Original Sin changes a major detail about Dexter's origin and this isn't the first

The Dexter franchise has a special place in the hearts of crime drama enthusiasts. Premiering on December 13, 2024, the latest addition, Dexter: Original Sin, has already become a favorite among viewers.

Dexter aired on Showtime from 2006-2013 and featured Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan. Created by Clyde Phillips, the prequel series (Dexter: Original Sin)portrays the young Dexter Morgan in his formative days giving the audience a fresh perspective of their favorite character. This Paramount+ Showtime series features Patrick Gibson as Dexter Morgan, Christian Slater as Harry Morgan, Christina Millan as Maria LaGuerta, and Molly Brown as Debra Morgan.

However, the show has made few changes in the key details of Dexter's origin - his third kill- an essential moment that tagged him as a 'serial killer'. Dexter became a serial killer in Dexter: Original Sin episode 6 but it tweaked details about his third murder that Dexter Season 8 had already shown.

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Who was Dexter's third victim in Dexter: Original Sin?

In Original Sin, Dexter killed Levi Reed, a family murderer (Jeff Daniel Phillips) which was his third kill after Nurse Mary and Tony Ferrer. As per the protocol of the FBI, a person with three kills or more in separate situations is defined as a serial killer.

Dexter became an official serial killer after killing Levi Reed. Even though this kill resulted in some cliffhanging moments in the series such as Dexter's car (with Levi Reed's body in the trunk) being pulled over by the police, this changes some important events from the original series.

According to the Season 8 of 'Dexter', Dexter's third kill was a drug dealer who killed college students. Even though it was not shown much, the detail could be found in the conversation between Harry Morgan (Dexter's adoptive father) and Dr. Evelyn Vogel, a psychiatrist who helped Dexter shape his 'moral' code. The third kill in Dexter: Original Sin thus changes a significant part of Dexter's early days, leaving the viewers quite puzzled.

However, the showrunner might have introduced the character of Levi Reed as Dexter's third kill as it provided a better connection story than the unnamed drug dealer. In fact, by changing it to Levi Reed, the show delved more into the fact that Harry's methods of controlling Dexter's deadly urges and using them to punish criminals on the loose.

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What is the other change introduced in Dexter: Original Sin series?

Apart from overlooking key details from Dexter, Season 8, the Paramount + Showtime series has also failed to show the significant role of Dr. Evelyn Vogel. In the Dexter series, Dr. Vogel was very involved in guiding Harry throughout Dexter's youth days. She appeared in the old series quite many times when she discussed Dexter's kills with Harry.

Vogel was a psychiatrist who specialized in dealing with psychopaths. She helped Harry Morgan to develop the Code of Harry. This code helped Dexter to stay undetected while preying on criminals thus playing a key role in Dexter's origin story.

However, in Dexter: Original Sin, Vogel's character is mostly absent from the series. The absence of such an important character does leave a gap in narrative continuity.

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