Tamal Kundu
When Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) makes his first appearance in ‘Dexter: New Blood,’ ten years have passed in the eponymous universe. With that, certain things have changed. We, the audience, get visible proof of this when Harrison (Jack Alcott), Dexter’s son with Rita, shows up in his father’s cabin in the outskirts of the snowy town of Iron Lake, New York. He is a teenager now and has been on his own for a while. One of the things that worries Dexter even in the original show is whether Harrison will turn into a serial killer like him. In ‘Dexter: New Blood’ episode 4, titled ‘H Is for Hero,’ we finally get some answers on that. Here is what you need to know about it. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Is Harrison a Serial Killer in Dexter?
Both the original show and revival never fail to draw parallels between Dexter and Harrison. They both were found in the pools of their mother’s blood. In episode 4, Harrison probably learns about Molly Park’s podcast from Audrey. He intently listens as Molly speaks about the Trinity Killer or Arthur Mitchell and how Rita was his last victim. She then mentions how Harrison was found and speculates about his mental condition.
Both Dexter and the audience were hoping against hope that Harrison hasn’t inherited the “Dark Passenger” from his father. It’s a phrase that Dexter apparently invented to describe his overpowering desire to kill. Since his mother’s death in the hands of Santos Jimenez and two other men, the Dark Passenger has lived within Dexter. It seems that the same thing has happened to Harrison.
After learning about what happened to his mother, Harrison proceeds to attack Ethan, a boy who is supposed to be his friend, out of nowhere, injuring him in the legs. He then claims that Ethan attacked him first and was planning to shoot everyone at school. Harrison even says that Ethan asked him to join him when he goes on the rampage. The police discover Ethan’s disturbing sketches, and so they have no reason to doubt Harrison. Even when Ethan wakes up and tells the truth, Angela and her department don’t believe him.
But the CSI and the serial killer within Dexter see through his son’s lies. Harrison’s stab wound and the bloodstain pattern on the scene reveal to him that Harrison was the one who attacked Ethan and not the other way around. He eventually receives confirmation about this when he finds a razor hidden inside a torch among Harrison’s belongings. It’s the same type of weapon with which Mitchell killed Rita.
Fortunately for Dexter, he had Harry in his life. His adoptive father helped him control his murderous urges and taught him how to direct them toward other killers. Harrison had no such guide. It appears that his stepmother Hannah McKay, for whatever reasons, wasn’t able to do anything about it. Hannah died of pancreatic cancer about three years before the current events. And after that, Harrison was brought to the US from Argentina and spent a considerable period in foster care, where his time wasn’t particularly wonderful.
Harrison apparently learned how to survive in the streets during this period and perhaps even relied on the Dark Passenger. When he hears about Rita’s fate, it acts as a trigger and completely wakes the Dark Passenger up. It’s safe to say that Harrison isn’t yet a serial killer. However, he is definitely heading in that direction. For now, he is just testing what he can get away with. And if Dexter doesn’t immediately address this problem, Harrison will commit his first murder.
