WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for Dexter: Resurrection episode 7.
Some of the characters across the entireDexterfranchise, including 2025’sDexter: Resurrection, were killed off way too soon. While Dexter killed plenty of bad guys throughout the franchise and lost a fair number of good people as well, these specific characters still had the potential to be further developed over more episodes and seasons.
Almost just as bad, if not worse, is the fact that someDextercharacters, such as Lumen,Astor, and Cody, have mostly disappeared from the franchise without explanation or follow-up. With a lengthy show likeDexter, that’s bound to happen here and there. That said, it’s more difficult to overlook the premature fates of theseiconicDextercharacters.
9Mia LaPierre
ManyDexterfans were hoping that Mia LaPierre, played by Krysten Ritter, would become Dexter’s next romantic interest/partner in crime, like season 2’s Lila West andHarrison’s adoptive “mother,” Hannah McKay, before her. Instead, Mia hardly lasted three episodes ofResurrection.
Falsely dubbed Lady Vengeance by the media,Dexter was intrigued by Mia’s apparent code that led her to only hunt and kill sexual predators. This, unfortunately, was not the case, which Dexter found out when Mia offered “Red”, Dexter’s rideshare killer alias, to collaborate on a joint homicide without properly vetting the victim.
While Mia’s arrest and death are pivotal to the mainResurrectionstory – getting the NYPD off Harrison’s back for Ryan Foster’s murder and hinting at Prater’s ability to deceive his honored social club guests – it would have been awesome to see her and Dexter actually team up, which could have evenspawned its ownDexterspinoff series.
8Lowell
Lowell, played by Neil Patrick Harris, is anotherDexter: Resurrectionserial killer who was gone far too soon. Only appearing in theremarkable fourth episode ofResurrection,Lowell wasn’t necessarily a complex character, but his tattoo-collecting “need,” as Dexter calls it, made him a quick and easy target.
Given the acting caliber of the 5-time Emmy-winner Harris, best known for his roles inHow I Met Your MotherandGone Girl, it simply would have been more fun had Dexter kept him around longer inResurrection.Their unmasked face-to-face conversation on Dexter’s kill tablewas insightful and entertaining, but it ultimately left some viewers wanting more.
7The Gemini Killer(s)
The lingering arc of David Dastmalchian’s Gareth, who relishes his number one status on the FBI’s Most Wanted list as the Gemini Killer, came to an end inDexter: Resurrectionepisode 7. He proved himself to be a worthy foe to Dexter throughout the middle episodes of the season, until Dexter found out Gareth’s secret that he was teaming up on kills with his twin brother.
Needless to say, Dastmalchian is a fantastic actor, known forThe Dark Knight,Dune, andBlade Runner 2049, who feels completely natural in theDexteruniverse. In an olderDexterinstallment, he would have madea fantastic season-length villain on par with John Lithgow’s Trinity Killeror season 1’s Ice Truck Killer.
While the Gemini Killer’s collective conceit can easily become exhausting, it would have been interesting to dive more into his methodology. For such a “brilliant” killer, Dexter made pretty light work of him, doing the FBI a colossal favor in the process.
6Miguel Prado
Looking back on season 3,Dexterfans know that Jimmy Smits' Miguel Prado, Dexter’s first true apprentice, had to go at some point. That said, if Dexter had Prado in his corner during season 4, there’s a chance that he would have been able to fully take on the Trinity Killer and maybe even have prevented Rita’s death.
Dexter had unintentionally created a monster out of Prado, who couldn’t control his Dark Passenger despite being under Dexter’s tutelage. Dexter killing Prado was always inevitable, but it would have been fascinating if Prado became a more elusive figure that Dexter had to continue hunting into season 4 and beyond, making him Dexter’s “one that got away.”
Prado could have also been further protected as a public figure and the Assistant District Attorney of Miami. Had Prado remained at-large, shielded by media attention, political status, and likely private security,Prado could have returned in the later seasons ofDexter, particularly in season 8, which might have created a more satisfying OG series ending.
