The upcoming Dexter revival has many fans excited about the prospect of the series getting a new ending, and showrunner Clyde Phillips couldn't agree more. Running on Showtime for eight seasons between 2006 and 2013, Dexter starred Michael C. Hall as a vigilante serial killer who hunts down murderers that have escaped the legal system. While the series earned great critical acclaim during its run, its series finale was met with backlash from many viewers and has since become widely regarded as one of TV's most disappointing finales.

Days ago, it was announced that Showtime was reviving Dexter with a 10-episode limited series. Phillips will be back as the showrunner with Hall reprising the role of the titular serial killer. Talking about the project on The Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top 5 podcast, Phillips mentioned that the series revival will stand on its own while giving proper closure to the character for the fans.

"We basically do get to start from scratch. We want this to not be Dexter season 9. As far as the ending of the show, this will have no resemblance to how the original finale was, and it's a great opportunity to write a second finale for a show. Showtime has been very gracious about that."

Phillips also spoke about Hall's reaction to the finale, which appears to be the consensus. Still, the primary motivator for reviving the series comes directly from the fans calling for it for so long.

"Michael certainly was aware that the ending wasn't well-received, and I believe that he was not completely satisfied with it. And this is an opportunity to make that right. But that's not why we're doing this. We're doing this because there's such a hunger for Dexter out there."

The big question is if the Dexter revival will ignore the events of the original series finale entirely. While teasing that certain deceased characters may still appear by way of "movie magic," Phillips also confirmed that the events of the season 8 finale definitely happened --- for better or for worse.

"We're not going to betray the audience and say, 'Whoop, that was all a dream,' or whatever it is. What happened in the first eight years happened in the first eight years. This is now however many years later, so we're not undoing anything."

Phillips has had a lot of time to think about a better send-off for Dexter, so let's hope the ending of the revival fares much better with the fans. Otherwise, the disappointment would be much greater this time around with so much hype around the revival and the idea of Dexter getting a much more satisfying ending. No pressure or anything.

As of now, production on the Dexter revival is set to begin this winter as Showtime eyes a fall 2021 release date. While the series is intended to be a limited 10-episode event, you never know what could happen if enough people tune in to the revival. You can check out Phillips' interview in full on The Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top 5 Podcast.