Harry & Laura’s Romance & 9 Other Story Reveals

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Dexter: Original Sin season 1, episode 4.Episode 4 of Dexter: Original Sin continued the Dexter prequel series’ rapidly developing story, and it included just as much romance as it did murder. There were already a lot of individual threads for Original Sin to follow, but the newest episode introduced even more. Almost every member of the cast of Dexter: Original Sin has some type of trouble brewing, from Harry Morgan’s (Christian Slater) heart health to Dexter’s (Patrick Gibson) budding life as a serial killer. Even though there were so many different characters that needed attention, Dexter: Original Sin episode 4 managed to get to them all.

Original Sin episode 4 saw Jimmy Powell’s kidnapping escalate to a murder investigation, Deb (Molly Brown) and Harry’s arguments escalate into a fight, and Dexter’s serial killer growing pains escalate into a full-on crisis. As the characters’ situations get more dire, it can be hard to keep up with everything happening in Original Sin. Some viewers might need a recap of everything that happened in the Morgan family’s and Miami Metro’s drama.

10

Jimmy Powell’s Body Was Found Hanging From An Overpass

Dexter Was Disturbed By The Sight Of A Murdered Child

Judge Powell’s kidnapped son, Jimmy, was finally found in Dexter: Original Sin episode 4, though not in the way Miami Metro was hoping to recover him. Jimmy was found dead, hanging by a rope off an overpass. When they took the body down, Harry Morgan noticed that Dexter was visibly disturbed by seeing a dead child, and he sent him to another crime scene. Harry also seemed a bit relieved that something was able to rattle Dexter, as it would have been more concerning if he wasn’t upset about a murdered child.

Despite having a body to examine, the detectives still didn’t have many leads pointing them to the killer. They still think it might have been the cartel, though they were confused that the kidnappers never offered any demands or a ransom and put Jimmy’s body on display. Tanya Martin’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) investigation also only revealed a few things, like the fact that Jimmy was killed somewhere else, that he had prepackaged meals, and that his finger was cauterized with a cigarette lighter. For now, Miami Metro has no idea who killed Jimmy Powell.

9

Dexter Helped Maria LaGuerta Investigate A Prostitute’s Murder

Dexter Also Started Doing His Blood Spatter Presentations

Not all of Miami Metro was preoccupied with Jimmy Powell’s murder, however. Captain Spencer (Patrick Dempsey) sent Maria LaGuerta (Christina Milian) to investigate a murdered prostitute named Blake Kirsten as punishment for speaking to the press. Harry also sent Dexter along, to get him away from the sight of Jimmy’s body. At the crime scene, Dexter deduced that whoever killed Blake did so to watch the life drain out of his eyes, not to rob him. Later, Dexter did the first of his famous blood spatter presentations from the original series with two cantaloupes and packets of ketchup.

While Maria and Dexter didn’t find Blake’s killer yet, there were a few positives from their investigation. She hasn’t completely warmed up to him yet, but Maria was fond of Dexter at the beginning of the original show. If Dexter’s forensics work helps Maria find Blake’s killer, it could help explain why they had such a good relationship. Dexter also got a chance to show off his forensics skills in front of a fairly large crowd that gathered outside the room, which should help him blend in even more at Miami Metro.

8

Harry Babysat Laura Moser’s Sons, Dexter & Brian

Laura’s Babysitter Canceled On The Same Day She Was Supposed To Meet Zenny Hernandez

In one of Harry Morgan’s flashbacks to his time in Narcotics, he got a chance to babysit Laura Moser’s (Brittany Allen) sons, Dexter and Brian. Laura was supposed to meet with a high ranking member of Hector Estrada’s cartel, but her babysitter called off at the last minute. To free her up for her criminal informant work, Harry offered to watch her boys. It wasn’t as easy as it should have been, however, as Harry lost Dexter for a moment and had a flashback to Junior Morgan’s death in Original Sin before finding him.

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There were also a few interesting reveals from Harry’s time babysitting. Dexter’s biological brother Brian Moser was pulling the tails off lizards, which is a hint at his psychopathic tendencies. Harry also found out that Dexter ran off because he was trying to save one of the lizards’ lives, which shows he was once a compassionate child before Laura’s death. Harry, Brian, and Dexter even had a funeral for the lizards before Harry put them to bed by reading stories to them.

