Worth the Watch? Dexter: Original Sin, The Penguin, and The Traitors

Here are three can’t-miss shows to bingewatch on streaming platforms this winter, plus a few more on the way this January. Get to know why “Dexter: Original Sin,” “The Penguin,” and “The Traitors” are worth the watch, without the spoilers.

DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN

America’s favorite murderer is back. No, no, not Luigi! I’m talking Dexter Morgan in the new Paramount+ with Showtime prequel, “Dexter: Original Sin.”

Now, I’ve been a “Dexter” fan for over a decade and recent streaming news confirms countless others can’t shake this show either. After running for eight seasons from 2006 to 2013, the beloved vigilante killer returned for a canon sequel in 2021. Now, Showtime just premiered the prequel and confirmed another sequel is coming in 2025.

One things most fans agree on is that they weren’t satisfied with the ending of the original series. Although the mid-COVID release, “Dexter: New Blood,” was a strong installment to the franchise, the internet was not satisfied with this ending either. Much like Dexter’s dark passenger, we were still hungry for more.

“Dexter: Original Sin,” brings a whole cast of new actors and actresses playing younger versions of all your series faves, including Deb, Harry, Masuka, Batista, LaGuerta, along with some star-studded newcomers to the story. This is certainly an improvement to the braces and wigs they stuck on the adult stars for flashbacks during the original show. The new cast does great job of embodying the energy of each OG character and each introduction had me grinning with nostalgia.

The original adult Dexter, played by Michael C. Hall, is the narrator for the prequel series to stay hooked into the present and tie up loose ends created in the 2021 sequel. Showtime really thought they could leave us off like that?!

Christian Slater takes up the role of doting father, Harry. He’s the only one that doesn’t look exactly like his counterpart (originally played by James Remar), but he does a solid job capturing the role while bringing a new understanding to Harry Morgan.

Get a look back into Dexter’s origin story as he starts his first days as a blood spatter analyst at Miami Metro, oh yeah, and as a blooming killer. If you haven’t watched the original “Dexter” before, well cheers to you, there are seven seasons of fire crime drama television ahead of you on Netflix…and one season we’d all like to forget.

THE PENGUIN

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t care for 2022’s “The Batman” movie. Robert Pattinson was fine — I just think, if it’s going to be a three hour movie, ya better hold my attention! However, it did set the stage for the events of MAX’s “The Penguin” television series, which is the single best thing the DC Universe has put out since “Joker.” For some reason, they always nail the villains but not the heroes…

Just wrapping up in November 2024, “The Penguin” stands alone from any other superhero/villain shows. Although some details may come into play, there’s really no need to watch every other show and movie to understand what’s going on. This limited series is good enough all on its own.

You may be surprised to hear that “The Penguin” is closer to “The Sopranos” than you’d ever expect from a Batman baddie, but here we are. “The Penguin” is a cinematic wonder with all the chills, thrills, and kills you want from a villain origin story.

The acting in is top-notch. Colin Farrell is unrecognizable as complicated title villain, Oswald Cobb, and it’s easy to feel both sympathy and rage for this main character. Who are the good guys? It’s hard to say.

Best known as The Mother in “How I Met Your Mother,” Cristin Milioti is enthralling as Sofia Falcone, a character in the Falcone crime family who was never fully fleshed out in the comics. Milioti’s breakout performance at times outshines The Penguin himself, even in hundreds of pounds of professional makeup. I often found myself rooting for Sofia over Oz.

However, the best acting in the show comes from Deirdre O’Connell, who deserves an Emmy for her heart wrenching role as Oswald Cobb’s mother Francis, struggling with dementia and ghosts of her past.

Director Craig Zobel set out to do something different with the well-known supervillain in “The Penguin” and I believe they accomplished it. It’s a mob crime drama that feels like it’s set in the real world, while leveraging the visual campiness of its comic book origins.

THE TRAITORS

I’ve waited a whole year to talk about this reality competition and it’s finally time for me to gush over “The Traitors” Season 3. The show that unseated “RuPaul’s Drag Race” for Outstanding Reality Competition Program at the Emmys is back Thursday, Jan. 9, on Peacock.

Don’t worry, it’s not another dating game. “The Traitors,” inspired by the original UK version, is constructed like a twisted-up murder mystery, bringing a mix of American reality stars — which ranges from Bravo’s Real Housewives to winners of Survivor to contestants on The Bachelor.

Fabulous, devilish host, Alan Cumming, won Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality Competition Program at The Emmys for “The Traitors” in 2024 and this Thursday he’s back at the mansion with a new cast!

At the start of the competition, a few players are selected to be The Traitors who will work to secretly deceive everyone else in the house, a.k.a. The Faithfuls. The object of the game is to have only Faithfuls remaining at the end. If there’s a Traitor in their midst, the remaining Traitor (or Traitors) win the pot and everyone else gets nothing!

Each night, The Traitors choose someone to “murder.” Upon convening for breakfast each morning, the remaining players find out one by one who was marked for death overnight.

The competition also features physical and mental challenges where everyone works together to add money to the pot and retrieve other benefits. After each match, the cast attempts to vote out whichever player they believe is a Traitor. Whoever gets the majority of votes goes home — whether they were really a Traitor or not.

How do you trust anyone when you know someone is betraying you? This premise ignites a game of lying, manipulation, and strategy among all players that organically keeps things interesting. While “gamers” might have an edge in the strategic side of things, “housewives” often have the upper-hand in communication, making for a fresh dynamic in the house.

I wouldn’t call “The Traitors” family-friendly but it’s PG, making it a fun watch with your kids too or anyone else you shamelessly binge reality shows with. I don’t know what will be for Season 3, but this is without-a-doubt my favorite reality show, and mind you, the only housewife I can name is Larsa Pippen. This smart, engaging game gives reality stars a chance to shine in a whole new light.

OTHER WINTER STREAMING HIGHLIGHTS:

• Remember ‘Move. That. Bus!’? Well, “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” is back and rebooted on ABC starting Jan. 2.
• “Squid Game” Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
• “WWE Raw” officially moves to Netflix starting Monday, Jan. 6.
• “Will Trent” is back Jan. 7 for Season 3 on ABC.
• ”Goosebumps: The Vanishing” premieres on Disney + on Friday, Jan. 10.
• The highly-anticipated “Severance” Season 2 premieres Jan. 17 on Apple TV+.
• “The Night Agent” Season 2 premieres Jan. 23 on Netflix.
• In February 2025, look out for new seasons of of “Yellowjackets” and “The White Lotus.”