‘Dexter’ Season 9: Why Fans Think Jennifer Carpenter Is Returning as Debra Morgan

With the news that Dexter is returning for a ninth season, fans have been speculating over what the revival will feature. After eight years off the air, there is plenty that could have happened to the serial killer turned lumberjack who faked his death, so the future is truly uncertain. Is Dexter Morgan still in the business of killing? Will Hannah (Yvonne Strahovski) return for the 10-episode limited series? While fans have only been treated to a brief glimpse of a (thankfully) beardless Michael C. Hall as the titular character, that is more than enough to inspire the fandom to spring back into action.

The latest bit of social media sleuthing has fans convinced that Jennifer Carpenter is returning as Debra Morgan. As Dexter Daily notes, certain activity on Carpenter’s Instagram has inspired fan speculation, including the fact that Carpenter posted a video of the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum which is located in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Dexter is shooting in the area, and Carpenter ended up deleting the post, which makes the whole thing feel more suspicious.

On top of that, Carpenter recently followed season nine directors Sanford Bookstaver and Marcos Siega, writer Scott Reynolds, and actress Julia Jones, who will play Angela Bishop, on Instagram. Siega, who is directing six episodes of the season, also tagged Carpenter in a post from the set.

However, this all begs an obvious question: How would Deb return after she died in the series finale? According to showrunner, Clyde Phillips, this new season isn’t serving as a do-over. “We’re not undoing anything,” Phillips explained in a recent interview. “We’re not doing movie magic. We’re not going to betray the audience and say, ‘Whoops, that was all a dream’ or whatever it is. What happened in the first eight years happened in the first eight years. This is now, however many years later. We’re not undoing anything.”

“There is some flexibility to do some movie magic. That’s all I can say about that,” Phillips teased. When Dexter originally wrapped in 2013, Carpenter told The Hollywood Reporter that Deb “deserves some peace” and that death was “her happy ending.” When asked whether or not she would ever return to the role, she expressed some hesitance. “An extraordinary script many, many, many years from now (laughs),” she said. “I don’t know if that’s possible because people don’t come back from the dead.” So, could Carpenter return in flashback or perhaps as a ghost? Time will tell!