Dexter: Original Sin has received a disappointing update about its Season 2 from Paramount. The show serves as a prequel to the crime-drama series Dexter, which aired on Showtime between 2006 and 2013. Original Sin debuted on Paramount+ with Showtime in December 2024. The season finale began streaming on February 14, 2025.
Paramount cancels Dexter: Original Sin before Season 2 after announcing renewal
Paramount has canceled Dexter: Original Sin after greenlighting Season 2 of the prequel series a few months earlier, Variety learned through sources. In early April, Paramount+ and Showtime greenlit the sophomore season of Dexter: Original Sin. However, those plans seem to have been scrapped since then.
Dexter: Original Sin was a successful venture for the network. The inaugural season garnered a 70% approval rating on the review-aggregating site Rotten Tomatoes. According to TheWrap, the show’s premiere episode broke records by drawing over 2.1 million cross-platform viewers globally. Accordingly, the reversal of the earlier renewal announcement might come as a surprise to some fans. There is already a Change.org petition to bring Original Sin back.
The cancellation announcement happened after Skydance secured the $8 billion Paramount acquisition earlier this month. As per Variety, the new executive team is looking into Showtime’s entire slate and beyond. The outlet cited “an individual with knowledge of the situation” to report that the team wants to concentrate on Michael C. Hall and his depiction of Dexter Morgan going forward.
Clyde Phillips, who served as the showrunner on the first four seasons of the original series, created Dexter: Original Sin. The show predominantly takes place in the early ’90s, and its cast includes Patrick Gibson as Dexter Morgan, Christian Slater as Harry Morgan, Molly Brown as Debra Morgan, James Martinez as Angel Batista, Christina Milian as María LaGuerta, and Alex Shimizu as Vince Masuka. Additionally, Hall is part of the cast as the narrator and the inner voice of the Younger Dexter.
Although Paramount has scrapped Original Sin, it is reportedly planning to open a writers’ room for potential Dexter: Resurrection Season 2. At the time of this article’s composition, Paramount hasn’t officially renewed the sequel series for its sophomore chapter.
