The past fortnight, I’ve been allotting time to finish New Blood. I rented the ten eps on Amazon Prime. As they say, ‘Better late than never.’
The series continues where Dexter left off. Previously, our favourite vigilante loses his sister and abandons his family. He is forced into hiding and resurfaces, bearded, in a cold town. Viewers speculated that he had headed up north, possibly to Canada or Alaska. Most of the main story arc occurred in sunny Miami. He worked as a blood spatter analyst. At night, he transforms into a killing machine, taking out the trash by serving up Robin Hood justice. Much like Batman and Daredevil, in that respect. He has been dubbed the Bay Harbor Butcher. Impressive as his body count may be, he evaded comeuppance. Purely by his smarts and a bit of luck. His workmate, Sargeant Doakes, was pinned as the Butcher. He outsmarted an FBI honcho and the whole department.
Iron Lake
Dexter the series was very addictive. Each season and episode, a must watch. It was comic and gory, thrilling and immersive. We see Dexter transform from matador to family man. His deceased foster father, Harry, enlightens him about his dark passenger and enforces a code. We see the latter in times of Dexter’s moral crises. This time, it’s the sister, Debrah, who becomes his moral compass. Though conked out, she’s the second most ubiquitous character. Turns out, Dexter isn’t in Alaska but upstate New York. Iron Lake, a town of 2,000 souls, is where the action takes place. He has a new name: Jim Lindsay. The town’s police chief (Angela Bishop) is his girlfriend. He works as a gun salesman.
‘Born in blood’
For two years, he has resisted the urge to mete out his ‘Dex Signal’. Until this entitled schmuck forces his hand. Turns out he’s the son of a fellow serial killer. The latter gets off at murdering runaway women. He has a long kill list. To complicate matters, Harrison – his son – returns. Dexter/Jim navigates his teenage blues while juggling work and other personal commitments. Hannah McKay, his former partner, has died. She raised Harrison by herself. Dexter struggles in his new role, building a shaky connection with his son. They are linked superficially, their home a pit stop. Harrison is everything Dexter ain’t: good at sports, confident around girls, and quite sociable. He has a dark passenger. Dexter realises that they’re more alike than he imagined. They’re psychopaths and ‘born in blood’.
Matador
Harrison falls for Audrey, his classmate. She’s Angela’s daughter. When the school’s Lone Ranger is attacked, he becomes the hero. While he recuperates, only his father gleans that he’s the transgressor. Harrison starts an uneasy friendship with Kurt, the serial killer. Likewise, Molly Park, a famous crime podcaster, descends upon the town. Together with Angela, they add a bit of inclusion to the plot. Initially at odds, the two develop a friendship which grows in time. Kurt takes a liking to Molly, seeing her as his next victim. Only Jim’s persistence saves the celebrity…until ‘curiosity kills the cat.’
When Kurt abducts Harrison, Dexter saves the day. He finally opens up about his dark passenger and the two quickly unite. This reminded me of Hannah. The pair had more in common than Dexter thought. Thus, it unfolds like his previous relationships: they bond in blood. However, Angela’s suspicions are confirmed and she arrests Jim. In order to escape, Jim kills the deputy (and Harrison’s coach), which severs the father-son bond. We see Dexter lying in a pool of blood.
Dexter: the comeback
Set ten years on, New Blood is very Dexteresque. The surreal choreography and stunning visuals. Clever camera work and voice over. Full characters and dialogue. The fast forward scenes which opens every episode. This reminds me of Ozark and The Simpson’s couch gag. In his day job, Dexter is likeable. As a serial matador, he’s despicable. He’s calculating and a master manipulator. He convinces Angela to head out, knowing that she’ll do anything for Iris, her slain best friend. In effect, he’s left with the coach, who he murders. Just another day in the office.
Nefarious as Dexter may be, Kurt is worse. He terminates young women. Keeps them as trophies in an underground Hall of Shame. Upon witnessing the attraction, any casual observer will be shocked…beyond repair.
Another similarity: the ritual. Dexter’s MO is to tranquillise the bastard and bring them to his ‘operating table’. When they wake up, he’ll converse with them for five minutes. They’re secured with sticky tape. Harrison asks why the tape. His dad answers that it’s less trouble. After all, he knew his crime scenes. He always wears the same outfit to his practice: an olive green long sleeve henley with trousers and gloves. Once he’s milked them and gets his answers, he slays them point blank. Dexter wants to see the light leave their eyes. To have the last say before they go to kingdom come. He’ll then chop them up into six pieces. Before, he chucked them into the bay. Now, he reduces them to ash.
Resonant
This series may be four years old but still resonates. Easy to lose yourself in Iron Lake. Michael C. Hall remains a primetime thespian. The locale and players breathe new life into the series. The move from sunny Miami to chilling New York was ingenious. Dex brought his talents to the Big Apple. A reverse of LeBron who went from his Cleveland kingdom to South Beach. Special guests like Deb and Angel Batista make you nostalgic. A prequel has since followed New Blood. Dexter: Ressurection continues where Blood left off. Almost a decade since we last saw Morgan, the show continues the tradition. A certified fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes confirms this. Five well deserved stars from me.
Rating: 5/5
