Warning: This article contains spoilers for the finale of Dexter: New Blood.
The Dexter revival came to definitively complete the protagonist’s storyline that had started all the way back in 2006. Michael C. Hall’s popular character got another shot after the ambiguous finale of the original series, with New Blood bringing back Dexter and Debra, while other characters were introduced.
With the show set in an isolated setting and a small town called Iron Lake, there was a minimal cast for the revival, with only a select few falling under main character status. With the series over, it’s worth looking into who among these was the most likable and how that tied into the narrative, along with how fans are likely to perceive them.
Debra Morgan
The revival made Debra similar to Dexter, in that she represented the conscience-driven side of his mind. However, it also stripped away Debra’s core personality, making her a real buzzkill who constantly antagonized Dexter without having the helpful hand that Harry’s manifestation had once provided.
Fans would have been disappointed not to have the real Debra back, with Dexter repressing her true self. It was difficult to get attached to this version since she lacked the wit, humor, and attitude that Debra once had, being more of an annoyance than anything else.
Kurt Caldwell
By all accounts, Kurt was a friendly, amiable, and pleasant person who didn’t have the dark personality that Dexter villains generally have on the surface. However, there’s also the fact that he trapped, hunted, and encased innocent women inside his house, so it’s not exactly easy to like a person such as that.
Kurt’s fiendish persona came out by the series’ end, where he dropped the nice guy act to portray the deluded and vengeful man he really was. While he did a good job in adding to the tension by the story’s end, no one was sad to see him get killed by Dexter.
Molly Park
Molly was too much to take at times due to her nagging attitude where she didn’t respect boundaries, which meant it took some time to get used to her. Still, her heart was in the right place since she was responsible for placing the spotlight on Kurt and indirectly led to the reveal of Dexter’s true nature.
Once the initial strong impression she made had worn off, Molly became more likable and viewers would be encouraged to follow her attempts to expose the disappearances of women around Iron Lake. What didn’t work in her favor was that she was inadvertently a foil to Dexter as well, so fans wouldn’t have appreciated that as much about her.
Angela Bishop
On another show, Angela would have easily been the fans’ favorite, but her role in bringing up questions about Dexter and subsequent role in his demise won’t stand well with fans. Angela was the designated hero of the revival, which also made her a villain in Dexter’s story.
There was nothing unlikable about Angela, seeing as she was easily the most competent cop in the series, a good mother, and a person who pursued justice until the end. Since Dexter was the point of view character, her likability takes a hit as she prevented him from having his happy reunion with Harrison by uncovering him as the Bay Harbor Butcher.
Audrey Bishop
Audrey isn’t the best new Dexter character since the revival abandoned a lot of her story arcs. That includes her attempt to bring down a corrupt billionaire, the crisis with cultural identity, and suspicions about Harrison. On the other hand, she was never an annoyance or overstayed her welcome.
Viewers would have been inclined to see more of Audrey since she always had one foot within each plotline, yet she never became a person who directly became involved in them. Her role as Harrison’s confidante and a supportive daughter to her mother made her likable in general but there needed to be more for her to truly be valued.
Dexter Morgan
No matter what crimes Dexter might commit, fans will always be attached to him because he’s the main character whom they’ve followed for so long. Moreover, Dexter made genuine attempts to bond with Harrison in the revival, showing that he truly did love someone unconditionally.
Dexter may have killed Kurt because of his dark passenger, but there’s no doubt that he saved many more innocent women from suffering the fate Kurt had been doling out for 25 years. The one time he became less likable was when he took Logan’s life, although even then many fans would have hoped he would escape.
Harrison Morgan
The aspect of Dexter’s son having a dark passenger was adapted straight from the Dexter novels, as Harrison turned out similar to his father. However, he was more heroic in that he felt genuine remorse for his actions and took responsibility by refusing to become Dexter’s protégé in killing people.
While Harrison may largely have been frustrating for viewers due to his estrangement with Dexter, it all made sense near the end when his feelings of abandonment and confusion were fully portrayed. As it turned out, Harrison is what Dexter could have become had he accepted that killing is never the right thing to do and it was good that he has a chance to move on.
Logan
The whole purpose of Logan’s character was to present someone who was thoroughly likable and had no flaws to point out. He wasn’t the main protagonist but was always involved in trying to bring justice, whether it was locating Matt’s killer, taking Kurt in, or his attempt at defying Dexter.
Logan was a friend to everyone in Iron Lake, with his death becoming the reason why Harrison rejected Dexter. Logan represented goodness the average person has that Dexter failed to see, and it was ultimately what led to the latter’s death as killing off such a nice guy just couldn’t go unpunished.
