Paramount+’s ‘Resurrection’ of a Long-Dormant Crime Thriller Is Killing It on Streaming
The Dexter franchise is enjoying a marked revival on Paramount+, with the sequel series Dexter: Resurrection climbing back into streaming top 10 charts ahead of its second season. The renewed interest follows the original Dexter show's popularity boost after landing on Netflix a few years ago, which prompted Paramount to commission new instalments in the franchise. That resurgence has had mixed results across the various spin-offs, with one series cancelled despite a renewal and another spin-off shelved, even as the flagship sequel goes from strength to strength.
Dexter: Resurrection, which brought back Michael C. Hall as the title character alongside Uma Thurman and Peter Dinklage, first aired in June last year and has been confirmed to return for a second season this October, with Thurman reprising her role. Meanwhile, the prequel series Dexter: Original Sin, starring Patrick Gibson as a young Dexter Morgan, was renewed for a second season before Paramount reversed course and cancelled it, though it too is now seeing renewed streaming interest as fans push for its return. A planned spin-off centred on the Trinity Killer, which was set to star John Lithgow, has been put on hold, according to Dexter creator Clyde Phillips.
- Dexter: Resurrection is surging on Paramount+ ahead of its October season two.
- Only Uma Thurman returns among the season one guest stars.
- Original Sin was cancelled despite renewal; Trinity Killer spin-off shelved.
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Dexter is a crime drama franchise built around a forensic blood-spatter analyst who secretly murders criminals who have slipped through the justice system. The original series ran for eight seasons and gained a huge new audience some years after it ended when it was added to Netflix, which reignited interest in the character and prompted the makers to develop further instalments for Paramount+.
Since then, several follow-up shows have been produced with mixed fortunes. Dexter: Original Sin, a prequel following a young version of the character, was cancelled after being renewed, while a planned spin-off about a serial killer known as the Trinity Killer has been put on hold. Dexter: Resurrection, a direct sequel bringing back Michael C. Hall in the lead role alongside Uma Thurman and Peter Dinklage, has fared better and is set to return for a second season.
The wider Dexter franchise matters as a case study in how streaming services use old shows to build new ones, and how a title's performance on one platform can influence decisions made by another. Paramount, Netflix, series creator Clyde Phillips and the cast are the main parties involved.