Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dexter: Original Sin season 1, episode 8.Many of the characters from the originalDexterhave already appeared inDexter: Original Sinseason 1, but there are still nine people who are missing from the prequel series. Thecast ofOriginal Sinis filled with returning characters fromDexter. Everyone from Dexter himself (Patrick Gibson) to tertiary characters like Camilla Figg (Sarah Kinsey) has been recast with younger actors to fit withOriginal Sin’s 1991 timeline. There are even some bigtimeline inconsistencies inOriginal Sinsimply because the prequel show wanted to include as many original characters as possible.
ThoughOriginal Sinwent to great lengths to include as manyDextercharacters as possible, it had to leave some of them out. Certain characters, like Rita Bennett (Julie Benz), couldn’t meet Dexter until well after he became an adult, so it wouldn’t make sense to recast them forOriginal Sin. Others, however, probably should have been active in 1991, either at Miami Metro or just in general, yet the prequel series hasn’t included them yet. These nineDextercharacters are oddly missing fromOriginal Sinseason 1 so far.
9Thomas Matthews
Played By: Geoff Pierson
Perhaps the most noticeably absent member of Miami Metro is Captain Thomas Matthews.InOriginal Sin, Captain Aaron Spencer (Patrick Dempsey) leads Miami Metro’s homicide division, and he’s largely taken over Matthews' role from the original show. Matthews was shown several times to be a long-time friend of Harry Morgan (Christian Slater), and it was implied that he acted as captain for years while Harry was around. Spencer fits both of those descriptions, as he was Harry’s captain in narcotics back in the 1970s. It would be one thing to replace a character, but Matthews proved to be too important to do so.
Dexter: Original Sin’s Killer Twist Perfectly Sets Up Its Biggest Missing Original Character’s Introduction
Dexter: Original Sin season 1, episode 7 reveals the big villain’s identity, setting up the introduction of a missing character from the main series.
Luckily, it looks likeOriginal Sinalready has a plan to introduce Captain Matthews to the show. SinceAaron Spencer isOriginal Sin’s kidnapper, Dexter is almost certainly going to put him on his kill table in the near future.Once Spencer is dead, Miami Metro is going to need a new captain, and Matthews may prove to be his replacement. There would, however, still be the issue of finding a way to create a long and historied friendship between Matthews and Harry, butOriginal Sinwould at least have a chance to solve that problem after it introduces him.
8James Doakes
Played By: Erik King
Original Sinhas changed the timeline of Dexter’s early life considerably, which has made it hard to determine who could or couldn’t be at Miami Metro already in 1991.WhileDexterdid frequently reference the fact that James Doakes was serving on a special forces squad before he became a homicide detective, there’s no reasonOriginal Sincouldn’t have shifted his history around.Original Sincould have even included a scene showing Doakes' first days at Miami Metro, just as it did with Maria LaGuerta (Christina Milian).
Why James Doakes Isn’t In Dexter: Original Sin
One of the most notable absences from Dexter: Original Sin is the iconic original character James Doakes, but there’s a good reason why he’s missing.
Unlike other characters on this list, there’s still a chance that James Doakes actually could join the cast ofDexter: Original Sin. Since Bobby Watt (Reno Wilson) was recently shot inOriginal Sinepisode 8, there will soon be an opening for a new detective at Miami Metro.Based on how many episodes remain inOriginal Sinseason 1, the prequel show may let Doakes replace Bobby as a special introduction for the series finale. There’s currently no word onOriginal Sinseason 2, but if it does happen, Doakes' introduction would be the perfect setup.
7Juan Ryness
Played By: Unknown
One of Dexter’s most important victims was a man named Juan Ryness. Juan was either a pimp or a drug dealer, and he was actually one of thesix killsOriginal Sinshould have included, as he was directly shown to be one of Dexter’s victims while Harry was still alive. In fact,Juan Ryness was the last victim Dexter took before Harry Morgan killed himself, and it was largely the reason for his suicide. Ryness had killed Harry’s partner, Davey Sanchez, and Harry walked in on Dexter in the process of butchering Ryness' body.
Ryness had killed Harry’s partner, Davey Sanchez, and Harry walked in on Dexter in the process of butchering Ryness' body.
