‘Dexter: New Blood’ Making Another Major Change From the Original Show

As fans anticipate the return of Dexter this fall on Showtime following its controversial series finale in 2013, the revival will feature one major change when it premieres in November. Over the course of eight seasons, fans of the twisted crime drama came to love the show’s opening credits featuring an ironic sequence created by Digital Kitchen alongside the whimsical Rolfe Kent track. However, as showrunner Clyde Phillips reveals, that will not be a part of the revival going forward as Dexter: New Blood makes its debut.

“We haven’t really completely closed the idea of what the new titles are, but they will not [incorporate] the cheekiness of what we had before, the jauntiness and irony of what we had before,” Clyde Phillips said, according to The Wrap. Phillips, who led the show’s first four seasons, often considered the “golden years” by fans from 2006 to 2009, admits that viewers should expect the title sequence “if there is even” one, “will be very different from what they’ve seen before.” 

When Dexter: New Blood returns in November, fans might not get a chance to see the beloved opening sequence, but they will see the return of Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) as the show picks up after the beloved psychopath went missing following the aftermath of Hurricane Laura and the death of his sister, Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter). The last scene shows the serial killer living as a lumberjack after uprooting his life and living in solitary from girlfriend Hannah McKay (Yvonne Strahovski) and his son Harrison. The new trailer for the revival reveals Dexter is now living under a new disguise. Yet, something has seemingly brought him out to the forefront.

In addition to Hall returning for Dexter: New Blood, Carpenter will make her anticipated return as Debra despite her character’s death in the Season 8 finale, with fans expecting her to take on the role of their father (James Remar), previously portrayed as Dexter’s conscious and “Dark Passenger.” Additionally, the show will see the surprising return of John Lithgow’s Arthur Mitchell — best known as the “Trinity Killer.” Philipps further revealed that the limited series, which swaps out Dexter’s former home of Miami for a cold, sleepy town in upstate New York, will include many more appearances from original characters, too. One such return would be Dexter’s son Harrison, played by another actor. “When we sat down and figured out what we’re going to do, the theme of the season quickly became fathers and sons,” Phillips said. “We can’t do a show about Dexter, with the theme of fathers and sons, without bringing back his son.”

With Dexter‘s return exciting fans, Hall has been dishing on the upcoming series though he isn’t exactly sure what to expect just yet — especially after they wrap up the set order. “I’ve never returned to a job after so much time. Having Dexter in a completely different context, we’ll see how that feels. It’s been interesting to figure out how to do that, and I thought it was time to find out what the hell happened to him,” he told NME, later admitting the 10-part limited series might not exactly be the end. “I’m reluctant to say ‘definitely,’ you know? Let’s see. What’s plain now is that there’s 10 new episodes.”

For more on the Dexter revival and your first look, keep it locked to PopCulture for the latest in entertainment and celebrity news. Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by ViacomCBS Streaming, a division of ViacomCBS.