When does the prequel series Dexter: Original Sin take place? Timeline explained

Dexter: Original Sin serves as a prequel show to the original Dexter that came to an end with the airing of the final episode back on September 22, 2013. Michael Hall returns once again to lend his voice to the interior monologues on Dexter: Original Sin, while the titular character's younger self is portrayed by Patrick Gibson. The events of Dexter: Original Sin are set against the backdrop of 1991, fifteen years before the original series.

Dexter: Original Sin was confirmed as a prequel show during the San Diego Comic-Con earlier in 2024. The show debuted on Paramount+ with Showtime on December 13, 2024, and the first episode was titled And In The Beginning...

Dexter: Original Sin brings to the screen a young Dexter who is learning as an intern at the Miami Police Department. He isn't yet the famous blood splatter analyst that he became in later years. The show also focuses on the relationship between Dexter and his supposed father Harry Morgan, it being the first time that the latter is seen on screen while also living inside Dexter's conscience.

Here's everything that we know about the timeline of Dexter: Original Sin.

What is Dexter: Original Sin all about?

The prequel show seeks to take a close look at the genesis of the titular character from his roots to what he eventually became on the original show. The prequel begins about a year following the death of Doris, who happened to be Harry Morgan's wife and the biological mother of Dexter's cousin Debra.

The original show had made it clear that Dexter's biological mother Laura Moser was brutally murdered with a chainsaw inside a goods container while Dexter was still an infant. The prequel consists of flashbacks to the times when Laura was alive. However, in the regular timeline of the prequel, both Doris and Laura are dead and references are made to them only through flashbacks.

In terms of the age of the characters, it is worthwhile to mention that the original Dexter went along with the then age of Michael Hall, who was thirty-five years old at the time of the show's debut back in 2006. On the other hand, Patrick Gibson is twenty-nine years old as he takes on the character of the serial killer. Though his character should be twenty years old according to the timeline.

Apart from Dexter's family, characters such as María LaGuerta, Vince Masuka, and Angel Batista also appear as the prequel sheds light on their early days in the Miami PD. A new addition is the character of Police Captain Aaron Spencer played by actor Patrick Dempsey of Grey's Anatomy fame.

Former showrunner opens up about the prequel

Clyde Phillips served as the showrunner on the original show through half of its run before leaving midway. He is also the creator of Dexter: New Blood. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Phillips opened up about the difficult process of casting for a young Dexter. He said:

"What a challenge to find someone to play young Michael C., Hall, to play young Dexter. We were looking at tapes until we went blind, and (Paddy) just popped out. I immediately brought him into the studio, sat with him for about an hour. He looked great. He’s in great shape; he’s Michael C. Hall’s size. And he’s a big fan of the show. We watched him work and we knew we had what we were looking for. I’ve never been able to say this before in my career: We got all our first choices."

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Dexter: Original Sin is available on Paramount+ with Showtime.

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