Dexter deduced that Harry couldn’t handle the reality that he turned his son into a monster, and overdosed on his heart medication as a result.Ryness is arguably the most important kill Dexter made as a young adult, butOriginal Sinseems to have already replaced him. AfterOriginal Sinrevealed Aaron Spencer is the kidnapper, it seems that he’ll be the kill that leads Harry to suicide, not Ryness. Spencer inadvertently got Harry’s partner, Bobby Watt (Reno Wilson) shot inOriginal Sin, which was the same reason Dexter killed Juan Ryness in the original show.
6Davey Sanchez
Played By: Unseen
Juan Ryness isn’t the only part ofHarry’s death inOriginal Sinthat the prequel show has changed. As previously mentioned, Dexter targeted Ryness because he had killed Harry’s partner at Miami Metro, a man named Davey Sanchez.Davey has yet to appear inOriginal Sin, and it seems he’s been entirely replaced by Harry’s current partner, Bobby Watt. Bobby was shot in the neck inOriginal Sinepisode 8, and it looks like the prequel show is setting him up to die, and for his killer to be the cause of Harry’s suicide.
Dexter Season 8 Might Have Already Confirmed A Major Replacement Character’s Tragic Death In The Prequel Show
After 4 episodes, the Dexter prequel series Dexter: Original Sin may have already foreshadowed the eventual death of one of its brand new characters.
Since he’s been so thoroughly replaced by Bobby Watt, Davey Sanchez’s absence doesn’t really detract fromOriginal Sin. Even if the show had used Davey instead of Bobby, really the only thing that would have changed is his name.Bobby is still Harry’s beloved partner and friend, he’s still going to die, and his death will have the same effect Davey’s did. Aside from the name, Davey essentiallyisinDexter: Original Sin. That does, however, call into question why the prequel show would bother to change only Davey’s name, but it’s too soon to tell if there’s some bigger reason for the change.
5Dr. Evelyn Vogel
Played By: Charlotte Rampling
One of the only charactersOriginal Sinhas outright ignored without leaving much room to introduce them in the future is Dr. Evelyn Vogel. Dr. Vogel was introduced inDexterseason 8 as a psychiatrist who worked with Harry Morgan to developthe Code of Harryand harness Dexter’s “dark passenger” as a force for justice.Because she worked with Harry to mold Dexter throughout his youth, Vogel should have already made an appearance inOriginal Sin. There’s an entire videotape inDexterseason 8 of Harry confiding in Vogel just after Dexter’s third kill, which simply didn’t happen inOriginal Sin.
Dexter: Original Sin Is Completely Ignoring A Major Twist From Dexter Season 8
Dexter: Original Sin has mostly kept in line with Dexter’s established history, but it’s completely disregarding a major twist from season 8.
It’s not entirely clear whyOriginal Sinhas cut Dr. Vogel, but there is quite a bit of room for speculation.Dexterseason 8 and Vogel were both criticized by fans for weakening Harry’s moral grayness and taking away some of the blame he bore for turning Dexter into a serial killer.Original Sinmay have simply wanted to make Harry’s story and moral dilemma more compelling, and it had to leave Vogel out to do so. Additionally, Clyde Phillips is the showrunner ofOriginal Sin, and since he wasn’t involved inDexterseason 8, he may just not be interested in shoehorning in someone else’s creation.
4Francis
Played By: Tasia Sherel
One of the more overlooked members of the Miami Metro family, Francis, could have made an appearance inOriginal Sin. Francis was Miami Metro’s record keeper who, curiously, worked in the basement of the building instead of the records room Camilla Figg worked in.It’s not entirely clear when Francis began working for Miami Metro, but since she was working at the same time as Camilla inDexterseason 2, it’s reasonable to assume her position would be open in 1991. Depending on her age, Francis may have even started working around the same time as Dexter did.
In Dexter, Francis' main function as a character was as a workaround for Camilla, who was personal friends with Harry and helped him keep his secrets out of Miami Metro’s records.
Despite the fact Francis could have conceivably made an appearance inOriginal Sin, it’s not a very big deal that she’s been left out. InDexter, Francis' main function as a character was as a workaround for Camilla, who was personal friends with Harry and helped him keep his secrets out of Miami Metro’s records.Original Sinhas no need for someone who can access files Camilla would have guarded, as Deb and Dexter didn’t even begin investigating their father’s dirty secrets until over a decade later. With Camilla in the cast, Francis would have been somewhat redundant.
