The Real Reason Michael C. Hall Finally Agreed To The Dexter Revival

It's been nearly 8 years since we last saw the bearded and bedraggled Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) wandering blindly through the wilds of Oregon in the series finale of Showtime's harrowing slasher saga Dexter, and it seems it's time to find out what became of TV's most infamous vigilante. It may also be time for both star Hall and series creator James Manos Jr. to rectify what even Dexter's most hardcore of fans found to be a terribly underwhelming — to some, even infuriating — finale.

That finale episode brought an end to Dexter's years-long run as Miami's very own avenging angel. It did so, of course, at the cost of any and everyone who ever cared about him — including his, ahem, loving sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter). While Debra's tragic death proved a deeply divisive moment on its own, the finale was far more maligned for the open-ended nature of Dexter's own fate.

Perhaps hoping to address that frustrating ambiguity, Manos Jr. and Hall are officially back for a revival series on Showtime in 2021, meaning the Dexter fandom might finally get some much-needed closure to his tale. In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Hall talked about what finally brought him back into the Dexter fold, with the actor claiming a great story is ultimately what enticed him to wade once again into the murky moral waters of the madman himself. 

"It's a conversation that's been ongoing, and different possibilities have emerged over the years. There's always been a hope that a story would emerge that would be worth telling. I think in this case, the story that's being told is worth telling in a way that other proposals didn't, and I think enough time has passed where it's become intriguing in a way that it wasn't before."

Circling back to Dexter's 2013 finale, it really was one of the more divisive episodes of television of the past couple of decades. So much that many fans still haven't gotten over the notorious narrative ambiguity built into Dexter's fate. While Michael C. Hall isn't among the masses harboring hard feelings about that finale, he clearly understands how much of the show's fanbase wasn't on board with the episode. He's also just as stoked as anyone to see where Dexter's story goes from there. "Let's be real: people found the way that show left things pretty unsatisfying. I include myself in the group of people that wondered, 'What the hell happened to that guy?' So I'm excited to step back into it. I've never had that experience of playing a character this many years on."

And as far as the criticisms go, Hall believes all thoughts on the Dexter finale are valid. "Criticism that speaks to someone's experience is warranted," the actor said. "I certainly thought it was justifiable for Dexter to do what he did. I think some of the criticisms were about that, and some of the criticisms weren't so much about the 'what' as they were about the 'how,' and those were valid too. We certainly do live in an era where the bar is very high as far as the simultaneous surprise, satisfaction, and closure that should go along with a series finale."

As far as bars go, one would have to assume — just given the legacy of the original series' finale — that the bar for the Dexter revival isn't particularly high. But we'll find out whether series creatives have indeed figured a more fitting end for Mr. Morgan when the Dexter revival series airs on Showtime later this year.