Paramount+ and Showtime have given us a little gift this week in the form of two new episodes of Dexter: Original Sin. It looks like the show will take a brief one-week hiatus in January, hence the double episode this time.
Riding the high of his first official murder of the Angel of Death, Nurse Mary, Dexter is having a grand time beginning his new job as a forensics intern at the Miami PD. But his first day is a little rocky. As long-time Dexter fans know, our favorite killer has always struggled to fit in with others, and that's especially true here.
Dexter tries connecting with the cops by bringing them a veggie tray, and they rib him for acting like the only one to solve a murder based on the blood splatter. However, by the episode's end and with some assistance from Harry (who asks Batista to help his son out), Dexter has made legitimate strides toward fitting in. Starting with ditching the broccoli for a dozen fresh donuts.
Apart from what's happening with Dexter in the past (which is really full-grown Dexter seeing his life flash before his eyes), we're also privy to more flashbacks featuring young Harry and Dexter's biological mother Laura Moser. This episode even—very briefly—introduces Dexter's half-brother Brian, who later becomes the Ice Truck Killer in the main series.
Via flashbacks, we learn that Harry and his wife, Doris Morgan, were struggling to have a child after the death of their son, Junior. A revelation that came wholly from the prequel series. This is established and likely part of the setup for what we will know will eventually happen: Harry adopting Laura's youngest son, Dexter. But more on that later.
For now, the flashbacks establish how Harry and Laura became close. Harry turns Laura into one of the PD's informants after they collar her boyfriend Joe Driscoll, Dexter's bio-dad. It's also Harry's involvement in Laura's life that will eventually lead to her murder, something that causes both Dexter and Brian to become serial killers. It's fun to see the initial domino falling (pushed by Harry, of all people!).
On the current murder side of things at the Miami PD, the biggest case of the moment is the kidnapping of Judge Powell's young son. The police believe the cartel might be involved. Whoever the captor is, he's imprisoned the kid inside a cell and eventually cuts off one of his fingers to send a message. By the episode's end, all of the cops are fully engaged in tracking down this guy. Even Dexter admits he finds himself deeply rattled by the sight of the severed finger and wants to find and hurt the guy who did it to a child.
But since it would be hard to find that guy and kill him with every cop already on the case, Dexter busies himself with something else. His grunt work leads him to the records room and thus a plethora of old, unsolved cases where the killers are still very much out there. Hence the "kid in the candy store" episode title. Dexter literally has tons of potential victims at his fingertips, if only he can find them.
There's one in particular he chooses to focus on: a loan shark by the name of Tony Ferrer. During Batista and Dexter's night out, Batista takes Dexter back to his favorite local watering hole and tells him the sad story of a former employee, Rene. Rene got in deep with Ferrer, and when he couldn't pay up, Ferrer went to his home to threaten him, firing his gun as a warning. The bullet traveled through the wall and killed Rene's mother. One week later, a grief-struck and guilty Rene killed himself on her grave. Batista says it troubles him that Ferrer is still out there, but he's smart and hard to catch. An ideal next victim for Dexter as his dark passenger rises again.
Remember how in the first episode, Dexter mentioned through his inner monologue that the earrings he kept as a trophy from his first kill would come back to haunt him? We get to see the beginnings of what is likely yet another chain reaction here.
Deb finds the earrings stowed away in a VHS case and takes them to a pawn store in exchange for some quick cash to get a pair of expensive sunglasses, only to learn that they're fake and, therefore, worthless. Instead, she winds up pawning her mother's string of pearls as a bit of malicious compliance toward Harry, who kind of puts his foot in mouth when trying to comfort her. Saying she should just learn to "move on" from her mother's death. As for the earrings? Deb's friend Sofia asks if she can have them. The earrings have officially breached containment now!
Dexter: Original Sin is now streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.