Dexter: Resurrection: Dexter: Resurrection creator finally answers a major fan question about the New York Ripper’s identity

Assuming that you have already gone down the Dexter fandom rabbit hole this year, the question that simply would not die is the one that we have been asking ourselves: Who is the New York Ripper? Following the conclusion of Dexter: Resurrection Season 1, theories about the show went wild both on forums and watch parties.

Throughout the first season of Dexter: Resurrection, the New York Ripper was depicted as a frightening stranger, a murderous man who could not be found even by the NYPD. There were even viewers who believed that this new villain was almost equal to Dexter himself. Others thought the truth was right before their eyes and that they were poking their fingers at the familiar faces and bending the old storyline to fit the hints.

At last, showrunner Clyde Phillips has come forward with a moment of clarity to confront the largest fan theory. And no, it was not the character that most people betted on. Although the disclosure does not ruin the upcoming plot twists, it still closes months of speculation and proves that the mystery was not intended to be so obvious as the fans thought.

In classic Dexter style, the solution is more sinister, more intelligent, and more calculated than one would've expected it to be, and it preconditions even greater revelations yet to come.

Why the New York Ripper in Dexter: Resurrection was the mystery everyone obsessed over

Since the release of Dexter: Resurrection on Paramount+, it has not just revived Dexter, but also opened doors to mysteries in the city. The New York Ripper, a hook-wielding murderer, believed to be a legend, was also among the most haunting, as he had terrorized the city over a period of decades. Even hard-boiled NYPD detective Claudette Wallace was not able to pin him down.

In Dexter: Resurrection season 1, there was an ingenious teasing of the Ripper, without stating who this person was, which only increased speculations among fans. The audience started to suspect that this was not mere background information, but a future villain that was going to question the code of Dexter.

The mystery led to crazy speculation on internet forums and online fans intertwined clues and speculated on the back story of all characters, whether it was a rich outsider or someone involved from Dexter’s past. Such cautious vagueness rendered the New York Ripper one of the greatest talking points about Dexter: Resurrection. The fans were not merely viewing the show but they were working to solve this mystery simultaneously.

The fan theory about Jonah Mitchell and what Clyde Phillips had to say about it

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One fan theory almost immediately took off and would not just die down: Jonah Mitchell, the son of Dexter’s notorious Trinity Killer, had to be the New York Ripper. It felt too good to internet sleuths, a recognizable name, dark suggestions, and a few moments of uneasiness that Jonah had revealed earlier in the series made him look like an easy target. The character, portrayed by Brando Eaton, had baggage enough to allow Dexter: Resurrection fans to connect the dots.

Now the theory has officially been shunned. When showrunner of Dexter: Resurrection, Clyde Phillips was recently asked about the Ripper’s identity on the Love It Film podcast, he had a definite answer: Jonah is not the New York Ripper. He said:

“I’ll tell you this. The answer is no. I mean, everybody comes up with all of these theories and it’s wonderful because they’re so engaged. But just because it’s a theory doesn’t mean that we’re going to carry on with it.”

Phillips recognized how fun and exciting the speculation was, but it is not what the show is narrating. In other words, one of the fandom’s biggest theories has been fully debunked.

What this means for Dexter: Resurrection Season 2

So what is the status of the New York Ripper? At the same time as the Jonah theory was buried, the showrunner also gave a hint that the Ripper would be identified in Dexter: Resurrection Season 2, that is, the fans are not yet provided with the last puzzle piece. Phillips proposed that the intense demand to see the character in fact gave the writers the incentive to build his role in future implying we will see a more central storyline instead of just a background mystery. It's that sort of tease that just keeps fans talking online.

But audiences love a mystery, particularly one that might be connected to the dark past of Dexter himself, and the entangled relationships of those surrounding him. It is as yet unclear whether the Ripper will become some sort of arch-nemesis or simply some symbolic test of Dexter's code. But one thing is for sure: Dexter: Resurrection just got a whole lot more interesting.

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Edited by Sohini Biswas