Dexter: Resurrection is treating this story like one long continuation — because it is.
That’s how you should be watching it.
We’re not in episodic territory anymore. We’re in the serialized spatter zone, and Dexter: Resurrection Season 1 Episode 2 doubles down on everything that made the premiere (and Dexter: New Blood) so chaotic, nostalgic, and weirdly cozy for longtime fans.
We open with murder (obviously), but not from Dexter. Instead, we’re getting to know The Imposter — formerly known as the ride-share serial killer dubbed “The Dark Passenger,” much to Dexter’s horror and irritation.
This time, our hoodie-clad killer slays a Haitian driver named Stanley after a casual conversation about music and immigration.
He claims he’s just restoring order to a world that went to hell. Classic white nationalist serial killer vibes — grim, calculated, and wrapped in entitlement.
Stanley’s got two kids. This isn’t random slaughter. It’s symbolic hate. That’s what makes The Imposter so dangerous. He’s not driven by a code. He’s driven by resentment.
Back in Dexter’s world, he’s officially stalking his son. Father of the Year, folks. But to be fair, his logic isn’t completely unsound. He wants to protect Harrison without traumatizing him with the surprise reveal of “Hi, I’m not dead.”
He also wants to verify how much cleanup his kid actually managed after Dexter: Resurrection Season 1 Episode 1‘s impromptu butcher job. Spoiler: Dexter is impressed.
Harrison cleaned up remarkably well for a first kill. New shower curtain? Check. Oxygen bleach? Yep. Nine pieces? The code lives on… sort of.
But Harry, ever the ghostly conscience, reminds Dexter that bludgeoning someone to death out of rage is not exactly following the code.
The moral complexity here is rich — Dexter is proud, Harry is wary, and I’m just over here marveling at how the show walks that fine line between emotional legacy and functional pathology.
We also check back in with the always-watchable Angel Batista, who’s grilling poor Teddy in Iron Lake.
Teddy is still bumbling his way through guilt and confusion, convinced Dexter’s just a sad-sack snowman who got dumped and shot by Angela.
Angel’s not buying it, but he doesn’t have enough to make a move. Yet. And the fact that he’s still poking around means this loose end isn’t done unraveling.
Meanwhile, Dexter is relishing New York life more than I expected. He’s casing kitchens, downing burgers, tracking blood droplets, and getting his cardio back after a ten-week coma.
Oh, and he’s found himself a YourCar driver named Blessing — an absolute gem who might be the most wholesome character in the entire Dexter universe.
Through Blessing, we learn about the killer everyone’s calling The Dark Passenger (which, again, Dexter takes very personally).
This guy is garroting drivers, using tech to block facial recognition, and staying one step ahead of the NYPD. Dexter’s already planning his next hobby: becoming a ride-share driver and tracking the bastard.
But “Camera Shy” doesn’t stop at Dexter’s quest for justice (or vengeance, depending on your perspective).
It continues developing Harrison’s unraveling psyche. He’s haunted by memories, guilt, and regret. Still kind-hearted, still helping Elsa and her son, but also emotionally adrift. And that drifting leads him into the kind of late-night joyride that only ends in one of two ways: cathartic chaos or a moral reckoning.
This time, it’s the latter. He spots Dexter and thinks it’s just another hallucination. How long before that assumption costs him?
Meanwhile, the investigation into Ryan’s murder hasn’t gone cold. Wallace and Oliva are working the case, and even with the absence of bodily fluids, they’re getting closer. The twist? Hotel guests do leave behind DNA… just not in Harrison’s crime scene.
That absence is suspicious in its own right.
Harrison’s cleaning job may have been solid, but Dexter knows all it takes is one missed droplet to bring it all crashing down. Cue: that stray speck of ceiling blood he wipes away like he’s changing a lightbulb.
Then there’s Charlie, still operating as this shadowy enforcer who casually drops lines like “you broke the rules” before hauling out a nail-covered bat like a vintage Walking Dead throwback.
She’s terrifying, capable, and clearly connected to the larger game at play. Whatever the “club” is that she’s tied to, it’s a serial killer syndicate with structure, rules, and apparently HR violations.
But back to Dexter, who’s quickly becoming the most socially integrated he’s ever been. Blessing invites him to a party (complete with killer home cooking), introduces him to his adorable family, and even offers up an apartment.
And honestly? I don’t think Dexter has ever looked more at peace. He’s got friends. A mission. A purpose. A name. “Dexter Morgan. I’m me again.”
He’s even got a new enemy. Not some ambiguous threat, but Ronald Schmidt — a face-blanked specter with a hoodie and a message: You’re not the only one anymore.
Dexter is obsessed. And rightly so. Because Ronald is reckless, ideological, and hiding in plain sight, but when Dexter confronts him, it’s not to kill. It’s to stop him from getting into someone else’s car.
For a moment, Dexter chose someone else’s life over his own dark satisfaction. And while part of it is his own desire to know more about Ronald, the other part reveals character growth. Loving his son may be changing him. Maybe.
Spatter Matters
Dexter: Resurrection isn’t prestige TV. It’s not trying to be the next great cultural thinkpiece or land on critics’ top ten lists.
What it is — and what this episode fully embraces — is damn good entertainment. It’s nostalgia wrapped in blood-stained plastic, comfort food for viewers who’ve missed seeing Dexter stalk dark alleys and second-guess himself at every turn.
Episode 2 offers more humor, more tension, and even more ridiculousness than the premiere. And I mean that as a compliment.
The writing leans into the absurdity without losing the emotional stakes. It’s campy and cathartic and calculated, just like Dexter himself.
There may only be room for one Dark Passenger in New York City — but lucky for us, two should make for a hell of a showdown.
Thoughts? You know you have them. Share them with me below!
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The post Dexter: Resurrection Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Camera Shy appeared first on TV Fanatic.
