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Dexter: New Blood showrunner Clyde Phillips isn’t shy when looking back at his work on the series proper. When we mention that Season 4 was “arguably the show’s best season,” the executive producer interrupts the declaration with a laugh and an exclamation: “Inarguably!”
Phillips left the original show following a fourth season that saw Dexter take down the Trinity Killer (John Lithgow), shortly after Trinity left wife Rita (Julie Benz) dead and bloodied in a bathtub. Now, Phillips is back to reclaim the reins in Showtime‘s new limited event series (premiering Sunday at 9/8c).
It’s been eight years since the series whimpered off the air (read what star Michael C. Hall had to say about that finale), and when the story picks back up, we find the serial killer with a code living and working in upper state New York under the fake alias Jim Lindsay. Having remained abstinent from killing for 10 years, the re-emergence of his now-teenaged son, Harrison (along with some local bad guys he’s forced to contend with), triggers Dexter’s urge to kill again. (Spoiler alert: And that he does.)
Ahead of its premiere, TVLine spoke with Phillips about how New Blood got off the ground, why Jennifer Carpenter’s Debra was “the perfect candidate” to return and how Lithgow’s very-dead villain will resurface.
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TVLINE | You left Dexter after what is arguably the series’ best season. What brought you back to the table for another go-around?
CLYDE PHILLIPS | There had been various iterations of attempting to revive the show. One of the executive producers had written a script that neither Showtime nor Michael wanted to do, and there had been other conversations. Whenever Michael would make an appearance or do publicity for Safe or The Crown or whatever, he would always be asked about Dexter, and he’d say, “Well, maybe.” That would get pushed to me, and I’d call him up and he’d say, “Eh, I’m not ready.”
On July 1, 2019, my phone rings. It’s Gary Levine, the president of Showtime. He says, “Michael C. Hall is ready to come back, and we want you to do it.” I said, “Give me 10 days to think about it, come up with a theme and an arc.” I’d write a draft and send it to my writing assistant. He’d clean it up and we’d bounce it back and forth.
Then, I flew to New York to meet with Michael, and had a great reunion. For about 30 or 40 minutes, I pitched how I saw the season laying out. He said, “I love it. I’m in,” and gave me a hug. I called Gary, who’s a reasonably busy guy, and he snatched up the phone right away and said, “Well?” I said, “Michael says he loves it. He’s in,” and Gary said, “Go hire a writing room.” He didn’t say, “OK, go figure out the pilot.” He said, “This is happening.” It was the best possible news. We put together a great room and wrote the hell out of the season.
TVLINE | Despite her character’s death in Season 8, Jennifer Carpenter is back. When did the idea to include Deb come into play?
There was no question. The answer to when she should be back was right away. She’s foul-mouthed, aggressive, takes no s–t from anybody, a brilliant cop, a sympathetic character. As Dexter said in a Season 1 episode: “If I was capable of love, I would love her.” She was a perfect candidate to come back.
She comes back as that little conscience in Dexter’s head. She’s not Harry guiding him. They’re a very well-lived-in couple when we first meet them. She doesn’t want him doing what he does best. It would always come up in the writing room, “Wait a minute. Deb can’t do that she’s not real. She can’t throw this at Dexter. Dexter doesn’t have to open a door for her.” We’d have to remind ourselves all of the time about that. As the characters, storytelling and directing evolved, we broke some rules we set up just to make it more dynamic.
TVLINE | It’s also been confirmed that John Lithgow is reprising his role as the Trinity Killer. What can you tease about his appearance?
It’s a flashback, obviously, because Dexter took him out in Season 4. I got him to come back with one phone call. John and I are friends. We presented together at the Creative Arts Emmys, and we’re in contact all of the time. So I called him up and said, “You want to come back? One day [of shooting].” He said, “You bet. Let’s make it happen. Just give me a week’s notice to put stuff in order and I’ll be there.”
When he came, the whole crew, the whole set, all of the actors — everybody was just elevated. Actors who weren’t working that day came by to watch him work. We were shooting in this studio in Massachusetts, and it was almost like a stage play, with everybody standing around watching. They just wanted to be in his presence, and he nailed it. He was just great.
TVLINE | So much has been said about the series’ original finale, but how do you think fans are going to react to New Blood‘s ending?
It’s going to be surprising, inevitable and it’s going to blow up the Internet. It is, I personally think, the best thing I’ve written. Our director Marcos Siega, who could not be more experienced and a better friend of the show, thinks it’s the best thing he’s ever directed. I haven’t seen it yet, by the way. I only saw it get shot. We’re editing Episodes 7 and 8 right now, so I haven’t seen 10 yet. I can’t wait, to tell you the truth.
