Buffy meets Dexter as Sarah Michelle Geller signs on for 'Dexter: Original Sin'

Sarah Michelle Gellar looking at a camera
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

A new "Dexter" prequel is making its way to Paramount Plus, and the show has just locked down a massive star. Sarah Michelle Gellar has joined the cast to play a young Dexter Morgan's boss at the Miami Metro Police Department.

"Dexter: Original Sin" dives into the backstory of Dexter and his Dark Passenger. As it's a young version of the serial killer, Michael C. Hall will not reprise his role as the titular character. Instead, Patrick Gibson will play him. Since it's a prequel, you should be able to jump in even if you haven't seen the other "Dexter" shows.

The show has secured some big names aside from Gellar, including Christian Slater, Patrick Dempsey, and Molly Brown. The plot revolves around a young Dexter in 1991 Miami as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. We'll learn more about the birth of Dexter's code, which was created with the help of his father, Harry. 

"Sarah Michelle Gellar is a pop culture icon who perfectly rounds out our best-in-class cast featuring Christian Slater and Patrick Dempsey among others," Nina L. Diaz, president of content and CCO at Showtime, said in a press release.

“We’re thrilled to have her return to the Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios family and join the origin story of the Dexter franchise,” she continued. 

Gellar is best known for her role as Buffy in the '90s show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Though she was just a high school girl, Buffy had extraordinary abilities that allowed her to take on some of the most brutal vampires. In "Dexter: Original Sin," her role should remain much more grounded in reality, as the "Dexter" universe lacks any supernatural beings for her to fight (just serial killers).

Unfortunately, we don't have a release date for the new Dexter prequel yet, so we'll have to wait until it gets further in production to learn more about what the show brings to the table. Hopefully, the show will turn out well and land itself a spot on our best Paramount Plus shows, but only time will tell. (Based on the reception of the Dexter follow-up "New Blood," the jury is still out.

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Dave LeClair
Senior News Editor

Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.

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