7

Deb Had A Fight With Harry After Not Being Able To Take The Truck To The Beach

Debra Feels Like Harry Is Too Preoccupied With Dexter & Doesn’t Care About Her Life

Debra (Molly Brown) and Harry have been fighting throughout Original Sin, but the recent episode added even more fuel to the flames of their argument. Deb wanted to use the family truck to take her volleyball team to the beach, but Harry took it without telling her. As a result, the team drove with Tiff instead, and Deb and Sofia (Raquel Justice) ended up buying cocaine. Later that night, Deb flew off the handle at her father for not letting her take the truck, and the situation only got more tense after Harry told her about Jimmy Powell’s murder and accused her of being high.

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The fight over the truck is just a sign of a larger story brewing beneath the surface of Original Sin. Harry and Deb are slowly drifting apart, mostly because Deb thinks her father likes Dexter more than her. Deb’s complaints aren’t without reason: Dexter’s life as a serial killer has been demanding most of Harry’s attention, and he didn’t even know that Deb was voted captain of her team. Unless Harry makes a serious change in his priorities, his relationship with Deb may never recover.

6

Captain Spencer’s Ex-Wife Fought With Him About Their Son, Nicky

Spencer’s Family Drama Could Lead To A Shakeup At Miami Metro

While the detectives of Miami Metro were discussing Jimmy Powell’s murder, Captain Spencer’s ex-wife, Becca (Amanda Brooks), visited him with their son, Nicky. The two quickly got into a heated argument about who should take Nicky to his soccer game, and Original Sin revealed that Becca cheated on Spencer with a man named Nelson, who is now her fiancé. While they were fighting about Spencer’s commitment to his work and lack of interest in Nicky’s life, Dexter took the opportunity to connect with Nicky, ask about the game he was playing, and offer him a candy bar.

Spencer’s fight with his ex-wife could be setting up some major changes at Miami Metro. Captain Spencer didn’t appear in the original Dexter, which likely means he’ll have to depart the show at some point to make room for Captain Matthews. His marital problems and the draw his work has on his time with Nicky may be enough to eventually explain why Spencer leaves the department. Alternatively, Original Sin could be setting Nicky up to become the next victim of whoever killed Jimmy Powell, as he is also the son of a prominent Miami official who’s tough on crime.

5

Dexter Had A Heart-To-Heart With Officer Clark Sanders

Sanders’ Brother Was Killed As A Teenager, & He Convinced Dexter To Let His Emotions Out

When Harry sent Dexter away from Jimmy Powell’s crime scene, Dexter met Officer Clark Sanders (Aaron Jennings). The two began talking about how rattled Dexter was by Jimmy’s corpse, and they had a wholesome conversation together. Sanders told Dexter that it’s not good to bottle up emotions, and that he should either talk about his feelings or do something about them. Sanders mentioned that he saw a kid get shot in front of his house when he was a teenager, which inspired him to become a detective, but Dexter took his advice to mean that he should kill another murderer.

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Later in the episode, Dexter discovered that the boy Sanders had seen die was actually his brother. The two then shared a little bit more about themselves, and Dexter even mentioned that only a few people really knew him. It seems like Sanders could be Dexter’s first real friend at Miami Metro, though he won’t be able to fully open up to the officer. It’s also worth noting that Sanders wasn’t in the original Dexter, which means Dexter might not have his first friend for long.

4

Dexter Convinced Harry To Let Him Kill A Mob Hit Man After Investigating His Sailing Business

Mad-Dog Supposedly Killed 200 People But Was Never Convicted

Emboldened by Sanders’ advice to do something about the things that upset him, Dexter decided to find his third victim. The person he chose went by the nickname Mad-Dog (Joe Pantoliano), a professional killer and hit man for the mob across the United States. He brought the cold case to Harry, but he wanted Dexter to prove beyond a doubt that Mad-Dog really had killed those people. So, Dexter met Mad-Dog at his sailing charter company and inspected his house, eventually finding a shredded picture of his next target, Omar Reyes.

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Reyes was a witness in a RICO case, and someone hired Mad-Dog to kill him. Dexter used that fact to convince Harry to let him kill Mad-Dog, and after his father agreed, Dexter planned to kill him on their fishing trip. When other passengers arrived, Dexter had to pivot, and he decided to interrogate Mad-Dog about his work with “foreclosures.” It seemed like Dexter was trying to understand how someone could kill innocent men, women, and children, but he only managed to anger Mad-Dog.

