The Full-Length Dexter: New Blood Trailer Ramps Up The Creepiness

Showtime's "Dexter" — the series about the serial killer who tries to be a family man — was one of the most critically acclaimed shows of the "antihero era" of prestige TV in the early 2000s. But the "Dexter" series finale was such a letdown to fans that it tarnished the show's overall reputation — and even star Michael C. Hall agrees with some of the criticism. Now, "Dexter" has a shot at redemption: Showtime's upcoming revival series, "Dexter: New Blood." And based on the first full-length trailer, it looks like fans should be pretty happy.

When "Dexter" ended, the well-meaning murderer had just abandoned his life in Miami after finally realizing how much his actions hurt everyone around him and started a new life as a lumberjack in the Pacific Northwest. "Dexter: New Blood" picks up the story ten years later. Not only does the new trailer shed some light on what the ex-blood spatter analyst has been up to, but it also appears to bring back the tense and unsettling atmosphere the show is known for.

The trailer begins by showing Dexter's new life in the town of Iron Lake. He's living under a new name, James "Jim" Lindsay, and he's in a relationship with the local police chief. Additionally, he works at a hardware store. But Dexter is still the old Dexter, too. As he says via his signature narration, he's a wolf among sheep.

Sure enough, a problem arises. A serial killer has been preying on local children, and Dexter's old impulses are awakened. As he sharpens his butcher knife to prepare for the hunt, we get a glimpse of his deceased sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter). She dies in the final season of the show's first run, and now she appears to Dexter in the form of a vision. As their father did before her, Debra tries to warn Dexter against indulging his worst impulses. 

Several quick shots follow, showing Dexter on the hunt. "It's a scary world out there. Monsters walk among us," Dexter narrates. "I might be a monster, but I'm an evolving monster." The trailer ends with one more surprise. Dexter gets a visit from a teenager who knows his true identity. It turns out to be Harrison, the son he had with Rita. 

There's a lot packed into the nearly three-minute trailer — and a lot riding on the revival. Luckily, we won't have to wait too long to see if "Dexter: New Blood" redeems the previous series finale since it premieres on Showtime on November 7.