While the original Dexter series earned some mixed reactions, particularly near the end of its run, one aspect almost universally praised was John Lithgow's terrifying performance as season 4's big bad, the Trinity Killer. Now, it looks as though the upcoming 1 season series revival is looking to recapture the magic, as Lithgow himself has signed on to play the formidable monster once again.
Deadline reports Lithgow, an Emmy-winning actor on multiple occasions, will make a brief appearance in the new season. As the character many consider to be Dexter's (Michael C. Hall) ultimate nemesis on the show, it makes sense that he would tie into whatever story is being told this time around. Dexter may be a show about a serial killer, but it's just as much about what goes on in his head as it is about how he carries out his methodical executions, presumably extending to the revival's new villain played by Clancy Brown.
But this inspires a number of questions, the most notable being just how will Lithgow's Trinity Killer (real name Arthur Mitchell) actually manage to show up in this continuation set nearly a decade after the original series ended? Not to spoil anything, but the dude's as dead as one could possibly be. The folks involved are saying the Dexter revival will be darker than the original series, but even so, it's a bit difficult to come back from being bludgeoned to death and dismembered. But odds are his appearance will mirror that of Dexter's dad, Harry Morgan (played by James Remar), who died years before the show began but still manifested as an imaginary presence to Dexter. Having gone through so much, including the death of his wife and sister, it's almost a given that Dexter will spend a lot of time dwelling on the past.
Lithgow himself is a wildly accomplished actor with a long and impressive career. While many know him for his dramatic roles such as the one on Dexter, others fondly remember his more comedic endeavors like the bizarrely hilarious 3rd Rock From the Sun, where he played the leader of a team of aliens attempting to blend in as a human family on Earth (alongside a young Joseph Gordon Levitt). He also does soup commercials now, which might seem odd, but he acts the crap out of them. So he seems to be having a good time with it, which is really all that matters.
The Dexter revival is seen by some as an attempt to recall the series' glory days, especially after its almost universally panned ending left a collectively bad taste in the mouths of viewers everywhere, like a volcano spewing ash made of haggis. So even if it doesn't make all that much sense story-wise, deliberately bringing back Lithgow even just for a cameo feels like an indication of exactly what the season is aiming for.
Whether or not they're successful has yet to be seen, but even so, it will be a nice blast from the past for Dexter fans to see one of their favorite characters once again. Now if only they could just turn entirely to nonsensical magic and bring Deb back with no questions asked, maybe the world would be a little happier.
Dexter's story will continue in fall of 2021 on Showtime.
Source: Deadline