Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

Dark, thrilling, and a bit twisted: 8 shows like Dexter to keep you hooked

Dexter isn't the only likable homicidal maniac to watch on TV

By
Michael C. hall sitting in a chair on Dexter
Showtime

While most of the time, people are infatuated with true crime series and depressing recollections of real serial killers on streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, others want something a little less intense. The Dexter franchise has provided that alternate universe for those who want to dive into the homicidal genre while still being able to root for the psycho at the center of the drama. Dexter Morgan is a blood spatter analyst who uses his intellect and inside information while working for the police department in Miami to solve crimes as a vigilante. His solution to curing South Florida’s murder problem? Killing the bad guys himself.

Dexter’s popularity throughout the 2000s and 2010s has led to several spinoff series. Dexter: Original Sin, Dexter: New Blood, and Dexter: Resurrection are the three shows that have extended Dexter’s story to varying degrees of success. Some fans are starting to get tired of the Dexter franchise, but they still want the thrill of the original show (and that includes me). If you’re one of those people. like me, it’s time to check out these shows like Dexter to feed your dark passenger.

Recommended Videos

Breaking Bad (2008)

Breaking Bad
tv-ma
5 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Crime
Stars
Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn
Created by
Vince Gilligan
Watch on Netflix
Breaking Bad has a lot more in common with Dexter than you may think at first glance. Walter White is just as psychotic as Dexter Morgan. Walter’s thirst for violence may not be the same as Dexter’s, but his insatiable desire for power and a gigantic ego fullfilment prophecy makes him even more destructive to society. In fact, Walter is probably someone that Dexter would want to put on his table and put an end to. Both series are about the journeys of immoral men with a code behind their killing, and Bryan Cranston and Michael C. Hall are legendary in depicting the stress, trauma, and heartbreak their characters undergo and inflict on the ones they love. Breaking Bad also shares Dexter’s affinity for having an extended universe. Better Call Saul arguably surpassed Breaking Bad after six incredible prequel seasons in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Related

Bosch (2015)

Bosch
tv-ma
7 Seasons
Genre
Mystery, Drama, Crime
Stars
Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino
Created by
Eric Overmyer
Watch on Amazon

Bosch provides a similar character journey for the protagonist as Dexter because the main character is always pursuing serial killers while also trying to clear his name in his own murder case. Bosch also takes place among a variety of police officers and law enforcement. The series is one of the original crime dramas that catapulted Prime Video to success with original content in the last part of the 2010s. Titus Welliver and Jamie Hector give award-worthy performances.

Hannibal (2013)

Hannibal
tv-ma
3 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Crime
Stars
Mads Mikkelsen, Hugh Dancy, Laurence Fishburne
Created by
Bryan Fuller
Watch on Amazon
Hannibal was probably a little too complex for its time and station. Broadcasting on NBC, this series would have been right at home a decade later on a major streamer with a lot more creative liberties. Mads Mikkelsen matches Anthony Hopkins’ legendary depiction of Hannibal Lecter by taking advantage of the extra screen time given to the mysterious and complex killer. His friendship/rivalry with investigator Will Graham is what pushes this show toward greatness. Both men analyze each other, find solace in one another, and also fear one another. You’ll love this one if you’re into what makes killers tick.

You (2018)

You
tv-ma
5 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Stars
Penn Badgley, Charlotte Ritchie, Madeline Brewer
Created by
Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble
Watch on Netflix
You is the show that most closely resembles Dexter if you’re going straight to plot and characterization. Joe Goldberg is the serial murderer at the center of this series. Like Dexter Morgan, he tries to hide his true identity by blending into normal societal activities like working and dating. The emphasis You places on the romantic relationships between Joe and his girlfriends also resembles the various issues Dexter faced throughout his story with his love interests. The final season of You should premiere in 2025 on Netflix.

Mr. Robot (2015)

Mr. Robot
tv-ma
4 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama
Stars
Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Carly Chaikin
Created by
Sam Esmail
Watch on Amazon
Mr. Robot stars Rami Malek as a computer hacker who uses his special skills to fight back against giant corporations. His methods aren’t always legal, and his mental health problems often destroy any chance he has at a good life. The show was one of the underrated hits of the 2010s and introduced Malek to the world as a superstar actor. He won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Sherlock (2010)

Sherlock
tv-14
4 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Stars
Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman
Created by
Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat
Watch on Hulu
Sherlock is an updated version of the classic British detective story starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the iconic mystery solver. Sherlock Holmes goes about his crime-solving behavior a lot more legally than Dexter Morgan, but both shows scratch that itch for murder mystery investigations and twisty thrills. The series only ran 13 episodes and won Cumberbatch an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries.

