Summary
Dexter Morgan’s famous voiceover narration was a massive part of the originalDexterseries, in terms of helping the audience understand his inner thoughts, but it became overused as the series progressed. This raises questions of whether the voiceover should be used in the upcoming prequel series,Dexter: Original Sin.
Michael C. Hall’s memorable serial killer will be played by Patrick Gibson inDexter: Original Sin, and it’ll follow him as a 20-year-old intern in the forensics department of the Miami Metro Police Department. Dexter’s adoptive father, Harry Morgan (Christian Slater) will also feature in the show, with the formation ofHarry’s codeset to be a major part of the narrative.
Dexter’s voiceover in the original series was effective in the early seasons
Tonight’s the night, and it’s going to happen again and again. Has to happen.
From the very first scene in the pilot episode ofDexter,the audience experienced the action through the point of view of serial killer, Dexter Morgan,as he tracked down a man called Mike Donovan, a pastor and choir conductor who raped and murdered at least three young boys.The age of antiheroeswas in full swing whenDexterarrived on Showtime in 2006, butnever before had a television show followed an active serial killer as a protagonist.
The voiceover was a vital element in the early seasons ofDexter,as it put the audience in the mind of Dexter Morgan, and it was also used to communicate vital exposition in the story. Butas time went on, there were large chunks of voiceover that were totally unnecessary to the plot.Fans of the show knew enough about Dexter’s inner monster by that point, and didn’t need his constant narration to portray his motivations, thoughts and feelings.
Should there be a voiceover in Dexter: Original Sin?
Plot details surroundingDexter: Original Sinremain shrouded in mystery asthe prequel series filming has begun, withno confirmation on whether Dexter Morgan’s famous voiceover will return.It’s hard to imagine Dexter not communicating with the audience, butifDexter: Original Sindoes choose to use the voiceover, it must be used sparingly and effectivelyto drive the story forward.
A mixture of Dexter’s voiceover and dream sequences involving Harry Morgan were used in the original show, butDexter: Original Sinshould be able to avoid that as Harry is very much alive during the events of the prequel series. A lot of Dexter’s inner thoughts should be able to be portrayed through his interactions with his adoptive father, meaningthe voiceover can be used less frequently.
There is also the question of where the voiceover should come from inDexter: Original Sin. Of course, it has to be the character of Dexter Morgan, but it could be Patrick Gibson or the originalDexteractor, Michael C. Hall voicing it. Many movies and television shows have used the voiceover of a dead character to tell their story, meaningDexter: Original Sincould possibly do the same.
Michael C. Hall is an executive producer onDexter: Original Sin, so there is a chance he might lend his voice to the prequel series.Also, the Dexter universe has had no problem bringing back dead characters as ghosts from the past.Dexter; Original Sincould be Dexter Morgan telling the story of his early years from the grave. This is purely speculation at this point, as nobody really knows what formatDexter: Original Sinwill adopt to tell its story.The obvious choice would be for Patrick Gibson’s version of Dexter to voice his character’s most inner thoughts and urges, but fans will have to wait for the show to air to find out.
Patrick Gibson has big shoes to fill, taking on the role of Dexter Morgan, after Michael C. Hall made the character his own inDexterandDexter: New Blood. Hall’s voiceover is so distinctive and instantly recognizable in popular culture, meaning a new actor adopting it could be very jarring for the audience.Dexter: Original Sincould opt to ditch the voiceover altogether in favor of a new style of storytelling.The focus of the prequel series is to portray the early killing days of Dexter, before the death of his father, meaning his inner voice might not have manifested yet.
AsDexter: Original Sindevelops and finds its own voice, the voiceover could be introduced steadily, as Dexter’s killing becomes more frequent. The show will obviously have to deal with Harry’s death, and this could be the birth of Dexter’s monologue. At the start ofDexter: New Blood, the titular serial killer had abstained from killing for many years, and the voiceover was absent to reflect this. As soon as Dexter kills Matt Caldwell and revisits his kill table, the voiceover resumes, meaning the voiceover inDexter: Original Sincould arrive duringDexter’s first kill.