3Hannah McKay
Played By: Yvonne Strahovski
Hannah McKay, Dexter’s eventual girlfriend and foster mother of Harrison, could have made a cameo appearance inOriginal Sin. Hannah and Dexter obviously couldn’t have met in the prequel show, as they had their first encounter inDexterseason 7, but the former still could have been included. Hannah famously went on a joyride murder spree with her lover when she was 15 years old, and she spent a fair amount of time in a juvenile facility for her involvement.The timeline is a bit iffy, but sinceOriginal Sinhas already made significant chronological changes, Hannah’s murders could have taken place in 1991.
At most, Hannah could have been referenced in live coverage of a standoff or high-speed chase at the end of her murder spree.
Of course, to keep their first meeting intact,Original Sinwouldn’t have been able to do much with Hannah McKay. At most, Hannah could have been referenced in live coverage of a standoff or high-speed chase at the end of her murder spree.Anything more than that, like having Dexter involved in the blood spatter analysis of one of Hannah’s murders, would risk creating a massive plot hole in the originalDexter. All in all, a brief reference like that probably wouldn’t have been worth it inOriginal Sin.
2Unnamed Drug Dealer
Another one of Dexter’s victims who has been completely rewritten is the unnamed drug dealer he took as his third victim. InDexterseason 8, during a meeting with Dr. Vogel, Harry Morgan mentioned that Dexter had recently killed his third victim. He described the victim as a drug dealer who had also robbed and killed two college students, but he didn’t give a name.Original Sinhas already depicted Dexter’s third kill in extreme detail, but his victim was Levi Reed (Jeff Daniel Philips), not an unnamed drug dealer.
Dexter: Original Sin Retcons The Kill That Officially Made Dexter Morgan A Serial Killer
Dexter: Original Sin saw Dexter officially become a serial killer, but it also introduced a major retcon to the moment and a twist in Dexter season 8.
Once again, the fact thatOriginal Sindoesn’t include the unnamed drug dealer isn’t a major deficit. He was only important enough to be mentioned in passing inDexterseason 8, so there likely isn’t anyone who was dying to learn more about him. That being said,it is odd thatOriginal Sinwould so blatantly disregardDexterseason 8 and not even attempt to make Levi Reed fit Harry’s description. It wouldn’t have been difficult to write Levi Reed as a murderous drug dealer, yet the show chose to make a fairly significant retcon anyway.
1Joey Quinn
Played By: Desmond Harrington
The lastDextercharacter who could have appeared inOriginal Sinis Joey Quinn. Quinn joined the original show’s cast inDexterseason 3, after Doakes' death, and the show gave a bit of backstory to explain his sudden arrival. AsDexterexplained, before he transferred to homicide, Quinn was a narcotics officer at Miami Metro.The timeline is, again, a bit fuzzy and may require some changes, but sinceOriginal Sinhas been focusing so heavily on the cartels and the drug trade, Quinn easily could have appeared. Quinn could have given some information about the Los Tigres cartel or even helped raid their safehouse.
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“And in the Beginning…”
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“Kid in a Candy Store”
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“F is for F***-Up”
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“The Joy of Killing”
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“Business and Pleasure”
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If he had been included inOriginal Sin, Joey Quinn probably would have been a minor character, rather than a member of the show’s main roster like Batista or LaGuerta. Luckily for fans of Quinn, he has a much better chance of appearing in theupcoming sequel showDexter: Resurrection. Quinn was still alive at the end of the originalDexter, which means he could easily join Batista and Angela in hunting down Dexter years after he slipped through his fingers. If that ends up happening, some of theDextercharacters missing fromDexter: Original Sinwon’t be as missed.
Dexter: Original Sin
Cast
Dexter: Original Sin explores Dexter Morgan’s early years in 1991 Miami as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. Guided by his father, Harry, Dexter crafts a moral code and navigates a forensics internship at Miami Metro Police, all while controlling his darker impulses.
Dexter
Dexter is a television series following Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for Miami Metro Police who secretly leads a dual life as a vigilante serial killer. Released in 2006, the show focuses on Dexter’s internal conflict as he hunts down criminals who elude justice within the legal system.