Barry (2018)

Barry
tv-ma
4 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Drama
Stars
Bill Hader, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan
Created by
Alec Berg, Bill Hader
Watch on max
Barry features Bill Hader as an assassin who turns into an actor when he moves to California. The series’ dark humor and satirical understanding of the crime genre is the closest parallel between the two shows, besides the protagonists, who are both antiheroes and killers. Hader won multiple Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Barry.

The Shield (2002)

The Shield
tv-ma
7 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama, Action & Adventure
Stars
Michael Chiklis, Catherine Dent, Paula Garcés
Created by
Shawn Ryan
Watch on Hulu
The Shield is FX’s version of The Sopranos. This cop drama blazed a trail for further great shows on the cable network with a complex performance by Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackey. Vic solves crimes with his own brand of violence. He’s like if Dexter Morgan was a cop who wasn’t afraid to let people know about his demonic backstory. It’s a great cop show and an interesting character study.

Editors’ Recommendations

Movie images and data from:
Topics
Shawn Laib
Shawn Laib
Contributor
Shawn Laib is a freelance writer with publications such as Den of Geek, Quote.com, Edge Media Network, diaTribe, SUPERJUMP…
8 must-see shows like Ted Lasso to fill the gap before season 4
The sports comedy is returning, but you can enjoy these alternatives in the meantime
The cast of Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso is one of the biggest hits in the history of Apple TV+. The sports comedy starring Jason Sudeikis is famous for its overly positive outlook on life as it follows an eager American football coach who is told to conform to the expectations of English soccer after being hired overseas. Ted doesn't listen to the doubters as each episode oozes with an easy, funny tone that brightens everyone's day. It's one of the best comfort watches in any TV fan's library.

While the third season of Ted Lasso was supposed to be its last, the series has been renewed for a fourth season. Ted Lasso season 4 doesn't have a release date or plot synopsis yet, but fans are already eager to get back into the world of hijinks and fun. If you have already watched the first three seasons a few too many times, we have a solution. These are the best shows like Ted Lasso to stream next while waiting for season 4.

Read more
7 shows like The Sopranos for your next binge
These series all learned from HBO's best drama
The cast of The Sopranos

The Sopranos finds itself in a rare pop culture place right now. Most people know what the show is, whether you're a younger TV fan just getting into the HBO series or a veteran who is on their ninth rewatch in the last 25 years. It's a pioneering classic that is fresh and a relic of its time simultaneously. David Chase's crime drama about a mobster who goes to therapy during the day and kills capos at night brought an entirely new dimension to television that didn't exist before. The show broke barriers that other programs have tried to imitate, but very few have ever accomplished. On the other hand, the shows that have gone shot-for-shot with The Sopranos have improved upon some of the older, more outdated parts of the series.

Because The Sopranos was the original crime drama of the Golden Age of Television, it's not hard to compile a list of copycats. Simply boiling these successors down to their similarities to The Sopranos would be disrespectful, though. These shows like The Sopranos are some of the best TV series of all time and have won Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and more. Time to wake up this morning and get yourself a Sopranos-adjecent binge-watch.

Read more
8 high-stakes shows like Squid Game you can’t miss
Death, drama, and game shows are quite a mix in these Squid Game-like series
The cast of season 3 of Squid Game.

Squid Game surely superseded any expectations the creators had when the South Korean drama series premiered in 2021. Now the most popular show in the history of Netflix, the series follows a group of desperate contestants who will sacrifice anything to win a massive cash prize in a long line of lethal games and activities. The concept seems more like something that would be on reality TV than scripted, but the creators more than make everything work. Squid Game is able to grapple with a lot of thought-provoking issues while never shying away from addicting devices and unique episodes that beg to keep viewers hooked to the screen all night long.

There's nothing exactly like Squid Game, or at least nothing that has equaled it in popularity. We've dove into the deepest parts of the TV landscape to find series that resemble the South Korean phenomenon in the way they create drama, the setting they take place in, or the genre elements they imitate. These are shows like Squid Game that you need to watch right away.

Read more