When Dexter: Resurrection returned last year, the question was whether it would be a one-off catch-up with Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), like New Blood had been, or the setup for something more.
In New York City, Dexter found a new rhythm for himself and Harrison (Jack Alcott), and it felt like something more sustainable. Season 2, which picks up a bit after the events of the first season, carries on that feeling. But this isn’t just the same old Dexter. That’s something that becomes clear in the season 2 premiere, “Risky Business,” as Dexter learns some new limitations. Let’s dive in.
Still hunting and haunted
As we open, Dexter gets a call from Angel (David Zayas) about the location of the New York Ripper. They head out together. It’s like something out of a buddy cop film. They fling open the location and dive in, with Dexter putting the Ripper down and the two of them wrapping him up on the table. Angel goes, picks out the right knife, and hands it to Dexter to do his thing. But when he plunges the knife into his victim, it turns out to be Angel. Dexter wakes up. The whole thing was a dream, or more like a haunting for Dexter, who feels guilty about Angel’s death.
Angel was his friend, but he would never accept who Dexter really was. And while Dexter didn’t want him to die, in the end he couldn’t save him. So, he cleaned things up, grabbed some files, and moved on. Leon’s (Peter Dinklage) vault was a treasure trove for the police. And Dexter got rid of Leon in his textbook way. He also captured the files of five living and active killers.
We learn quickly he’s been keeping busy by ending their reign. He’s already gotten to the Midnight Mangler and Yonkers Slayer and dispatched them both. And he’s still serving as an Uber driver, even if it isn’t his calling. He accepts the lesser job, out of the spotlight, because it protects his calling. And it allows him to be there for Harrison.
Harrison has completed the Police Academy, and he’s about to become a sworn officer. But he still needs his father. They have weekly catch-ups, and he even agrees to share locations with Dexter, who wants to be sure Harrison is safe, but that’s a double-edged sword since Harrison can track him, too.
So, when Dexter finds Al (Eric Stonestreet) still killing people in Pennsylvania, he decides to take a road trip. Harrison is concerned that his father is taking too big a risk. He’s over 50 now, and he’s not quite the man he used to be. Dexter dismisses Harrison’s concerns but also misses Harrison’s ceremony.
But he locks in on Al and makes the kill room. The problem is Dexter’s age shows when Al gets the jump and nearly ends Dexter. While Dexter is able to get the upper hand and kill Al, it isn’t how he expected. He’s sore, out-of-breath, and realizing he needs to work out and can’t just wing it anymore. Dexter might be having a mid-life crisis, and that’s not a good thing for the nature of his work.
New cases
Meanwhile, our old friends Det. Oliva (Dominic Fumusa) and Det. Wallace (Kadia Saraf) are focused on the Ripper. Leon’s vault left them a file that seemed to indicate that Don Framt (Brian Cox) is the Ripper, but it isn’t concrete evidence. Despite them brining him in for questioning many times, he hasn’t broken. Instead, the wheel-chair-bound Framt seems to be taunting the relatives of his old victims. And he seems to be enjoying the fact they can’t pin it on him.
Captain Mixon (Bokeem Woodbine) makes it clear that he supports bringing Framt to justice, but his detectives need more to make it stick. So, Wallace goes back to her board and looks for clues, but she doesn’t have time to dwell. A new killer, calling himself the Five Borough Killer (Dan Stevens), calls to let the cops know he’ll kill someone at a baseball game the next day. There’s discussion about cancelling the game, but it’s not clear they know which one will be the target.
So, the Five Borough Killer strikes, shooting a woman to death in the parking lot of a game cancelled by rain. There is little evidence, which leaves a tough road for Wallace and Oliva. And, like Framt, he has no problem taunting the police and the world with what he’s done. As they’re diving into that, another familiar face shows up — Detective Joey Quinn (Desmond Harrington). That promises to bring them more answers about Dexter Morgan and more work as they try to rid New York of its bounty of serial killers.
I like this model of Dexter moving forward. I also like that we’re tackling what’s going on with Dexter as he gets older. I like that he’s still talking with Harry (James Remar) but dealing with some changing circumstances. Stevens makes for a fun addition as the Five Borough Killer, while Cox is chewing it up as Framt. We’ve set the stage for a fun second season.
Dexter: Resurrection streams Fridays on Paramount+. Check back next week as we recap the action of season 2.
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