“Dexter: Original Sin” partial poster featuring Michael C. Hall and Patrick Gibson.
Paramount+ Premium/Showtime
While Dexter: Resurrection waits for a Season 2 renewal, fans are petitioning Paramount Global to bring back Dexter: Original Sin after its cancellation over the summer.
Narrated by Dexter franchise star Michael C. Hall, Dexter: Original Sin stars Patrick Gibson as Dexter Morgan as he starts his career at Miami Metro Police Department and begins his vigilante serial killer ways. Dexter: Original Sin, which ran for 10 episodes from Dec. 13, 2024, to Feb. 14, 2025, also stars Christian Slater as Dexter’s father, Harry and Molly Brown as Dexter’s sister, Debra.
The series also stars Patrick Dempsey as Miami Metro Capt. Aaron Spencer, Reno Williams as Det. Bobby Watt and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Tanya Martin, the supervisor of the department’s forensics unit.
Dexter: Original Sin was renewed for a second season in April, but in a surprise move after the Skydance Media and Paramount Global merger in July, the series was canceled in late August.
Now, in response to the cancellation of the planned second season of Dexter: Original Sin, fans have started a Change.org petition to bring it back. As of Monday, the petition has nearly 100,000 verified signatures.
The petition to bring back Dexter: Original Sin partially reads, “Dexter: Original Sin, a captivating series that has ignited the enthusiasm of countless fans around the world, has been unjustly cancelled. Dexter, as a franchise, has been a cultural phenomenon, and its return through “Original Sin” promised an innovative extension of its legacy.
“The series had only begun to unravel its complex storyline, introduce intriguing characters, and expand upon the beloved universe of Dexter Morgan, offering a fresh perspective and intriguing twists that had captivated audiences. Fans are left wondering about the untapped potential and the stories that would have unfolded. There exists a devoted fanbase eager to see these storylines come to life, promising continued viewer engagement and support.”
Television series have been canceled before, of course, and found new homes on other broadcast networks or streaming platforms. Change.org noted that the fantasy drama, Manifest, for example, was canceled by NBC, but it was picked up by Netflix after a petition on the site received 38,000 signatures.
However, since the Dexter franchise is the property of Showtime and its parent company, Paramount Global, it precludes the show’s creatives to shop the Dexter: Original Sin to another network.
Patrick Gibson in “Dexter: Original Sin.”
Paramount+ Premium/Showtime/Frank Ockenfels
‘Dexter: Original Sin’ Showrunner Says Cancellation ‘Wasn’t Handled Well’
During an interview with the Dissecting Dexter podcast last week, Clyde Phillips, who is the creator and showrunner of all the shows in the Dexter franchise, recalled the moment he heard the bad news in August that Dexter: Original Sin Season 2 was being canceled.
“It was a tough phone call that I got that night. They had already picked up the show, and I’d informed all the writers and informed all the actors, and then they un-picked it up,” Phillips told Dissecting Dexter (via Variety, which initially broke the news of cancellation). “It wasn’t handled well, and I’m not happy about it.”
In addition, Phillips expressed his doubts during the interview about a spinoff series once in development surrounding the Trinity Killer (played in Dexter by John Lithgow) ever happening after Dexter: Original Sin was cancelled.
“I honestly don’t think [Paramount is] going to go for it. I just think they’re interested in Resurrection,” Phillips told Dissecting Dexter (via Variety). “If they cancel Original Sin, which is a built-in hit, how are they going to pick up Trinity? If they do, I’d be delighted, but I don’t see them doing it.”
The original Dexter series ran for eight seasons on Showtime from 2006 to 2013, which was followed by Dexter: New Blood for one season in 2018 and the sole season of Dexter: Original Sin.
When news broke that Dexter: Original Sin was being canceled, Variety reported that a writer’s room was being assembled for a potential Dexter: Resurrection Season 2, but the new season has not yet been announced.
All episodes of Dexter, Dexter: New Blood, Dexter: Original Sin and Dexter: Resurrection are streaming on Paramount+.