For a series all about a serial killer, the upcoming revival of Dexter really seems keen on bringing characters back from the dead. After bringing in John Lithgow to reprise his role as the very much dismembered Trinity Killer, the show's new season has apparently gotten the taste for dearly departed fan-favorite characters as Jennifer Carpenter will reportedly return to the series as well.
The Hollywood Reporter sources confirm Carpenter, who played Dexter's sister Deb Morgan through the entire original series, has just signed on for the revival in a move that may be pleasantly surprising to those who've blocked out their memories of the original finale and particularly confusing to those who haven't. The actress hasn't made any official comments on the matter, though she did famously push for her own character's death in the Dexter finale. So it will be interesting to see what kind of script convinced her to come back.
While Carpenter herself had wanted Deb to be killed off in the series, fans were a bit less charitable concerning the character's death in Dexter's 2013 final episode. After a storied career with the Miami Metro police department, she was killed not by a gunshot, but by subsequent complications from a blood clot. The series ended with the titular character taking her off life support, as she'd been effectively declared brain dead, and dropping her body in the sea as he himself drifted off in Dexter's widely disliked finale.
Due to Deb's fate (and that of Lithgow's Trinity Killer), it seems likely that the Dexter revival will feature both characters showing up either in flashbacks or as visions that only Dexter (Michael C. Hall) himself can see. Either seems plausible, as one of the main recurring moments in the series involved Dexter seeing his long-dead father Harry Morgan (James Remar) as a visual representation of his murderous urges (referred to as his "dark passenger"). But if they appear in flashbacks, some makeup or de-aging might be required, seeing as how the original show ended nearly a decade ago with one of the most disappointing series finales of all time.
Dexter's original showrunner, Clyde Phillips, is returning to serve the same role for the revival, and he's stated repeatedly that he sees this 1-season sequel as a chance for a re-do. Set 10 years after the 2013 finale, it will feature Dexter living in Upstate New York under a new identity after faking his death all those years ago. Since it's so far removed from the mostly-beloved series, Phillips has expressed excitement about the timeline, saying "it's a great opportunity to write a second finale."
The upcoming season certainly has a lot of anticipation behind it, featuring an exciting cast of names like Clancy Brown as the villain and The Mandalorian's Julia Jones as the local police chief. So hopefully the final product can live up to the hype. If not, well then maybe it really is possible for it to die twice.
Dexter will return for its revival this fall on Showtime.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter