The Bloody ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ Ending, Explained

After nine episodes packed with murder, mischievous plots, and much intrigue, Dexter: Resurrection concludes with an expectedly bloody grand finale. And fans of the show, obviously, wouldn't have it any other way. This time, though, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) officially breaks Harry's code—which specifies that he should operate alone. He leaves the crime scene with an accomplice and confidant: his son, Harrison (Jack Alcott).

This final, heartfelt father-son reunion didn't come easy, though. It took a few dead bodies (including one of an old friend), overcoming an evil venture capitalist, and a big escape. Here's a breakdown everything that happened on the last episode of season 1 of Dexter: Resurrection.

Dexter is trapped in a vault with a dead Angel Batista.

Serial killer obsessive and wealthy New York City venture capitalist, Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage), has turned on Dexter. Wanting to prove that he's a cold-blooded killer himself, and to earn his place among the most ruthless murderers he'd been admiring for years, he first kills Angel Batista (David Zayas) in episode nine. He shot him multiple times, right in front of Dexter, and left the dead cop lying on the floor of the vault with his trapped friend.

Prater has more torturous plans for Dexter: a slow, three-day process involving starvation, dehydration, and suffocation.

Dexter reunites (sort of) with his father and brother.

Dexter is never complete without his signature hallucinatory conversations. In this episode, he speaks with his deceased father Harry (James Remar) who reminds him of his code of killer ethics. His older, adoptive brother, Brian Moser a.k.a. the Ice Truck Killer (Christian Camargo)—whom he killed in the very first season of the original show—also makes a surprise appearance. While his father tries to counsel Dexter, Brian taunts him about his attempts to lead a normal life, laughing at the thought that Dexter would ever imagine doing something other than murder.

But in this moment of weakness, Dexter manages to find strength. Somehow, Prater and his right hand woman Charley (Uma Thurman) have neglected to take Batista's phone. Dexter manages to locate it with the help of a call from the retired detective's former partner Quinn (Desmond Harrington). He uses it to contact his son and strategize an escape plan.

Watch 'Dexter: Resurrection' on Paramount+ Premium

$11paramountplus.com

Harrison comes to the rescue.

As all cocky billionaire villains do, Prater thinks he's already gotten away scot-free with his crimes. (It's a wonder why he didn't think that locking a cunning serial killer in a vault filled with his secret files might backfire.) He's even hosting a black-tie gala raising money for local police that same night. And with Prater's mansion crawling with people, Harrison managed to masquerade as a waiter. Dexter tried to talk him through what to do over FaceTime, but his son was able to masterfully maneuver through the halls and found his own way to the vault.

Harrison does run into a bit of a hiccup, though, when Charley spots him. But Dexter has a trick up his sleeve, revealing to Charley that Prater keeps a file on her, and threatening to send it out. She then decides to let Harrison live in exchange for her file remaining confidential, and then leaves to tell Prater she's resigning from her position. (She winds up fleeing with her ailing mother.)

Dexter is still trapped, but he finds a file Prater has on himself. He figures out the eight-digit code needed to finally set him free, relays them to Harrison who helps his dad make his escape.

Prater takes Harrison hostage.

But soon, Prater realizes that Dexter has escaped. He then goes after Harrison, and holds him hostage with a gun to the boy's head. In an attempt to save his son, Dexter tells the villain to kill him instead, which Prater declines. But in a surprising twist, the seemingly-helpless Harrison stabs the billionaire with a sedative that his father had given him as "protection" episodes before. Prater collapses, and just like that, Harrison once again proves that he can handle himself in dangerous situations. His dad then tells him to leave the mansion.

Dexter kills Prater, and gets his 'happily ever after' (sort of).

The tables have turned, and now Dexter has trapped Prater in the vault. He set up a kill room to perform his clean and precise killing procedure. The venture capitalist is stabbed to death, and Dexter swiftly and effectively cleans everything up. After which, Dexter sets off the security alarms, and makes sure to leave Batista's body there for the cops to find along with the gun Prater used to kill him.

Dexter makes his exit from the crime scene using Prater's bloody severed thumb. He then steals Prater's yacht, and dumps the chopped-up body in front of the Statue of Liberty. Everyone's favorite serial killer then rides off into the sunset, with Prater's serial killer files in tow. It's a potential hit list of people he either needs to meet, or kill—only time will tell.

The show ends with the main character's inner monologue, which ends with Dexter's admission that while he's lived a mostly-solitary life, he needs people. He needs his son, and his son needs him to lean on as well.