“An ending that will blow up the internet” is code for them killing off Dexter. That’s gonna suck. I was hoping for more seasons.
That’s what I thought, especially when he said “inevitable”. What’s the point in bringing back shows just to kill off the main characters or trash the good endings they had in the original series? Happens too often, I have a bad feeling about SATC revival as well.
Good ending? Dexters ending is one of the worst finales ever made. Killing him was the only way to end it back then.
Don’t hate me, but I actually like the ending. After everything he had done, he moved to the middle of no where and became a lumberjack. All alone. Kind of deserved to be alone after killing so many people. But oh well.
It reminded me of the series finale of The Shield. Vic deserved so much worse but it fit him.
No what happened to Vic was the worst version for him. Losing his badge and family is so much worst than his life, but he’s still choosing to fight on.
Hasn’t be ever heard of overhyped?
I was hoping for more seasons myself.
Let me guess, Harrison kills Dexter and we see Dexter become Harrison’s Harry.
Or vice versa…
Really sounds like they are going to kill Dexter at the end. That eliminated the chance of more seasons if so, boo.
I’m not sure I’m ready to ride that rollercoaster again though. I’d settle for a proper ending, the original series was spectacularly good at it’s best and spectacularly bad at it’s worst.
I am guessing Harrison kills Dexter in the finale
No veo la hora de poder ver a dexter !!yo comencé a verlo hace poco,en Amazon,y la historia,trama y personajes me atrapó.creo y espero esta continuación donde sabremos que paso con el y su hijo será sencillamente Fabulosa !!!!
I was reading this article thinking what the ending could be and turns out, all of us fans are thinking the same exact thing. Either dexter being killed by harrison or vice versa? Probably killed on his own table, with all the plastic and pictures of loved ones he had killed like deb, rita, harry not by him but by heartbreak. He could possibly be killed by clancy browns character, then have harrison kill clancy. Either way it will blow up the internet, but not for the reason he thinks, but for breaking the record for the two worst finales ever made. People love the hell out of this show. I watch the whole thing every other year. If showtime, and clyde were smart, they would do a few seasons at least. Showtime already made a mistake ending shameless. Regardless, l hope were wrong
Maybe it was nostalgia, maybe not, but I really liked the first episode!
I Love that Deb is back; she brought so much life to the show. Not to mention, her attitude is perfect! for Dexter. As for the ending that will blow up the internet…
I wonder if Dexter’s son has inherited his dark passenger. Maybe he learned the wrong tricks from the local bad guys. Maybe Dexter tracks down the “new serial killer in town” and, after strapping him to the table, unmasks him to find Harrison.
I’m thinking; this could also be a father-son bonding moment leading to the end of Dexter and the beginning of Dexter and son.
I can hear Deb now, yet I am already buying the popcorn!
Agreed! Loved her in the first episode! Her presence adds a lot.
Final scene of season 9:
Inside Miami Metro P.D., the door opens.
Dexter steps in, throws his bag on the floor and announces: “Folks, I’m back!”
PS
I also liked the ending of season 8 and found it fitting.
Hello Dexter, my old friend. You have been missed <3
Watching the first episode of New Blood brought back how much I’ve missed Dexter, & what an excellent show it is. I wasn’t aware until reading this article that New Blood is a one season revival only. I was hoping for more.
I don’t see how they wouldn’t have left the door open for another season or more to follow when developing this, knowing it could be a great success plus earner. All that fuss just for Dexter conclude after ten episodes in some remote, icy village of upstate NY? I don’t see it ending like that, but rather it a good place to make an unexpected harrowing escape from with his son whose presence has served to awaken him from his self imposed reclusiveness.
I was kinda hoping the show would pick up with Dex as a lumberjack seeing a Bigfoot kill someone. Hello, dark passenger. I would also like to see the gang get together for a spin-off at Batista’s restaurant. Or a detective show, Masuka and Dad, with CS Lee and George Takai. Last night’s show was good, but it seems too predictable that it will end with Harrison killing Dex.
‘Harrison kills Dexter—the end’ is too obvious a conclusion, contradicting what Phillips indicates will be a ‘surprising’ end, an end I hope only to this season. For ten episodes in the remote and icy village of Iron Lake is not enough to finish the story ten years removed, esp. with Harrison now on board. I’d like to see them both, if it’s to be such a harrowing and dramatic finale, barely make it out of there alive, escaping Caldwell, and settled elsewhere when New Blood season two begins. Miami is implausible, but sure miss the vibe there.
BAD ENDING !! WHY KILL DEXTER ??? It was such a great show and MICHEAL C HALL was AWESOME as DEXTER . I’ve never had an ending to a series make me cry like that. I will miss you DEXTER :(