If there’s one thing Dexter proved it’s that killing doesn’t always have to be messy or gory. You have to admit, there was a certain finesse to the serial killer’s style that made him a fan favorite.
Seven years and eight seasons later, the show is back to prove that point all over again in the limited series revival, Dexter: New Blood. Sure, the original series ended quite abruptly, but it had some pretty high points. After all, it introduced us to the eponymous Miami forensic analyst who helped catch murderers by day while doing a little murdering after work hours.
It’s understandable if all this buzz about Dexter has awakened your appetite for cerebral murder-filled narratives. That’s why we’ve come up with similar shows to get a good ol’ fashioned binge started.
1. Barry
Much like Dexter, Barry is a man whose layered and complicated secret life is vastly different from what people see. The titular character happens to be a low-level assassin who’s no longer dazzled by the life of a hired gun. When a hit takes him all the way to the city of angels. It turns out to be the pivot point that he needed.
His whole world did a 360 once he followed his target into an improv class and finally found his tribe. Unfortunately, his handler, Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root) requires him to keep killing to keep his newfound friends and loved ones out of harm’s way. It may be a dry, dark comedy, but what better way to drive this narrative?
2. Mr. Robot
Imagine Dexter, but with hackers and tech gurus instead of serial killers. That’s Mr. Robot in a nutshell. Here, Rami Malek plays Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer on the surface and a daring hacktivist in his free time. Besides trying to save the world in his own way, Elliot has to deal with his schizophrenia.
Mr. Robot certainly does have a handful of overlapping themes with Dexter. The main characters are both outsiders of sorts, often looking in at societal ills in an unconventional manner. Also bonding them is their strong sense of justice which fuels their vigilante-style actions. If you see this right after Dexter, it’ll be like you never missed a beat.
3. Hannibal
Calculated murder, check. Unbridled access into the psyche of a serial killer, double-check. In more ways than one, Hannibal is a perfect parallel for Dexter lovers to sink their teeth into. The show itself is based on Thomas Harris' novels centered around the fictional and cannibalistic killer, Hannibal Lecter. Giving it a nice touch is the character of Will Graham, played by Hugh Dancy. Not only is he working within law enforcement (like Dexter), but he’s got the uncanny ability to empathize with murderers. With Lecter whispering in his ear, the result can only be total chaos.
4. Prodigal Son
If you are looking for another show about a cop who truly gets the gist of how a murder operates, then the Prodigal Son is right up your alley. In this one, Tom Payne plays the role of Malcolm Bright, an NYPD criminal psychologist. Adding an extra layer of complication is the fact that his father is the well-known serial killer Martin Whitly, more popularly known as The Surgeon (Michael Sheen).
You know what they say, the apple never falls from the tree and that’s the case for Martin as he finds his mental stability being challenged by a case that hits too close to home. Throw in the truckload of family drama and you got yourself a great show to watch after Dexter.
5, Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is a lot like Dexter in the sense that it features very cerebral main characters living double lives. Here the spotlight is on Walter White (Brian Cranston), a chemistry teacher whose morals go down the drain once he finds out he has lung cancer. In a moment of clarity, he uses his top-notch knowledge of chemistry to go into the crystal meth business with a former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). Altogether, it's interesting to watch the two men as they glide down the slippery slope that is the criminal world. Also, he’s doing it all for the wife and kids… or is he?
6. You
With Penn Badgely as the lead, You reinforces one major truth: everything is not what it seems. Penn’s character Joe Goldberg is well-put-together, suave, charismatic, and a full-blown sociopath. Unlike most of the leads on this list, Dexter included, Joe puts the “hopeless” in hopeless romantic — but not in the cutesy way most people have come to know and love.
He’s obsessive, manipulative, and more than ready to go to all lengths to obtain the object of his affection. With his complex moral code and all-around impulsiveness, he makes quite the likable antihero (just like Dexter).