5Frank Lundy
Frank Lundy, played by Keith Carradine, was interestinglyabsent from Dexter season 3 after being featured as a series regular throughout season 2. He ultimately returned in the first four episodes ofDexterseason 4, only to be shot and killed by the Trinity Killer’s estranged daughter, Christine Hill.
Lundy’s death was one of the better surprise twist killings of a main “good guy” character in the OG series, especially coming so early inDexterseason 4. Had he been around in season 3, it would have likely made his season 4 death less impactful, or alternatively, may have made it even more tragic.
Regardless, Lundy was a great character who should have been around more as one of the core Miami Metro crew in the early Dexter seasons. While his relationship with Debra Morgan was questionable, his character was undoubtedly cool, smart, and a great addition to the team.
4Hannah McKay
Hannah McKay actually had an opportunity to return inDexter: New Bloodafter she raised Harrison in Argentina following the events ofDexterseason 8’s finale. For someone who was so significant to Harrison during the time between season 8 andNew Blood, it’s odd that Harrison hardly ever talks about her.
Had Hannah not been written off by dying from cancer, her return inNew Bloodwould have arguably made that sequel series much more compelling. Dexter never had a romantic interest who loved him more for who he truly was than Hannah did.
Dexter even wrote Hannah a letter revealing that he was alive, which is how Harrison found out and tracked him down in New Blood. It’s shocking that Hannah didn’t at least try to see Dexter again, knowing that she was going to die.
3James Doakes
Doakes certainly served his purpose throughout the first two seasons ofDexterand became the first person on Miami Metro to discover who he really is. Batista now wears that hat inResurrection, butDoakes' legacy lives on as being the first to snuff Dex out as the “creep m*****f****r” he truly is.
Doakes' season 2 death made a lot of sense, considering that he had Dexter dead to rights for being the Bay Harbor Butcher. It became an ultimate showdown between Doakes and Dexter, and the show couldn’t go on without the latter.
That said, Doakes was arguably the funniest and most kick-ass character in the earliest seasons ofDexterand one of the hardest to see go in the series. He didn’t deserve to die for being a great investigator and having a hunch about Dexter’s Dark Passenger.
2Brian Moser
Brian Moser’s death at the end ofDexterseason 1 had to happen to make the show so fantastic and inherently tragic from the beginning. The character has been revived in Dexter season 6 and the prequel series,Dexter: Original Sin, butBrian’s death eliminated a variety of possibilities for the franchise.
Dexter discussing Brian with one half of the Gemini Killers inResurrectionepisode 7 brought up a great point about how he and his brother were too different to collaborate, given Harry’s Code. Brian remains an enormous figure in the entire Dexter franchise, who will thankfully be explored more intensely in theDexterprequel series.
1Debra Morgan
Debra Morgan didn’t necessarily die too early in the OGDexterseries after starring in all 96 episodes, buther death was ultimately unnecessary and arguably a poor creative decisionin the divisive season 8 finale. Her death felt like a forced method to make the original finale more tragic. It didn’t quite land or add up, given the current state of the franchise.
Debra’s ghost returns to haunt Dexter inNew Blood, taking the place of James Remar’s Harry (in another questionable creative move that didn’t hit for allDexterfans). It would be great if Debra were still alive to actually play a part inResurrection, especially now that Harrison is interested in criminal justice.
Imagine Batista approaching Deb about Dexter being the Bay Harbor Butcher at the beginning ofResurrection. That would make for a fascinating internal conflict with Debra, who was consumed by guilt for killing LaGuerta, Batista’s former wife, to protect Dexter. Debra might have joined forces with Batista to make Dexter pay after all his crimes inDexter: Resurrection.
Dexter: Resurrection
Cast
Dexter: Resurrection follows Dexter Morgan as he awakens from a coma to discover his son, Harrison, missing. His search leads him to New York City, where he confronts his past and the challenges posed by Miami Metro’s Angel Batista, as father and son face their shared darkness.
