With Dexter: Resurrection just around the corner, we spoke with Michael C. Hall (“Dexter Morgan”) about Dexter’s mindset after his shocking confrontation with Harrison, his evolving relationship with the “Dark Passenger,” and whether he can still adhere to his code in a dangerous new environment.
Watch our full video interview with Michael C. Hall below and/or keep scrolling to read the transcription. Plus, remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more exclusive content!
ROHAN: Dexter seems to be embracing his true self this time around, especially after how things ended with Harrison. Where is his mindset now—with this second chance and that failure behind him?
MICHAEL: I think he's amazed that he's still here. I think he is very much aware that he's been given a second chance, and with that second chance, he wants to follow what's most important to him and do away with what isn't. I think he's able to finally put down some of the weight that he's been carrying, in terms of his burdensome past. He's maybe done doing his self imposed exile and penance, and he's ready to move forward, to reclaim his identity figuratively and literally, and, yeah, I think more concisely define who he is and what he's about. And I think what he's about is the code and his son.
ROHAN: In earlier seasons, Dexter often spoke about his “Dark Passenger” as a separate entity. Has that relationship changed—do you think he still sees it as separate from himself? Especially considering what he does upon arriving in NYC?
MICHAEL: I think there's actually a moment later in the season where Dexter really tries to articulate what the Dark Passenger is to him, or what he is to it, which I think is interesting and revealing. I think the lines between - the really clear line that Dexter drew between his Dark Passenger and his simulated mask are a lot more blurry than they were when we first met him, and he's still arguably faking his relationships and presenting a persona to the world that serves him or serves the situation, but I think he's less convinced that it's fake. As far as the Dark Passenger goes, yeah, I think the question is: is he living in service of the Dark Passenger, or is the Dark Passenger something or someone that he's managing? And, I think it's an open question for him.
ROHAN: In Episode 4, Dexter describes his encounter as an “all-you-can-eat buffet.” Do you think he truly believes he can stick to his code in this new environment, or is the sense of community something that might overwhelm him—especially since he’s always longed to fit in?
MICHAEL: Well, I think that's the intrigue of this situation. Will he be enticed to connect with these like minded individuals in a way that short circuits his, you know, desire to take them out. That tension is, I think, what makes his interactions with those people in that new environment interesting, but I won't say definitively.
DEXTER: RESURRECTION, a continuation of DEXTER®: NEW BLOOD, takes place weeks after Dexter Morgan (Hall) takes a bullet to the chest from his own son, as he awakens from a coma to find Harrison (Jack Alcott) gone without a trace. Realizing the weight of what he put his son through, Dexter sets out for New York City, determined to find him and make things right. But closure won’t come easy. When Miami Metro’s Angel Batista (David Zayas) arrives with questions, Dexter realizes his past is catching up to him fast. As father and son navigate their own darkness in the city that never sleeps, they soon find themselves deeper than they ever imagined—and that the only way out is together.