dexter: Resurrection,” premiering July 11 with two episodes on Paramount+ with Showtime.
Leading the hurrahs for Dexter’s return is Hall: “I feel excited about his story continuing, and I think people will like it.”
During a video interview from New York before leaving for the last day of shooting, Hall’s upbeat demeanor was a clear indication that Dexter’s life after death agrees with him. He is already primed to keep playing Morgan for the foreseeable future.
“All I can say is I don’t think we embark on this season imagining it as a one-off,” Hall said. “Without giving away too much, I think the door will be open at the end of this.”
Sharing Hall’s enthusiasm is series creator Clyde Phillips, who is resuming his “Dexter” duties as showrunner and executive producer.
“When Michael called me, it was exhilaration,” Phillips said in a phone interview. “He said, ‘Dexter is in my blood, and he’s in your blood. Can you unkill me?’”
“All I can say is I don’t think we embark on this season imagining it as a one-off,” said Michael C. Hall of “Dexter: Resurrection.” “Without giving away too much, I think the door will be open at the end of this.”
(Justin Jun Lee / For The Times)
The series kicks off with Morgan waking from a 10-day coma. After his recovery, he flees the fictional upstate New York hamlet of Iron Lake, where he had been living under an alias, and heads to New York City to track down — and hopefully reconnect — with Harrison, who is working at a hotel.
It’s not long before Morgan’s killer instincts resurface, eventually joining a group of fellow serial killers. The cast in the 10-episode series includes Uma Thurman, Peter Dinklage, Neil Patrick Harris and Eric Stonestreet.
Morgan’s resurrection had already been previewed in “Dexter: Original Sin,” which premiered last December and has been renewed for a second season. The prequel features Patrick Gibson as a younger Dexter Morgan who starts to indulge his sinister urges while working as a forensics intern at Miami Metro. As he did in “Dexter,” Hall provides the voice-over for his inner thoughts.
Returning from the original cast of “Dexter” for the new drama is James Remar as the ghost of Harry Morgan, Dexter’s adoptive father, and David Zayas as Det. Angel Batista. The series will have a different vibe than the first “Dexter.”
“New York is a completely new environment — different climate, different job,” said Hall, who is also an executive producer. Dexter’s “death” in “New Blood” actually gives the character a new lease on life, literally and figuratively, he added.
1. David Zayas will reprise his role as Det. Angel Batista in “Dexter: Resurrection.” 2. Joining the cast are Uma Thurman as Charley and Peter Dinklage as Leon Prater. (Zach Dilgard/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME) 3. Also guest starring is Eric Stonestreet.
“The fact that Dexter didn’t die liberated the character to a degree,” he said. “He can’t go back to who he was, but he can reclaim some of the essential magic of who he is. He is not blind to his past, but he’s not dragging it around in the same way. He’s able to let it be.”
Phillips said there’s a notable difference between the two series when it comes to Hall’s character: “We acknowledge that Dexter is in his 50s. In the pilot of ‘Dexter,’ he was a fit 33-year-old. Now he’s recovering from a gunshot wound. He’s slower and needs to be even smarter.”
Still central to Dexter’s mission is the code inherited from his father, which is to murder only criminals who have escaped punishment. “The code is vital to his integrity and the show,” Phillips said.
The violation of that code sealed Morgan’s fate in “New Blood.” After being arrested as a murder suspect in Iron Lake, Dexter, during a jail escape, killed a police sergeant who had formed a close bond with Harrison.
“He was backed into a corner,” said Hall of Dexter’s dilemma. “He found the consideration of the reality of the wreckage, having played fast and loose with his father’s code, excruciating. He encourages his son to do him in. There was something about what Dexter had come to be that demonstrated that he needed to be taken out.”
But the purpose of “New Blood” was also to correct the biggest stumble in the trajectory of “Dexter” — the series finale.
In that episode, Morgan took his foster sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) off life support after she suffered a stroke. After taking her body out to sea to dispose of it, a distraught Morgan steered his vessel into an approaching hurricane in an apparent suicide attempt. The closing moments revealed that he had survived, winding up in a remote community far from Miami and starting a new life as a lumberjack.
Legions of fans were furious, blasting the ending as perplexing and open-ended. Hall later echoed their unhappiness, stressing that the closure in “New Blood” was much more appropriate and definitive.
“Narratively, it made sense,” Hall said. “But emotionally, it seemed that it was difficult for people to see him go out like that.”
Michael C. Hall on choosing to step away from Dexter for a time: “It was about catching my breath, doing other things, having life go on as it does.”
(Justin Jun Lee / For The Times)
The key to Hall’s interest in reviving the beloved character was getting distance from him.
“It was about catching my breath, doing other things, having life go on as it does,” he said. His post-”New Blood” projects included starring in Broadway’s revival of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and performing in his band, Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum, now known as Princess Goes.
Despite those endeavors and others, the possibility of reviving Dexter never completely vanished for Hall, the show’s fan base, or executives at Paramount, which produces the franchise.
The first significant spark ignited a few years ago during a guerrilla-style video shoot in Times Square for Princess Goes that was directed by Marcos Siega, who had helmed several episodes of “Dexter.”
“Seeing Siega and remembering the amazing collaborators we had over the years got me thinking, ‘I know this sounds crazy, but what if Dexter didn’t die?’ ” Hall recalled. “I was compelled by the idea, and once I shared that with others, I realized there was an openness to that notion.”
The studio conducted its own research which revealed that fans found it more plausible that Morgan did not die in “New Blood,” Hall said.
“The fans went crazy after ‘New Blood’ because they love this character so much,” Phillips said. “I’m gratified that Michael wanted to come back.”
Asked about the durability of his character, Hall smiled: “Dexter is cherished or loved for different reasons, but he is nothing if not resilient. It’s undeniable that people relish spending time with someone who is taking responsibility for his darkness. We all have our share of darkness. It’s just not as formidable as Dexter’s.”
Phillips credited Hall’s artistry for the character’s popularity. “Whenever Michael is on screen, there is a power and connection with him,” he said. “As handsome and fit as he is, he’s also an everyman. That is appealing to an audience. This isn’t the Jeffery Dahmer or Ted Bundy story. Dexter has been referred to as America’s favorite serial killer.”
The least of Hall’s challenges was getting back into “Dexter” mode.
“My cycle of cellular regeneration has happened three times over since I started doing this,” he said. “So if Dexter is not in my bones, he’s somewhere in there.”
He smiled again: “The weirdest thing about returning to Dexter is how weird it doesn’t feel. That has to do with the scripts and the stories. I just surrender to it. Whether I return to Dexter or not, it is and will remain at the top of my resume … or obituary.”
