Dexter: Resurrection - Fathers, sons, and the circle of darkness

Michael C. Hall and Jack Alcott in Dexter: Resurrection (Image via Paramount+ with Showtime)
Michael C. Hall and Jack Alcott in Dexter: Resurrection (Image via Paramount+ with Showtime)

Dexter: Resurrection brings the father-son bond between Dexter and Harrison into focus. It shows us how love and darkness can exist side by side. One of the most important plot lines running through the story is about the bond between Dexter and Harrison. The father-son relationship has always been at the heart of Dexter’s journey. But this season takes it and makes it the point of focus. Harrison is no longer a child in the background. He is now a part of Dexter’s dangerous world in Dexter: Resurrection. And the choices both of them make could decide their future.

So far, we have seen Harrison being pulled closer to the darkness that surrounds his father. In the beginning, it did feel like Harrison might become Dexter’s light. He could be someone who could help him change. But as we kept watching, we realized Harrison had his own share of struggles and anger. This makes him more like Dexter than we can imagine.

The circle of darkness becomes even more apparent when we remember that Dexter himself was once guided by Harry, his adoptive father. Harry gave Dexter the code and taught him how to control his urges. Now it seems like Dexter might be standing in Harry’s shoes. He might have to guide Harrison. The big problem is that Dexter knows the amount of damage one has to suffer to go down that path.

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Dexter: Resurrection - The circle repeats itself

Dexter: Resurrection shows us that history often repeats itself. Just as Harry tried to shape Dexter, Dexter is now trying to shape Harrison. But where Harry believed he was saving Dexter by giving him the code, Dexter knows the cost of living such a life. The father wants to protect his son, but he is also teaching him things that can never be unlearned. This is where the circle of darkness becomes hard to break.

The bond between Dexter and Harrison has always been complicated, but in Dexter: Resurrection, it feels even more fragile. Harrison knows Dexter is not a normal man, and he loves him, but there is an uneasiness that sits between them. There is confusion, and Harrison often finds himself unsure of where he belongs.

We can see that Harrison wants honesty more than anything else. He craves a real connection in Dexter: Resurrection. But that connection is hard to build when Dexter is hiding behind new identities and keeping secrets. Every time Harrison catches a glimpse of the truth, he feels further away from the father he wants to trust.

This is where the circle of darkness begins to form in Dexter: Resurrection. Dexter has always been trapped in a cycle of lies and violence. Now Harrison risks getting pulled into it. The show hints at this whenever Harrison shows signs of anger or frustration. They are those traits that mirror the early stages of Dexter’s own dark path.

The difference is that Harrison still has a chance to choose a different way, but that again depends on how much he finds out about his father and how he responds to those truths in Dexter: Resurrection. That way, the responsibility falls on Harrison. It will be his choices and discoveries, rather than Dexter's, that'll shape him into the man he becomes.

The circle of darkness also explains why Dexter: Resurrection feels more personal than past seasons. It is no longer just Dexter hiding his identity and killing other killers. It is now about family, legacy, and the possibility that darkness can be inherited.


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Edited by Parishmita Baruah