The Real Reason That Dexter Is Returning For Season 9

"Dexter" is coming back from the dead, and the reason for its return probably won't come as much of a surprise to fans. The Showtime original series aired for eight seasons from 2006 to 2013 — producing a total of 96 episodes throughout that time — and consistently found new ways to shock viewers with its various, blood-soaked twists and turns. Set in Miami, the series focused on Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a forensic blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department, who leads a secret life as a vigilante serial killer on a mission to personally murder only other killers. In addition to Michael C. Hall, the original "Dexter" cast included Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar, and C.S. Lee.

The series made a name for itself as one of the most unique, beloved, and acclaimed prestige dramas on television in the mid-2000s and early 2010s, but its series finale was universally reviled by both TV critics and its longtime fans. While it's been eight years since the "Dexter" finale aired, the critical perception of it hasn't improved much either. Fortunately, the series is returning in the form of "Dexter: New Blood," a 10-episode limited series that will take place after the show's 2013 finale, and which may very well manage to provide both fans and critics with the satisfying conclusion to the series' story that they were originally denied. At least, that seems to be the reason why "Dexter: New Blood" is even happening.

During his appearance at a virtual Comic-Con panel this past weekend, "Dexter: New Blood" star Michael C. Hall confirmed what fans had already long suspected about the mini-series. When asked how much the overwhelmingly negative reactions to the "Dexter" series finale played a role in the creation of the upcoming "Dexter" revival, Hall admitted, "It was a huge part of it. I think the ending was mystifying at best to people, confounding, exasperating, frustrating, on down the line of negative adjectives."

The actor went on to confirm that he and everyone else involved in "New Blood" see the limited series as a chance to wrap up "Dexter" on a better note than its original finale did. "I think this is a show that's very important to all of us," Hall said, "and the chance to revisit it and maybe in the process, redefine the sense of the show's ending and the sense of the show's legacy more broadly was certainly a part of our motivation. No doubt." In other words, "Dexter: New Blood" isn't so much a self-contained mini-series as it is the ninth season of "Dexter," one therefore capable of putting a cap on the original series' many themes and ideas in a way that the show's Season 8 finale failed to.

That's not the most shocking news in the world, but it does make the intent of "Dexter: New Blood" unquestionably clear. Set 10 years after the events of the "Dexter" Season 8 finale, the limited series picks up with Hall's Dexter Morgan as his (relatively) peaceful life in a small New York town is torn apart by a series of unexpected events, which threaten to reawaken his desire to kill. Original "Dexter" showrunner Clyde Phillips is at the helm of the upcoming limited series, which has all the makings of being a tense and twisty season of television. However, whether or not "New Blood" actually succeeds in giving fans the "Dexter" ending they've long been denied remains to be seen.