Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Dexter: Resurrection, Episode 3 (“Backseat Driver”)

Summary

In an interview with Collider, David Zayas and Ntare Gwine break down how Dexter’s path is challenged across two opposing moral roads led by Zayas’ Batista and Gwine’s Blessing.

Zayas admits that Batista’s commitment to bringing Dexter to justice complicates their relationship.

Blessing’s kindness creates a unique dynamic with Dexter that could lead to unexpected outcomes.

Following a two-episode premiere last week on Showtime, Dexter: Resurrection isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, its third episode premiering Friday on Showtime with Paramount+ pulls the pin on more chaos. With Angel Batista (David Zayas) quietly reopening old wounds and Blessing (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) welcoming Dexter into a family dinner straight out of a life the antihero rarely sees, the lines between past and present — or, rather, predator and protector are getting blurrier by the second. In an interview with Collider to break down Episode 3’s “Backseat Driver,” Mwine teases that things are about to get a whole lot “spicier” after this one, while his co-star, Zayas, always the straight shooter, promises: “Things get more complicated.” Friday’s episode saw Batista confirming Michael C. Hall’s Dexter Morgan is still very much alive — and, without alerting anyone else just yet, quietly committing to seeing him brought to justice as the Bay Harbour Butcher. Meanwhile, Blessing offers Dexter something disarming: kindness, space, and a home-cooked meal while getting to know his family. But as all things show, that fragile calm is bound to crack, especially as these two characters act as moral poles for Dexter. Getting down to it, Zayas and Gwine reflect on how their characters represent dueling paths for the serial killer, working with Hall in such emotionally loaded scenes, and why what’s coming next is going to hit hard.
Batista’s Love for Dexter Makes His Betrayal Even More Brutal

“Angel Batista is one of those who is not going to let certain things go.”

Image via Zach Dilgard/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

COLLIDER: Angel does resurrect Dexter’s identity to legally pursue him again, and I feel like that’s a very heavy move for someone who once called him a friend and genuinely loves him. How do you think Angel justifies Dexter’s betrayal of their bond? ZAYAS: I think that it really changes the dynamics of that relationship, knowing what I know now. Angel Batista has to be very careful as to how he approaches this new information and who he shares it with, and I think that that becomes a distraction to him. But ultimately, Angel Batista is one of those who is not going to let certain things go. It’s going to bother him until he gets it done. And doing it in a new city, with a new way of life where he’s at, it’s going to be an interesting journey.
Blessing’s Compassion for Dexter Could Be His Biggest Mistake

“He sees a void for Dexter that needs to be filled.”

Image via Zach Dilgard/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

Ntare, Blessing is one of the first people in this world who shows Dexter compassion without suspicion. What do you think draws him to that kind of energy, knowing very well the ride-share job is so risky and he’s invited this man into his home, basically into his family? GWINE: I think he sees a void for Dexter that needs to be filled. He knows he can do that, or he can try to do that. He has a home with an extra space, and he provides him with a space to live. His mother’s an amazing cook. She whips up some incredible meals for him. So, he becomes the friend that he thinks he needs. I think that’s what makes this season so fun, because friendships with Dexter don’t usually go the way normal friendships go.
Dexter’s Two Opposing Paths This Season Mean a Lot More Than You Think

“We get to see how [Dexter] wrestles with that.”

Both of you represent different moral pulls in Dexter’s life. Angel, you’re the season detective, and Blessing, you’re the man whom he trusts first. How do you think your characters reflect two different potential paths for Dexter this season? ZAYAS: With Batista and Dexter, they’ve known each other for so long that they kind of understand the dynamics of what the other one is thinking. Also, the one thing that I really love about this is that Batista is not trying to drag anyone else into this. This is his responsibility to try and find out, or try to get justice from what he’s learned, and there is a protection about that. They know what the task at hand is, and they don’t want to drag anyone else with them. And that’s true, I feel, for both characters. GWINE: For Blessing, he’s really giving a window for the audience to see, can Dexter live under somebody else’s roof, literally? Can he live with another family? Can he become a part of that family? We get to see how he wrestles with that.
How Michael C. Hall’s Intensity Pushes Dexter’s Cast to Deliver Their Best Performances

“Every time I work with Michael, it’s always a wonderful day.”

I know that you guys have had some amazing scenes with Michael C Hall. Was there anything that you were excited to tackle with him? Ntare, this is your first time working with him, but David, you’ve worked with him for years. You guys were like best friends. ZAYAS: Michael is a great example of a number one on the show because he’s so collaborative and he works so hard. Not only does he work hard, but everyone sees that he works hard, and it makes them work hard. It makes them care about what they’re doing. You can’t ask for anything more than that. Every time I work with Michael, it’s always a wonderful day. We know our characters so well, and we’re able to communicate whatever needs to be communicated. We know that we can rely on each other for that. GWINE: For me, what was so special coming onto this show that’s been 20 years running, with David and with Michael, was that they never phoned it in or took things for granted. They literally were asking questions about the script or making suggestions, or Michael would be doing push-ups and working out between scenes, and David was literally shaking it up. So, that’s rare to see something like that for something that anyone has done a job for 20-plus years. You kind of sit back and take this for granted sometimes, and that was not the case with these guys. That set the bar for everyone. The following interview has been abridged for clarity. Watch the whole video above. Dexter: Resurrection is streaming every Friday on Showtime with Paramount+, and airs Sundays on Showtime.