On Dexter: Resurrection Season 1 Episode 4, “Call Me Red,” Dexter is slipping into his role of Ronald “Red” Schmidt just as easily as he is blending into New York City. You know what they say—you can be anyone you want to in the Big Apple.
Dexter’s version of that sentiment is posing as Red and taking up the invite to the serial killer dinner party hosted by Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage). In the moments leading up to Charley acquiring Dexter, we see him very comfortable with what he’s about to embark on, heeding caution from Harry.
We’re used to Dexter’s dry humor from the original series, but this time around, he seems to be upping the jokes with an “I don’t care anymore” attitude.
The man’s been through a lot, from leaving Miami to getting shot in the chest by his own son. He seems more himself, especially with a potential “all you can eat buffet for the Dark Passenger,” as he says.
He’s got a little bit more of an edge to him that’s enjoyable to witness. It’s a refreshing version of Dexter Morgan.
While Dexter is seemingly thriving on his new adventure, we have Harrison on the other side of the city, who is dealing with paranoia and panic. Battista pays a visit to the hotel where Harrison works and inquires about what he knows about his father’s past.
Ever so loyal, even after the trauma Dexter has put him through, he wishes Battista a good rest of his stay and denies the conspiracy theory that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher.
Not long after, Elsa defends Harrison’s honor and unknowingly reveals to Battista that Harrison may be a suspect in Ryan Foster’s murder.
The juxtaposition of both Dexter’s journey and Harrison’s journey this season is like flipping two sides of the same coin. Dexter is well-seasoned, experienced, ready to play the game of messing with other serial killers, while Harrison is just beginning his walk down a “very dark path,” as Batista says.
It reaffirms that Dexter better not lose sight of what he’s there for in the first place.
In the past, we’ve seen him let things linger and play the game slowly, and as Batista tells Harrison, he’s gotten some very important and close people to him killed. Maria LaGuerta, Deborah, and Rita.
Back to Dexter meeting Leon Prater for the first time, the dinner party introduces us to the platter on display—or “buffet,” as Dexter says. It’s as strange for a viewer as it is for Dexter to be surrounded by like-minded people, except these people are the exact kind to end up on his kill table.
Where serial killers collect trophies of their victims, Leon Prater collects trophies of those trophies. The first thing we see is John Wayne Lacey’s clown costume. The camera pans to a chair Ted Bundy sat in. But it’s when Prater shows Dexter a hammer that belonged to the Trinity Killer that the foreshadowing begins.
When Harry says to Dexter that he’s “playing with his food,” it’s a gentle reminder that Dexter has fallen victim to getting ahead of himself before, a la when Dexter was waiting to kill Arthur Mitchell, A.K.A., the Trinity Killer. By his waiting, Rita fell victim to Trinity.
Call it symbolism, call it a reminder—Dexter has to hunker down and decide if fulfilling his urges and continuing to play the role of Schmidt is worth playing with fire again. Or, if he’s ready to step back into the role and redeem himself as Harrison’s father.
When you look at a menu, you already have a sense of what you’ll like and not like. Similar to the serial killer buffet, Dexter may have a friend—or romance—in Mia, A.K.A. Lady Vengeance (Krysten Ritter), since they may share a similar code—she only kills sexual predators.
Others are his “food” with Lowell (Neil Patrick Harris) at the top of the list, who enjoys killing for the game, specifically, for their tattoos.
Only time will tell how Dexter will play his hand the rest of the season. With Batista unbeknownst to him on his trail, there is curiosity about whether it will blow up in his face. Regardless, there’s no doubt that anticipation continues to grow after each new episode.
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New episodes of Dexter: Resurrection air Fridays on Paramount+ and Sundays on SHOWTIME at 8/7c.
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Samantha Barker
Samantha Barker is a writer and fangirl from New Jersey. When she's not rewatching Daredevil or listening to the Beatles, she's cosplaying and attending comic-cons with her friends. Sam also co-hosts a podcast called Fangirl Confessions and writes for her Substack, Samantha, etc. Connect with her on X: @0nyourleftsam and IG: @onyourleftsam.