Dexter: Original Sin has received a largely lukewarm response, but with the latest casting, I’m finally excited about the prequel series. Dexter first began airing on Showtime back in 2006. The show had a largely successful run for eight seasons, before concluding in 2013. Then, in 2021, the show returned after the original series finale left fans divided. While Dexter: New Blood did offer a continuation to the story, it failed to resonate with audiences and was ultimately canceled after just one season.

Now, almost two decades after the show first began, a prequel series will explore the early days of Dexter Morgan’s life as a troubled teen with a dark passenger. The original series offered plenty of flashbacks to build on the origins of Dexter’s dark passenger, but the new series will go into greater detail about Dexter’s journey to become a precise, calculating murderer, who kills in a controlled manner under the careful guidance of his adopted father, detective Harry Morgan. And adding to the excitement, the prequel has announced the inclusion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Geller.

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Casting Is Great For Dexter: Original Sin

Buffy Tackles A New Challenge

Sarah Michelle Gellar became a huge star after starring in the title role in the Joss Whedon series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 1997 to 2003. As the butt-kicking slayer, Buffy Summers, Gellar showcased her talents for performing action, drama, and comedy. Buffy was able to fight vampires and demons, while also dealing with the dramas of high school.

While this isn’t necessarily the exact same as the premise of Dexter: Original Sin, a huge star like Gellar will likely draw an audience that has similar interests. The prequel series will boil down to being a teenage coming-of-age story with a difference. Dexter may not fight supernatural monsters, but his hungering for blood is honed and trained, so, according to Harry Morgan’s code, Dexter only lets himself kill the most despicable and detestable humans, who are themselves, murderers, and monsters in a much more real way.

What We Know About Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Dexter: Original Sin Character

Where Sarah Michelle Gellar Fits In The Series

In Dexter: Original Sin, Gellar will take up a role as the chief of CSI, Dexter’s new boss in the Miami Metro Police Department. Like Buffy, she will help to track down bad guys and keep people safe, but the way in which she does her work will be drastically different. Meanwhile, Dexter, the new intern, will be trying to lead a dual life as he learns to control his urges with the help of his father, while trying to develop in his new career.

Gellar has the potential to become another mentor to Dexter, although, it is highly likely she will have no idea about his secret extracurricular activities outside Miami Metro. As one of the more experienced members of the team, Gellar will likely be someone that characters like Debra Morgan, Angel Batista, and Maria LaGuerta, who will all return as younger versions of their original characters (via Variety), will look up to. However, if Gellar is a good CSI, it is likely she will grow suspicious of Dexter, and potentially lead to conflict with Harry over Dexter’s secret.

Dexter: Original Sin Has A Strong Cast, But Will That Be Enough?

It Takes More Than A Strong Cast

Dexter’s ending has been listed as one of the most hated TV show endings of all time, and New Blood didn’t do enough to recover from that. Dexter: Original Sin has another chance to bring the series and the wider franchise surrounding Dexter back into the limelight, but the original ending still stings. I can honestly say, that if the show had ended a few seconds earlier, I would have been satisfied with the ending, and it wouldn’t have mattered if Dexter was alive or not, but the reveal was weak and distracting.

If Dexter: Original Sin wants to bring the character back from the brink, it needs to do more than lean on a stacked cast. Gellar, Patrick Dempsey, Christian Slater and the other cast members could draw audiences in, but the story needs to stack up. Dexter is a compelling character, with an incredibly twisted story, that simultaneously promotes sympathy and frustration. Dexter: Original Sin has a lot to work with, and it shouldn’t lean too heavily on the casting to save the day, because ultimately, the success of Dexter lives and dies with how the character is presented, and his inner conflict.