Question: What do you make of Showtime’s announcement that it will bring back Dexter next year? The show was great in its time, but it had seemed to run out of gas by the end, and no one was happy with how it ended. Is this just an act of desperation, or is there more life in the serial killer of killers? —Alan
Matt Roush: In some ways, Dexter was always a bit of a redemption story, as this extreme version of an anti-hero, so well played by Michael C. Hall, saw his dark impulses and murderous acts as a way to rid the world of other monsters. Its run reminds me a bit of Showtime’s other signature thriller Homeland, which also started strong and had a few excellent seasons, then lost its way, found a creative surge toward the end, and then wrapped it up in a way that left some viewers dissatisfied (in both cases, sending the main character off into exile; Claire Dane’s Carrie fled to Russia, supposedly as a traitor). Dexter‘s ending was much more controversial, and few were satisfied with the thought of him forever hiding from society as a lumberjack. So maybe this limited-run comeback will redeem the show, and the character, by giving fans the closure they seek. I know I’m curious, if a bit skeptical as well. There’s no way I wouldn’t watch, because when Dexter was on his game, there wasn’t anything like it.
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com