7. The Following
A few shades darker than most of the options on this list, The Following is part twisted, part diabolic. It explores a reality where serial killers develop a sort of hive mentality under the wing of the infamous Joe Carroll (James Purefoy). Once Carroll escapes from death row, former FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) is called upon to hunt him down. What follows is a plunge into a dark rabbit hole of gruesome acts and psychological stares. You’re probably going to need a night light after this binge, but it’s well worth it.
8. The Fall
The Fall is one of those shows that makes you think to yourself, “how many serial killers did I bump into today?” It’s all because of one of the leads, Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan) who’s both a loving husband and doting father while leading a whole other life as the ruthless serial killer known as the Belfast Strangler.
Brought in to hunt him down is DSI Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) and it slowly becomes a case of the hunter becoming the hunted. Soon enough, the whole cat and mouse dynamic become personal and that’s where things get interesting.
9. The Mentalist
Let’s go back to the fun side of things — well, as fun as it can be when there’s murder involved. At the center of it all is well-known psychic, Patrick Jane played by Simon Baker. Altogether, Patrick is a guy blessed with keen observation skills, and it's these skills that earn him a gig as an independent consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
On the surface, he’s a cheerful and easy-going kind of guy, with sharp deduction skills, but there’s definitely more to him than what meets the eye. Apparently, his stint with the CBI is a cover as he plots his revenge on the man who killed his wife and daughter.
10. CSI: Miami
This list would be incomplete without at least one CSI series in the mix. A bit on the nose, since it's set in Miami just like Dexter, this show focuses on tons of criminals across 232 episodes. It may not have many drawn-out narratives or a central theme for that matter, but the parallels are obvious.
In every episode, expect nothing less than a “good” murder, law enforcement dynamics and a peek into each agent’s personal life.
11. The Killing
Talk about a couple of cops, riddled with real-life problems, as well as, a myriad of crimes to solve. That’s pretty much what you get with The Killing. Though it lasted only four seasons, the series managed to offer up a potent storyline. Directly based on the Danish TV series, Forbrydelsen, the show is slow-paced, engaging, and the perfect parallel for Dexter. At the center of it all are Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos)and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman), detectives on the force who are committed to bringing down the bad guys.
One of the main differences between The Killing and every other option on this list is the peek into the lives of the families of the victims. However, much like Dexter, the show manages to be cerebral, engaging, and a teensy bit creepy.
12. Criminal
On a realistic note, what better way to peer into the minds of criminals than to observe what happens in the interrogation room? That’s the premise that Criminal is built on. The series itself is made up of standalone episodes that explore the cat and mouse game that transpires between investigators and criminals. Altogether, it's moment after moment of intense interrogations, investigations, and bone-chilling puzzles. Sounds a bit familiar?
13. Mindhunter
Is it really possible to understand the inner workings of a serial killer’s mind, or is that some sort of myth? In Mindhunter, psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) attempts to crack the code while in collaboration with the FBI. Together, they launch a research project of sorts, that allows them to interview these personalities and gain an understanding of how, and why, they commit these heinous crimes. While they are at it, the team solves a handful of crimes and gets a chance to apply all the knowledge they’ve gleaned from — yes you’ve guessed it — serial killers.
14. Top of the Lake
Visits back home are often riddled with drama and unexpected occurrences, but this one takes the cup. In Top of the Lake, Detective Robin Griffin (Elisabeth Moss) visits her dying mum in New Zealand, only to stumble across a puzzling case. It’s a mysterious one and involves a pregnant 12-year old who’s found in the South Island Lake. She doesn’t necessarily tell anyone who’s responsible or how she got there, but that’s not the real mystery. The girl eventually goes missing and Robin sets out to find her. However, the detective does not expect to unravel her entire being in the process.
15. The Punisher
Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Punisher follows the life of Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), an FBI agent who was pushed one step too far. Besides being maimed and left for dead, Frank’s wife and son are murdered by some sinister characters. In the true spirit of “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” Frank comes back more motivated and angrier than ever.
In a bid to avenge his fallen kin, the FBI agent assumes the identity of the titular Punisher and uncovers more than he bargained for in the process.