Dexter’s original series had a lot of flashbacks, and Dexter: New Blood episode 9 repeats the “trick” of de-aging Michael C. Hall in a kill flashback. While the humor in New Blood hasn’t helped well as it did in Dexter’s original series. The reboot has proceeded to bring back many beloved gags for the main serial killer. Dexter: New Blood has reused one of the most ridiculous aspects of Dexter’s original flashback storytelling. In addition to bringing back Dexter’s dark puns, superhero alias, and mentions of old colleagues like Angel Batista and Vince Masuka.
Dexter uses a hidden kill from the initial series as a representation for his son while clarifying the Code of Harry to Harrison in Dexter: New Blood episode 9. In the flashback, Dexter is wearing his old kill costume. Complete with a green long-sleeve shirt and black gloves. As he confirms that Wiggles the Clown is a serial sexual abuser and pedophile. It returns Dexter to Miami at least a decade ago. With all of the grainy techniques of the old series’ flashbacks, including how the show “de-ages” Michael C. Hall as Dexter.
Dexter is wearing his old kill costume, complete with a green long-sleeve shirt and black gloves
The early few seasons of Dexter’s actual sequel were prominently reliant on flashbacks of Dexter being educated the code by Harry or deciphering constructive remembrances of his adolescence that pertain to the corresponding episode. While the show would hire newer actors for Dexter as a child and teenager, in their 20s, they would “de-age” Michael C. Hall as Dexter and Jennifer Carpenter as Debra by giving them awful haircuts and seldom younger attitudes. Dexter’s flashbacks to his twenties were always hilarious because he didn’t look 15 years younger.
The initial series timeline flashback in Dexter: New Blood reiterates this de-aging “trick” by doing nothing more than barely parting Dexter’s hair in a way that reflects his actual hairstyle. Thus doing nothing to prepare him to look a decade youthful. He looks 50 in the flashback, despite his slightly different hairdo and his former kill costume. For a highly profitable series that could have paid to employ an actor to characterize Dexter in his twenties for the flashbacks. Dexter: New Blood isn’t the kind of series needing to modify to de-aging technology. And it feels extra particular that they went this road. The only modification would have been if Dexter: New Blood had outfitted Michael C. Hall in the exact awful hairpiece from his 20-something flashbacks.