Dexter: Original Sin Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Kid in a Candy Store

The world of Dexter Morgan expands to include active crime scenes and general police work now that he’s joined Miami Metro. Dexter: Original Sin Season 1 Episode 2, “Kid in a Candy Store,” drops us right into the thick of his first days as the forensics intern in a fun way.

We watch as Dexter struggles to control his urges while also attempting to appear “normal.” At first, he thinks he’s got it down easy with a few casual conversations, but then the teasing and hazing start, and Dexter finds himself a fish out of water.

One of the things Patrick Gibson continues to be really good at is matching the established Dexter body language to a younger, less polished killer on the prowl.

Can Dexter Blend In?

The big question on everyone’s mind, both viewers and Harry Morgan alike, is whether or not Dexter will be able to keep his dark side under wraps. Obviously, thanks to the original Dexter, we know that he has remained in his forensics position for many years.

But the question still remains, how easy is it for him to maintain? Especially in the early years when he hadn’t established a killing routine just yet.

Sure, he has Harry’s code, but that’s all fine and good on paper, but in practice you still have to work out kinks. Humans are unpredictable, and Dexter hasn’t killed more than one off-her-guard nurse. He has a ways to go before he’s the killer we know and love.

In the meantime, he has to ensure his position as the Miami Metro forensics intern remains intact. To do that, Dexter has to establish rapport with not only Tanya and Masuka but also the detectives.

It’s fun to see a character we’ve only ever known as being very skilled at blending in, struggling to understand the right jokes to make, when to laugh, when to get upset, etc. It builds on the nature of Dexter: Original Sin, establishing that Dexter had to start somewhere, and in the beginning, he made a lot of mistakes.

The addition of Dexter learning from Camilla that cops don’t want vegetables for a snack but baked goods is a nice nod to the original series.

By the end of this episode, Dexter has made a few small strides to ingratiate himself with Batista and Masuka—a relationship that will continue to build and evolve in the years to come. For example, Batista bringing Dexter’s attention to Ferrier as his next kill further establishes that Dexter might struggle to be “normal,” but he does have an innate sense of helping and protecting the ones he cares about.

Harry’s Complicated Past

At first, we thought this series would really hone in on Dexter’s beginnings and his father guiding him. It wasn’t firmly established that we would also get flashbacks to Harry’s past, building him up for his downfall just as his son is on the rise.

These flashbacks actually add to the story, allowing Dexter: Original Sin to flow more freely without getting too caught up in Dexter’s floundering. The duality of Dexter and Harry actually helps to give more insight into why Harry acts the way he does with Dexter and establishes why Dexter is who he is.

By learning more about the confluence of events that led to Laura Moser’s death and Dexter’s adoption while his brother got ignored, we are further understanding how this prequel series complements the original. In fact, we are learning more about Harry along the way, which answers some glaring questions fans have wondered about for years.

After all, Dexter established that Harry and Doris were happily married, and the family was close-knit until Doris passed away. That is until Dexter learns from old undercover tapes that his dad was having an affair with his informant, Laura Moser.

Seeing all of that operation play out through flashbacks gives us context that can’t be established from a few old police recordings. We see how attached Harry gets to Laura and how desperately he wants to protect her once he realizes she has two boys, one about the same age as his son would’ve been.

To really drive the idea home, there is a flashback to Harry and Doris falling apart as a couple, all because they can’t have another child after Junior. It changes everything we thought about their relationship and reminds us that there needs to be a big enough catalyst for Harry to take Dexter as his own once Laura dies.

All of these flashbacks provide insights into Harry’s mindset, helping us understand why he’s terrified of Dexter’s urges getting worse.

Further Thoughts:

• The soundtrack continues to kill it every single time.
• I am already starting to feel like Deb is intentionally placed there to be a third wheel to the Dexter and Harry show. Which is fine, but at what point does that stop feeling like the writers don’t know what to do with her?
• On that note, Deb being the reason Dexter’s treasured trophy gets discovered, was not on my bingo card at all.
• I like Tanya, but we still need more of her to establish any real feelings about her. The same goes for Dempsey’s Captain Spencer. Both of these characters have roles to play in Dexter’s wider story; I’m just not sure what they are yet.
• Batista teaching Dexter how to dance is very sweet.
• Christian Slater’s flashback wig is terrible. It’s so obviously fake.
• Likening Dexter’s job to methadone for addicts is a great way to put into perspective just how intense his urges are.

 

What did you think of this episode of Dexter: Original Sin? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Dexter: Original Sin streams Fridays on Paramount+ with Showtime and Sundays at 10/9c on Showtime.

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