Television’s favourite serial killer, Dexter Morgan, is returning from years spent, literally, in the wilderness, back from his purgatory and with a chance to atone for a finale, Remember the Monsters, to season eight that satisfied pretty much no one.
Dexter is played by Michael C Hall and the actor’s approval was crucial for the return of the forensic analyst whose alter ego, the Dark Passenger, dispensed his own homicidal justice on people he believed had got away with nefarious crimes.
In 2018, Hall alluded to the possibility of Dexter returning from his years as a lumberjack in the Pacific Northwest. But, he said: “I have just yet to, for my part, imagine or hear someone else’s idea that makes it feel worth doing.”
It appears that mood has changed because Hall is once gain to star as Dexter in Showtime’s upcoming 10-part season and will reunite with his former showrunner Clyde Phillips.
What can we expect from Dexter season nine?
Phillips says that season nine will feature Dexter’s return from the wilderness or wherever he’s been in the intervening years since the season eight finale in 2013.
When last seen Dexter had faked his suicide and left Miami behind, heading to the forests of Oregon to become, of all things, a lumberjack, not quite a world away from his police job as a blood-spatter analyst but it may as well have been. Many fans felt let down by the ending and Phillips, who left the show after season four, said he would have ended the series with Dexter’s execution, being watched by all his previous victims (hinting at what may in fact lay ahead of Dexter at the end of this season?)
But that would have been the final show and at least the widely derided but open-ended conclusion paved the way for Dexter’s return.
Phillips told The Hollywood Reporter: “We basically do get to start from scratch. … Ten years, or however many years, have passed by the time this will air, and the show will reflect that time passage. So far as the ending of the show, this will have no resemblance to how the original finale was. It’s a great opportunity to write a second finale.”
That didn’t mean the show was going to “undo” what happened in season eight; just make it right with Dexter fans.
What will it add to the Dexter story?
Maybe nothing, but there is the possibility that it may restore its standing with the fans who were dismayed when he walked off into the bush in season eight.
Who is returning for Dexter season nine?
Crucially, Hall will reprise the role of Dexter Morgan which he played over eight seasons and 96 episodes between 2006-2013 for US network Showtime.
He responded “never say never” to a question in 2018 about whether or not he’d ever play the serial killer again, but maintained he would only do it if it was fresh, interesting and “worth doing”.
The involvement of showrunner Clyde Phillips is clearly crucial to Hall’s return. He was executive producer on the first four seasons of the show, during which time it was nominated for three Emmy nominations and four Writers Guild Award nominations for best drama series.
Hall himself had five straight lead actor Emmy Award nominations and won a Golden Globe for the role in 2010.
Showtime Entertainment president Gary Levine said: “We would only revisit this unique character if we could find a creative take that was truly worthy of the brilliant, original series. Well, I am happy to report that Clyde Phillips and Michael C Hall have found it, and we can’t wait to shoot it and show it to the world.”
No other line-up details have been made public, but who won’t be returning is Dexter’s foster sister, Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter), who was shot and died in Remember the Monsters.
Who is directing Dexter?
In November THR revealed that Marcos Siega would direct six of the 10 episodes. He directed nine episodes of the original show, two of which Phillips wrote and has since collaborated with the showrunner on other projects. He has also directed True Blood, Veronica Mars, Blindspot and The Hollowing as well as the pilot for The CW series Batwoman.
Siega’s latest job has been directing Kaley Cuoco’s thriller series The Flight Attendant.
What is the air date for Dexter?
It’s not yet clear when Dexter season nine will screen on Showtime in the US, but it’s thought that filming will start before the end of 2020 and it could air as soon as autumn 2021.
Will Dexter screen in the UK?
It’s not yet clear if Dexter will screen in the UK but it had a strong fan base in the UK when it screened on FX UK channel (the first two seasons screened on Channel 5). It could be that FOX UK (previously FX UK) will again pick up the programme from Showtime.
If you want to revisit Dexter, or even watch it for the first time, Dexter seasons 1-8 are screening on Netflix.
Check out what else is on with our TV Guide, or take a look at our new TV shows 2020 page to find out what’s airing this autumn and beyond.
from Radio Times https://ift.tt/2J2CRwW
