Shortly after it finished its debut run of 10 episodes, Dexter prequel series Original Sin was renewed for a second season. The show was, by all accounts, a solid hit, so a renewal made complete sense. However, a couple of months on from that very sensible decision, an unexpected twist of the knife arrived in the form of a reversal of that season two pick-up. In short, Dexter: Original Sin was cancelled.
Showrunner Clyde Phillips recently spoke about the decision and admitted he was blindsided by the move, and is not best pleased with how it was handled.
“It was a tough phone call I got that night where they had already picked up the show. I had informed all the writers and actors, and then they unpicked it up, all while picking up Resurrection, which was no surprise. It wasn’t handled well and I’m not happy about it.”
Set in 1991 Miami, the prequel charted the formative years of Dexter Morgan, played by Patrick Gibson. The series explored how a young Dexter began to refine his killer instincts under the guidance of his adoptive father, Harry, played by Christian Slater. We have previously glimpsed some of Dexter's early years in flashbacks; however, it was just Michael C. Hall in (what can best be described as) a Spirit Halloween wig.
The cast also included Molly Brown, Christina Milian, James Martinez, Alex Shimizu, and Reno Wilson, with guest star turns from Sarah Michelle Gellar and Patrick Dempsey that gave the prequel an extra jolt of star power. For fans, it was a chance to see stories that had only been hinted at in flashbacks during the original series, now fully fleshed out.
That’s what makes the sudden cancellation sting all the more. Original Sin had just begun to peel back the layers of Dexter’s origin story, and its reception suggested audiences were ready for more. With Paramount’s recent merger with Skydance and a slate-wide tightening of budgets, it seems Original Sin became a casualty of cost-cutting, even as Dexter: Resurrection secured its future. For now, the prequel’s first season stands alone—a fascinating glimpse into the making of television’s most infamous anti-hero, cut short just as it seemed to be finding its stride.