Following his faked death and a tumultuous period that saw him confront his son Harrison, Dexter Morgan's past continues to haunt him. Sergeant James Doakes, having miraculously survived the explosion that supposedly killed him, resurfaces – a harder, more cynical man determined to deal with the fallout of Dexter's legacy. A new, brutal serial killer, dubbed "The Reaper," emerges in Miami, mimicking Dexter's methods but operating without any code, leaving a trail of chaos.
Forced into an uneasy alliance, Dexter and Doakes team up to hunt down The Reaper, recognizing the unique threat he poses. After this intense confrontation (and its unresolved consequences), Dexter, seeking to once again disappear and silence his Dark Passenger, flees to the overwhelming anonymity of Chennai, India.
Adopting a new identity as the unassuming "Mr. Kumar," he attempts to live a quiet life, immersing himself in the vibrant culture and trying to suppress his violent urges through observation and sketching. However, after six months, he finds that the Dark Passenger is merely dormant, not defeated. The unfamiliar environment provides a temporary reprieve but also new triggers, and Dexter grapples with the chilling realization that his true nature, and the ghosts of his past, are inescapable, no matter how far he runs. His attempt at a peaceful "resurrection" is threatened both by his internal demons and the subtle signs that his old world may not be entirely done with him.