Every Dexter Show, Ranked

After 20 years, Dexter has grown from a single show to a four-series franchise, and all of them have their strengths and weaknesses. Dexter started out in 2006 as a simple TV adaptation of Jeff Lindsay's novel, "Darkly Dreaming Dexter." It immediately gained notoriety as a tremendous show, however, and almost 20 years later, Dexter has become a veritable franchise completely separate from the novels it's based on. With four separate series - and a fifth on the way in the form of Dexter: Resurrection - it's worth evaluating which installment in the Dexter franchise was the best.

Dexter became a sensation for a reason, so ranking each of the franchise's shows is no straightforward task. Each series - Dexter, Dexter: Early Cuts, Dexter: New Blood, and Dexter: Original Sin - had its strengths and weaknesses. While none of the shows have been bad, as each of them has a Rotten Tomatoes critic and audience score in the 70s, only one of them can be considered the best. Each series will be gauged by their originality, what they contributed to the overall Dexter franchise, and, most importantly, how much they delighted audiences with scenes of Dexter and his Dark Passenger.

4 Dexter: Early Cuts

Early Cuts Was An Imaginative Take On Dexter, But It Remains Only Interesting

The worst Dexter show was far from bad, and it was also probably the franchise's most unique entry. The forgotten web-series Dexter: Early Cuts featured hand-drawn illustrations and watercolor paintings and voice-over narration from Michael C. Hall, and it was surprisingly well-made for a side effort that has been mostly forgotten by Showtime. Its prequel story filled in some of the gaps between Dexter's childhood and the start of the original series, and it was an above-average web-series all in all. Early Cuts was certainly interesting, but it was rarely anything more than that.

Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan with a drawing from Dexter: Early Cuts on the left and Patrick Gibson as Dexter in Dexter: Original Sin on the right

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Dexter: Early Cuts suffered from one major disadvantage none of the franchise's other shows did: it was an animated side-effort produced specifically for YouTube. It had a few interesting villains, but nothing truly special that topped Dexter's victims in the live-action shows. Additionally, with just minutes-long episodes, Early Cuts was never able to build much momentum. On top of that, Dexter: Original Sin has usurped Early Cuts as the definitive source of information on Dexter's formative years, so the web-series lost its status as a critical piece of lore. Now, Early Cuts is little more than an interesting footnote for avid Dexter fans.

3 Dexter: New Blood

New Blood Failed To Serve As A Better Sendoff To Dexter Morgan Than Dexter Season 8

Of the three main Dexter shows, Dexter: New Blood easily takes last place. After the divisive "lumberjack" ending of Dexter, many fans were hopeful that New Blood could give the titular serial killer a better sendoff. The ending of New Blood, however, was anything but satisfying. It was a divisive and ultimately unfortunate choice to have Harrison Morgan (Jack Alcott) shoot Dexter instead of having him face justice, and its sour ending left New Blood on a bad note. There were also some strange choices throughout the show, such as including Angel Batista (David Zayas) but not having him confront Dexter, that held the show back.

New Blood had quite a bit of momentum for the majority of its run, and if its ending had been better, it could have become a more than serviceable entry to the franchise.

For all its critiques, however, New Blood still wasn't a bad show. It took some big risks with a beloved character and formula, and while they didn't all pay off, it was a commendable effort. The story of Dexter and Harrison trying to reconnect years after Dexter season 8 also worked thematically and dramatically, and their dynamic could have been just as good as Dexter and Deb's (Jennifer Carpenter), if given time to develop. New Blood had quite a bit of momentum for the majority of its run, and if its ending had been better, it could have become a more than serviceable entry to the franchise.

2 Dexter: Original Sin

Original Sin Brought Back The Classic Dexter Formula In Tremendous Fashion

The most recent addition to the Dexter franchise, Dexter: Original Sin, proved that the story of Dexter Morgan had more than a little life left in it after two decades. Almost everything about Original Sin works well: Patrick Gibson is a tremendous replacement for Michael C. Hall, its return to the classic Dexter formula paid off in dividends, and it perfectly capitalized on established Dexter lore to make some great twists work. By the end of Original Sin season 1, the prequel show had cemented itself as the next best thing to the original Dexter.

A composite image of Dexter looking on in front of Dexter standing with this father in Dexter: Original Sin

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The main thing currently holding Original Sin back is its recency. Though Original Sin season 1 was excellent, it remains to be seen if the show can maintain its momentum and continue to recapture the magic of Dexter. Original Sin also benefited tremendously from coming after Dexter and New Blood, such as its references to Brian Moser and its return to the classic Dexter formula. Only time will tell if Original Sin can truly stand on its own, or if it only works when it adds context to the original series.

1 Dexter

Nothing Can Top The Original Dexter, Even With Its Decline In Later Seasons

The best Dexter show (so far) is the one that started it all. Dexter was a groundbreaking TV show when it premiered in 2006, and it remains one of the best TV shows ever made nearly 20 years later. Michael C. Hall was and is perfectly cast as Dexter Morgan, and he added so much life and intrigue to the character. The supporting cast was also tremendous, with Jennifer Carpenter, James Remar, and David Zayas being standouts. There was also so much intrigue in unraveling the mysteries of Dexter, and each season seemed to top the last, for the most part.

Even though Dexter's eight seasons weren't all created equal - there was a clear dropoff in quality after Dexter season 4 - the series as a whole is still tremendous. It delves into everything from the morality of vigilantism to what it means to be a human, and it never misses a chance to be devilishly entertaining in the process. Despite often being imitated, no other show can really replicate Dexter, aside from Original Sin. Nothing can beat the original Dexter, except for more shows following the titular serial killer.

Dexter

Created by: James Manos Jr.
First TV Show: Dexter
Latest TV Show: Dexter: Original Sin
Upcoming TV Shows: Dexter: Resurrection
First Episode Air Date: October 1, 2006
Cast: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar, C.S. Lee, Luna Lauren Velez, Desmond Harrington, Julie Benz, Erik King, Geoff Pierson, Aimee Garcia, Yvonne Strahovski, John Lithgow, Jimmy Smits, Colin Hanks

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