The Dexter series is still struggling to create an ending that fans will actually like. After two failed attempts at wrapping up the story of Michael C. Hall’s serial killer, Dexter: Resurrection could deliver a truly surprising finale. The show, which is inspired by Jeff Lindsay’s books, might even return to the source material for inspiration when it reaches its conclusion, if the showrunner is willing to take a risk.
As a big Dexter fan, I recently learned something surprising – the show actually started as a series of books! It’s crazy how the TV adaptation became so much more popular than Jeff Lindsay’s original eight novels, and the show really diverged from the source material pretty quickly. The first season stuck fairly close to Darkly Dreaming Dexter, but after that, they basically created their own storylines with those characters. There was a huge twist in the books back in 2007 that totally shocked readers, but the show never even touched it – which is a shame, really.
Jeff Lindsay’s Third Book Gave Dexter Morgan a Supernatural Twist
Paramount+ with Showtime
Lindsay’s third Dexter novel, Dexter in the Dark (2007), marked a turning point for the book series. Up until then, the stories felt realistic and closely mirrored the TV show, maintaining a sense of believability even with Dexter’s dark actions. While the books always portrayed Dexter as more violent and less empathetic than his on-screen counterpart, he remained a potentially real person. The appeal of both the books and show hinges on a sense of dark realism, and Dexter in the Dark moved the book series away from that grounded approach.
In the TV series, Dexter’s urge to kill is presented as an internal emotional force he calls his “Dark Passenger.” However, the novels introduce a cult devoted to a death-loving god named Moloch, and it’s revealed that Dexter’s Dark Passenger is linked to this ancient entity. While some viewers hoped the author was using symbolic language, the show’s unexpectedly supernatural turn makes it clear that this connection to Moloch is a key part of the plot.
| Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter Books in Release Order | |
| Book | Published |
| Darkly Dreaming Dexter | 2004 |
| Dearly Devoted Dexter | 2005 |
| Dexter in the Dark | 2007 |
| Dexter by Design | 2009 |
| Dexter is Delicious | 2010 |
| Double Dexter | 2011 |
| Dexter’s Final Cut | 2013 |
| Dexter Is Dead | 2015 |
The initial reveal of Moloch caused a strong negative reaction, so the author, Jeff Lindsay, gradually moved away from it in subsequent books, beginning with Dexter by Design in 2009. While never explicitly undone, the series shifted to portraying Dexter’s Dark Passenger as a psychological state or uncontrollable urge, rather than a supernatural entity. The question of whether Moloch actually exists is left open to interpretation, but it’s evident that Lindsay intended to abandon that storyline.
‘Dexter in the Dark’s Moloch Twist Might Be the Extreme Measure Required for ‘Resurrection’s Eventual Ending
Paramount+ with Showtime
The Dexter TV series has already attempted to wrap up the story twice. Both the Season 8 finale, which sent Dexter into exile, and the ending of New Blood, which seemingly killed him off, disappointed fans. That’s why Resurrection has brought the character back. Now, the only realistic ways to end the story would be to have Dexter arrested for his crimes or to let him continue getting away with murder indefinitely. While arrest might be too dull of an ending, letting him escape justice seems unlikely given the number of people he’s killed.
Subscribe to the newsletter for bold TV twist analysis
Dive deeper — subscribe to the newsletter for thoughtful breakdowns of franchise endings, bold genre shifts, and what daring choices (like a supernatural twist) mean for TV storytelling across major series.
It’s clear that Dexter: Resurrection can’t continue indefinitely, and another disappointing conclusion could permanently damage the show’s reputation. With limited options remaining, perhaps the most drastic solution – fully embracing the Moloch storyline involving Lindsay – is the only way to provide a satisfying ending. Similar to how Dexter briefly lost his urge to kill in the books, maybe this version of the character has been controlled by a supernatural force all along. Releasing that influence could allow him to finally live a normal life and escape his violent past, offering the happy ending fans seem to want based on their reactions to previous seasons’ finales.
Following this reveal, the show needs to establish a larger twist: that other characters, like Harrison, also have a powerful, internal compulsion beyond just psychological issues. Similar to how it was revealed Dexter wasn’t the only one connected to Moloch, the show would need to retroactively explain that other serial killers in the series were also influenced by something beyond their own minds. If Dexter can break free from Moloch’s control, Harrison should be able to as well. This would also suggest a dark twist: that all the killers Dexter has killed were themselves victims, forced into committing murders. Whether Dexter: Resurrection will take this bold and potentially genre-changing risk remains to be seen.
Found an error? Send it info@movieweb.com so it can be corrected.
Read More
- Clash Royale Best Boss Bandit Champion decks
- Vampire’s Fall 2 redeem codes and how to use them (June 2025)
- World Eternal Online promo codes and how to use them (September 2025)
- Best Arena 9 Decks in Clast Royale
- Mobile Legends January 2026 Leaks: Upcoming new skins, heroes, events and more
- Country star who vanished from the spotlight 25 years ago resurfaces with viral Jessie James Decker duet
- How to find the Roaming Oak Tree in Heartopia
- M7 Pass Event Guide: All you need to know
- Solo Leveling Season 3 release date and details: “It may continue or it may not. Personally, I really hope that it does.”
- Kingdoms of Desire turns the Three Kingdoms era into an idle RPG power fantasy, now globally available
2026-01-18 03:36