"It's been a whirlwind." These are Dexter's first words in the new Dexter revival trailer, and, TBH, they're pretty accurate. It has been a whirlwind since Dexter first premiered in 2006. And it's all been leading up to this moment: the release of the first full-length trailer for Dexter: New Blood.
The trailer, which premiered during Dexter's Comic-Con At Home panel Sunday, July 25, is shockingly blood-free. The only red we see is drizzled on the white snow in front of Dexter's lakeside cabin. Does this mean that our favorite friendly serial killer is actually...done killing? During the Comic-Con panel, star Michael C. Hall danced around the question, refusing to reveal whether or not Dexter had actually left his murderous tendencies behind in Miami. "I think as far as abstinence goes, as I imagine it, I think Dexter is maybe exercising the power of his restraint, that his ability to not do it is something he fixates on as a new kind of power," Hall teased, before adding, "It's the only way I can imagine him living without killing, if in fact he hasn't been killing."
One thing's for sure, whether or not Dexter has been killing people all this years, he's not done. Honestly, what is the point of a Dexter revival if he's not going to be draining people of blood? Either he's been killing this whole time (not unlikely), or something's happening in his sleepy town that will motivate him to start. The trailer doesn't show Dexter slicing into a new victim, but it does reveal a lot about what he's been up to, and what might be threatening his new, peaceful existence.
Dexter Is... In Therapy?
It looks like Dexter is finally seeking some counseling, probably to keep his Dark Passenger at bay. Hall seemed to hint at this during the panel, saying, "When we meet him, I think he realizes — or at least he's encouraged to believe — that he can't have his cake and eat it too. That if he wants to live a life and continue to do this very quiet, unacknowledged penance for what he's done, he's not going to be able to go around killing people." Who else would "encourage" him if not a therapist of some kind?
Meet Angela
Early in the trailer, we meet Angela, played by Julia Jones. She's a local cop who also happens to be Dexter's girlfriend. "They have a romantic connection. They are together," Jones confirmed at Comic Con. Seeing as she's a member of law enforcement, I'm guessing she doesn't know about Dexter's dark side. Hell, she probably doesn't even know that his real name is Dexter.
"Every day, I walk through this world faking it. Knowing if someone knows who I am, that's it," Dexter says via voice over, suggesting that no one in this town knows his true identity, or what he's capable of. Not even Angela.
Odds of survival: Angela's chances of survival right now are 50/50. Dexter does not have a great track record when it comes to letting women around Dexter live. As Hall said during the panel, "Many casualties [are] of his attempt to have his cake and eat it too." In other words, it's because Dexter tries to have a normal life while indulging in killing that those close to him end up dead.
Meet Jim Lindsay
Dexter Morgan, the blood expert and serial killer, is no more. Now, he lives as Jim Lindsay, a salesman at Fred's Fish and Game, a store that is conveniently filled with riffles and knives ripe for the taking. (Later in the trailer, there's an entire montage of Dexter handling knives and looking at them with longing.) So, if he does start killing again (or if he needs new murder supplies), he's got easy access.
Odds of survival: This depends on what we mean by "survival." Will Dexter continue living as Jim after the season? Maybe, but the idea of Jim — a non-serial killer, regular Joe living in a small town — is definitely not going to make it.
Meet Mayor Kurt Caldwell
This is the only shot of Clancy Brown's Mayor Kurt Caldwell in the entire trailer, and I don't know what to think. He's reportedly one of the villains of the season, which makes his proximity to crime scene tape here very troubling. Could he be killing his own constituents?
Odds of survival: Not good. If Mayor Kurt is really the villain of the series, then he'll probably meet the same fate as all the villains who came before: death on Dexter's table. The question is, how many people will he be able to kill beforehand?
A Masked Killer
The hunting riffle could be from Dexter's new job, but would Dexter really be shooting people in the dead of night wearing a ski mask? He's all about ritual, so this feels really out of place. Unless, of course, that gun is filled with darts to incapacitate a victim before the kill.
Is Dexter's Past Catching Up To Him?
One particularly worrying shot in the trailer shows a team of soldiers breaking down what looks like a residential door. It doesn't look like it's Dexter's cabin, but it could be a sign that the hunt for Dexter Morgan is closing in. He is, after all, still a wanted serial killer in Florida. But, even if they're not there for him, the added presence of any kind of law enforcement can't be good.
Is Dexter... Going To Kill Angela?
Towards the end of the trailer, there's a shot of Dexter seemingly leading Angela down the stairs to his basement or underground bunker — either way, creepy AF. I'm going to choose to believe that he's going to show her who he really is and not murder her in cold blood? I need to sleep without nightmares, OK?
Blood
Throughout the trailer, it's never really clear whether or not Dexter is still letting his Dark Passenger take the reins sometimes. But, this shot of Dexter covering up blood on his property seems pretty telling. If he's not killing again, then why cover it up? Just tell me it's not Angela's blood, please!!
Dexter: New Blood will premiere Nov. 7 on Showtime.
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Image: Randy Tepper/Showtime