Summary
Dexter: Original Sinwill air on Paramount+ with Showtime in December 2024, with Patrick Gibson playing the younger version of the titular serial killer. He’ll be joined by a star-studded cast, which includes Patrick Dempsey, who will play the chief of Miami Metro Homicide. However,the legendary actor has only signed a short contract to appear in one season of the prequel series, which raises questions about the fate of his character.
Dempsey’s character is called Aaron Spencer, and he’s someone who was never mentioned in the originalDexterseries, sohis ultimate fate is uncertain, and the length of Dempsey’s contract increases speculation that he could possibly be a victim inDexter: Original Sin’s first season.Sarah Michelle Gellar’s special guest star rolealso suggests she might be joining Dempsey in an early exit from the prequel series.
Dexter: Original Sin
Starring
Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater, Molly Brown, James Martinez, Christina Milian, Alex Shimizu, Reno Wilson, Patrick Dempsey, Joe Pantoliano, Sarah Michelle Gellar and the voice of Michael C. Hall
Created by
Directed By
Michael Lehmann
Patrick Dempsey’s casting inDexter: Original Sinwas a major coup, with the actor boasting a string of impressive credits in movies and television series. However,his role in theDexterprequel series could be short-lived as he’s only signed a short-term deal.Dempsey elaborated on this in aninterview with Entertainment Weekly:
I’ve only signed on for one year, so who knows? I love being on the show, but you never know what could happen.
Dempsey appears to tease that his character could potentially die in the first season ofDexter: Original Sin,as all bets are off with all the new characters in the Dexter-verse. It makes sense that he would be coy about his future, so it doesn’t ruin any potential plot points in the future. All prequels are hampered by knowing certain characters' fates if they appear in the parent series. This is definitely the case withDexter: Original Sin, with a slew of original characters returning as younger versions of themselves.
Dempsey’s short-term contract doesn’t necessarily mean his character will die, but it does leave open the possibility that he could.However, he does seem pleased to be on the show, and he certainly looked the part in thefirst look photos ofDexter: Original Sin. Dempsey also explained his character, Aaron Spencer’s relationship with Dexter’s adoptive father,Harry Morgan, in the same interview with Entertainment Weekly:
There’s a brotherhood there that goes back to the beginning of their careers. They’ve come up together. Aaron turns to Harry because he trusts him the most. And Aaron has a lot of respect within the group because of his wisdom and his humility.
Patrick Dempsey played Derek ‘McDreamy’ Shepherd onGrey’s Anatomyin a series regular role for over 10 years, before leaving the show to take on more diverse roles.It is entirely possible that Dempsey only signed on for one year onDexter: Original Sin, so he wasn’t tied down to a role for many years,like he was onGrey’s Anatomy. However, if the show is a success, it’s hard to imagine that he wouldn’t want to keep playing the role for as long as possible.
Since Dempsey leftGrey’s Anatomyin 2015, he has returned to guest appear on the show, while also showing his range as an actor in projects like Michael Mann’sFerrariand the short-lived drama series,Devils. Dempsey has also become a fixture in the horror genre, with the role of Sheriff Eric Newlon inThanksgiving, and there is speculationDempsey will play Mark Kincaid inScream 7, 25 years after he last appeared in the horror franchise.A potentially long-running role inDexter: Original Sinwould still allow Dempsey to pursue other projects as his career continues to flourish.TheDexterprequel will consist of 10 episodes, as opposed to the 20+ episodes Dempsey became accustomed to onGrey’s Anatomy.
Dempsey appears to be relishing the opportunity to play against type inDexter: Original Sin, as he elaborated on his role as the Miami Metro Homocide chief later on in the interview with Entertainment Weekly:
This is what I’m looking for, to do something where I’m able to physically transform. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a good long career and create a character that is beloved, so it’s nice to have an opportunity to come in and [do something totally different]. Hopefully, the fans will embrace this character. I think it helps, changing the look, so that people will look twice and go, ‘Oh wait, what’s going on here?
