This prequel starts in 1991, when Dexter (Patrick Gibson) is just a weird young man. He’s introduced to his father’s biz (police), where his interest in crime and criminals burgeons. Of course, there are several villains to dispatch, but the final one takes up most of the series. Gibson does a wonderful job of channeling the quiet, dark character that Michael C. Hall established. It’s also fun to see several cast members in younger iterations of themselves from the original show, including James Martinez (Batista), Alex Shimizu (Masuka) and Christin Milian (LaGuerta). They all do a great job. Speaking of performances, Christian Slater, as Dexter’s father effectively embodies his character’s complex role and Patrick Dempsey has an interesting role as the Captain. The writing and direction echo the compelling and sometimes disturbing effects from the original (all created by Clyde Phillips). Fans of “Dexter” will find this series a perfect precursor to the series with Gibson proving especially enthralling in the title role. 
(4 / 5)
