The following article contains spoilers for Dexter: New Blood (2021).When it almost seemed like he found peace from his past as a vigilante serial killer, Dexter Morgan (who now goes by Jim Lindsay) has been reawakened after secretly killing the annoyingly reckless Matt Caldwell (who shot down Dexter's deer and is responsible for the deaths of five people during a boat "accident"). Since Matt is dead (and presumed missing by everyone in town), Dexter's girlfriend, Angela Bishop (chief of police in Iron Lake), and her unit use the space outside of Dexter's cabin home to camp out and set up a search for Matt.
Along with Matt's case, Dexter now has his son, Harrison, back home with him (temporarily for now). Harrison is understandably upset, realizing that his father has been alive after all these years, and questions Dexter over why he left him and Hannah (who sadly passed due to pancreatic cancer). Dexter tries to explain to Harrison that he left because of his inner demons, and that he'll try to answer his son's questions in the best way possible, when the time is right.
As Angela and her officers search for Matt, Dexter tries to retrace his steps, including where he attacked Matt, in order to destroy and plant evidence, and to get rid of traces of Matt's blood (just like old times for the former forensic blood spatter expert). Dexter also allows Harrison to tag along with him and the police to support the search for Matt. When the dead deer Matt shot with his new rifle is encountered on Native reservation land, Dexter helps Angela with a ballistics match, positively identifying the bullet in the deer as the same type of ammo Matt bought at Dexter's store. There's also a pivotal moment in which an Indigenous man complains to Angela (also an Indigenous person) about how the police are searching for a missing white man (the son of a rich father) but not enough efforts are ever done to search for missing young Indigenous women.
When Angela first meets Harrison, she appears shocked about the revelation that Dexter has a son he never told her about. However, when Dexter and Angela have an important discussion later on in the episode, they are both committed to making Harrison feel comfortable in Iron Lake. Angela also reveals to Dexter that she actually adopted her daughter, Audrey, and that their relationship is also complicated. Both parents understand the difficulties of raising children, but intend to work out their issues together.
Harrison and Audrey also develop an interest in each other during their initial meeting. Both teenagers instantly connect due to the complications in their respective families. Instead of helping the police search for Matt, Harrison accompanies Audrey and her friends to a place where they can hang out and smoke weed. Just like his father, Harrison refuses to smoke, and reveals that he has been clean for a couple of years after suffering from addiction.
Audrey's friends think Harrison is a freak, but she finds him interesting, especially after looking at the artwork in his sketchbook and seeing his skills in picking locks (something Dexter is also good at doing). Perhaps Harrison and Audrey will continue to know each other better moving forward. While Debra was comforting toward Dexter in the first episode, she gets angry at her brother here (laughing and mocking him in his conscience) because he has now killed again, and believes he is going to put Harrison in greater risk.
Meanwhile, the woman Angela helped pay for dinner in the previous episode is shown in a room (likely the shelter Angela recommended). She takes a shower and has some champagne and fruit that was offered to her. However, the woman gets sick, and is heard throwing up in the bathroom. After sleeping in bed most of the time, she realizes she can't leave the room, and is being watched on camera by a mysterious man.
The woman trapped in the room could become the next victim in another case concerning missing women (perhaps related to the photographs in Angela's office). Matt's father, Kurt Caldwell (played by Clancy Brown from The Shawshank Redemption) is introduced for the first time, and is desperately looking for his son. Kurt urges Angela, her unit, and everyone in the community, to continue searching for Matt (even though everyone hates him and knows he's made mistakes). It is revealed that Kurt is a wealthy man who has donated a lot of money to the citizens of Iron Lake, whether it's to pay for repairs to Dexter's store, or giving to charity for noble causes.
Whether or not Kurt Caldwell is a concerned father and a caring member of the community, or if he is just a selfish figure like Matt who is just seeking to protect his own interests, remains to be seen. This episode does an adequate job of bringing Dexter and Harrison closer together, while recognizing that their bond and willingness to trust each other will take time because they've been apart for so long. Angela also reveals more of herself, including her persistence as a police officer, her love for Dexter, her curiosity towards Harrison, and struggling to discipline her daughter Audrey.
However, as Debra reminds Dexter, history is repeating itself because her brother is making the same mistakes he made in the past (killing, attracting attention, evidence tampering, putting close people at risk). No matter what happens next, Dexter wants to be around for the people he loves.
New episodes of Dexter: New Blood air Sundays on Showtime.