Dexter: Resurrection's Bizarre Release Plan Has Fans Confused

Dexter: Resurrection brings Michael C. Hall's serial killer back from the dead (somehow), and Showtime isn't just reviving the character—they're also rolling out the show with a release strategy that has fans scratching their heads.

Instead of the usual weekly drop or binge dump, the series is doing a split rollout across streaming and cable. New episodes will stream first on Paramount+ with Showtime every Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern, then air on Showtime two days later, Sundays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

The series kicks off with a two-episode premiere on July 11 (streaming) and July 13 (on Showtime). After that, one episode drops each week until the finale lands on September 5 (streaming) and September 7 (cable).

Here's the Dexter: Resurrection episode schedule:

1. A Beating Heart… – July 11 (streaming) / July 13 (Showtime)
2. Camera Shy – July 11 / July 13
3. Backseat Driver – July 18 / July 20
4. Call Me Red – July 25 / July 27
5. Murder Horny – August 1 / August 3
6. Cats and Mouse – August 8 / August 10
7. Course Correction – August 15 / August 17
8. The Kill Room Where It Happens – August 22 / August 24
9. Touched By an Ángel – August 29 / August 31
10. And Justice for All… – September 5 / September 7

Ten episodes in total, dropping weekly—with the streaming crowd getting first dibs and Showtime subscribers getting the leftovers two days later. Fans are already debating whether this is clever platform strategy or just confusing for the sake of being different.

And yes, this is a direct sequel to Dexter: New Blood, which ended with Harrison shooting his dad—except, surprise, Dexter's not dead. Now he's in New York City, haunted by his past and tangled up in a secret society of serial killers. Peter Dinklage and Uma Thurman lead the new cast, with returning faces like Jack Alcott (Harrison), James Remar (Harry), and David Zayas (Batista) back in action.

There's also a gallery of new killers—played by Neil Patrick Harris, David Dastmalchian, Eric Stonestreet, and Krysten Ritter—and a handful of old enemies making ghostly cameos, including John Lithgow as Arthur Mitchell, Jimmy Smits as Miguel Prado, and Erik King as James Doakes. Lithgow already confirmed he's back "as a phantom," which sounds about right for this franchise.

Dexter: Resurrection starts streaming July 11. Whether it sticks the landing or not, one thing's clear: Showtime's release strategy is almost as unpredictable as Dexter himself.