Ever since the American crime drama television series, Dexter, premiered on Showtime back in 2006, it has remained one of the most popular shows, streamed today by billions of fans worldwide. In the nearly two decades since the first episode aired, viewers have been amazed at the unique plot of the franchise, following the twisted tale of ‘Dexter Morgan’, a forensic blood spatter analyst by day and a vigilante killer by night.
When Paramount released Dexter: Original Sin in 2024, a prequel to the series that dove into young Dexter’s killer origin story, it was an initial hit, streamed by 3.3 million viewers in its first week. After such a successful run, fans were stunned when the makers quietly axed Original Sin just after one season, despite a Season 2 renewal announcement earlier this year. So, why was the plug pulled on a show that was planned to dive deeper into the origins of television’s most infamous serial killer? Here’s a breakdown of what happened.
About Dexter: Original Sin and why it was cancelled
Dexter: Original Sin, which premiered on December 13, 2024, follows 20-year-old ‘Dexter Morgan’ (Patrick Gibson) in the years before his first kill. From childhood, ‘Dexter’ displayed homicidal urges and traits of antisocial personality disorder. In the prequel, his father, ‘Harry Morgan’ (Christian Slater), introduces him to ‘The Code’, a strict set of rules designed to channel his violent impulses toward those who deserve it, thus marking the beginning of his transformation into a notorious serial killer and vigilante.
Original Sin had a decent run with a 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a solid audience base. While Patrick Gibson played a compelling role as the young version of the OG ‘Dexter’ (Michael C. Hall), many critics felt the show had an unshakeable sense of déjà vu. Critics also pointed out that Gibson’s performance, though brilliant, was often overshadowed by Hall, who voiced his character’s inner monologue throughout the prequel.
According to Variety, the recent Paramount-Skydance merger played a key role in Original Sin’s cancellation. The corporate restructuring forced executives to reassess Showtime’s entire slate, leading to budget cuts and layoffs, and unfortunately, Original Sin was seen as expendable.
What about Dexter: Resurrection?
While it’s disheartening for fans who were hopeful about Season 2 of Original Sin, all is not lost in the franchise. Contrary to the prequel, Paramount is placing its bets on Dexter: Resurrection, the latest addition to the franchise, which follows Michael C. Hall’s ‘Dexter’ surviving his “death” in New Blood and tracking his son, ‘Harrison’, in New York.
Original Sin surely pulled in significant traffic, with 3.3 million views in its first week, making it Showtime’s most-watched premiere at the time. However, after Resurrection premiered on July 11, 2025, it smashed the record with 4.4 million viewers in seven days. The series has since been riding a 94% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
With its fresh setting and a star-studded cast including Uma Thurman, Krysten Ritter, Neil Patrick Harris, and Peter Dinklage, Dexter: Resurrection is dominating the scene with a storyline fans are actually excited about, and that doesn’t feel like a revisit of old takes.
While there won’t be a second season, fans can still stream Dexter: Original Sin on Paramount+ in the US and Amazon Prime Video in India. Meanwhile, the finale of Dexter: Resurrection is scheduled for a September 5, 2025, release.
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