If there’s one thingDexterproved 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 aboutDexterhas 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.
RELATED:‘Dexter: New Blood’ Review: A Solid Revival That May Actually Make Amends for the Original Ending
Much likeDexter,Barryis 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 bea dry, dark comedy, but what better way to drive this narrative?
2. Mr. Robot
ImagineDexter, but with hackers and tech gurus instead of serial killers. That’sMr. Robotin a nutshell. Here,Rami Malekplays 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. Robotcertainly 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 afterDexter, it’ll be like you never missed a beat.
3. Hannibal
Calculated murder, check. Unbridled access intothe psyche of a serial killer, double-check. In more ways than one,Hannibalis a perfect parallel forDexterlovers to sink their teeth into. The show itself is based onThomas Harris' novels centered around the fictional and cannibalistic killer, Hannibal Lecter. Giving it a nice touch is the character of Will Graham, played byHugh 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 theProdigal Sonis 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 afterDexter.
5, Breaking Bad
Breaking Badis a lot likeDexterin 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?
WithPenn Badgelyas the lead,Youreinforces 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).
RELATED:All Seasons of ‘Dexter’ Ranked From Worst to Best
7. The Following
A few shades darker than most of the options on this list,The Followingis 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 Fallis 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 isDSI 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 bySimon 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 oneCSIseries in the mix. A bit on the nose, since it’s set in Miami just likeDexter, 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.