3

Debra Met Gio Martino At A Club & Went On A Date With Him

Gio’s Ambiguous Job & High Income Seem Like Bad News For Deb

As part of her rebellion against Harry, Debra and Sofia went out to a club to party for the night. While they were there, Deb crashed a private party and started drinking their expensive liquor. That’s when she met Gio Martino (Isaac Gonzalez Rossi), a handsome businessman who Deb thought was an accountant. The next day, Deb called Gio up and went back to his apartment in his expensive car. When they got there, Gio refused to give details about what he did for work, and he started making out with Deb.

Though Deb seems more than happy to be dating Gio, he could very easily be a bad influence on her. Gio’s reluctance to talk about his job seems to indicate that he’s some kind of criminal, which could end up putting Deb in some kind of danger. Even if Gio isn’t a criminal, Deb’s decision to spend the night at a stranger’s apartment will almost certainly start another fight between her and Harry, which could hurt their relationship even more. It’s too early to tell how Deb’s relationship with Gio will play out, but it doesn’t look promising.

2

Harry & Laura Started A Romantic Relationship After His Babysitting

Harry Tried To Resist Laura, But He’s Now Cheating On His Wife, Doris Morgan

Harry’s time spent babysitting for Laura didn’t end with bedtime stories, however. One of his flashbacks revealed that when Laura got home from her meeting, she invited Harry to stay the night with her. Though he initially refused, Harry ended up kissing Laura passionately, and the two began a romantic relationship. While the original Dexter did already reveal that Harry had an affair with Laura, Original Sin shows that it was much more than a simple fling for both of them. Their affair also means that Harry cheated on his wife, Doris.

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Interestingly, the origins of Harry and Laura’s romance also recontextualizes an important part of Dexter. Now that Original Sin has proven that Harry met and actually babysat Dexter while he was a toddler, it’s a lot easier to understand why Harry adopted Dexter. Original Sin also showed that Harry and Laura weren’t just having casual sex and actually had feelings for one another, which doesn’t excuse his cheating on Doris, but does help explain it. Unfortunately, Harry and Laura’s relationship is heading towards tragedy, as Laura is going to be murdered by Estrada and his men.

1

Dexter Tried To Kill Mad-Dog, But He Was Hit By A Car Instead

Mad-Dog’s Public Death Will Definitely Cause Problems For Dexter

At the end of Dexter: Original Sin episode 4, Dexter attacked Mad-Dog in his house by bashing him over the head with a guitar. While the hit man was unconscious, Dexter prepared his kill room, and for the first time, he displayed pictures of Mad-Dog’s victims along the wall. Unfortunately, while Dexter was undressing him, Mad-Dog woke up and was able to fight Dexter off long enough to start running down the street and get hit by a car. It’s not clear if Mad-Dog is still alive, but even if he is dead, the car accident is going to have major ramifications on Original Sin.

Mad-Dog’s apparent death could threaten to expose Dexter as a serial killer. Dexter is going to have a very hard time explaining why Mad-Dog was running through the street in his underwear in the middle of the night to whoever was driving the car. Even if he can convince the driver that nothing illegal was happening, he’s also going to have to somehow deal with Mad-Dog himself. If Mad-Dog survived, that means keeping him from waking up in the hospital and outing Dexter as a killer, and if he died, it means somehow disposing of a body someone else already knows exists.

Even though Dexter: Original Sin season 1 isn’t even halfway done, the show is already upping the stakes considerably. Mad-Dog’s car accident, combined with the evidence that didn’t get destroyed in the Everglades in Original Sin episodes 2 and 3, are threatening to put Dexter in prison. Meanwhile, Harry and Deb’s relationship is heading towards disaster, and there’s a killer loose in Miami that no one can identify yet. If the remainder of Dexter: Original Sin keeps up this pace, the rest of the season is sure to be thrilling.

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Dexter: Original Sin explores the origins of Dexter Morgan as he transitions from student to serial killer in 1991 Miami. Guided by his father, Dexter channels his dark urges through a moral code while starting a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.

Release Date

December 15, 2024

Network

Paramount+ with Showtime

Character(s)

Harry Morgan
, Dexter Morgan
, Debra Morgan
, Maria LaGuerta
, Vince Masuka
, Bobby Watt
, Angel Batista
, Aaron Spencer
, The Inner Voice of Dexter (voice)
, CSI Chief Tanya Martin

Producers

Clyde Phillips
, Michael C. Hall
, Robert Lloyd Lewis
, Mary Leah Sutton
, Tony Hernandez
, Lilly Burns

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