Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage) is one of the most fascinating and mysterious characters inDexter: Resurrection. A wealthy businessman with connections all over the city, he also has a secret: he’s obsessed with serial killers. Watching their show-and-tells fuels his sick fascination, as does his personal museum filled with a collection of serial killer artifacts and trophies.
Not much was known about Leon’s personal life beyond this until Episode 7, “Course Correction,” when he opened up to Dexter (Michael C. Hall) about his past. The details are harrowing, but they also suggest there’s more to Leon than meets the eye.He might not just be obsessed with serial killers; he could potentially be one.
Leon’s Fascination With Killers Might Have Started Earlier Than Anticipated
It was previously revealed that Leon became an orphan when both his parents were killed in a tragic car accident caused by a drunk driver. Like Dexter, his darkness was born in blood. He tells Dexter that he grappled with the reality of the situation throughout his childhood, eventually deciding that he needed to see the man who killed his parents if he was going to get any closure.
As the story goes, the man named Cooper, who was serving time in prison for the crime, revealed to Leon that he had caused the crash on purpose. He had just fought with his girlfriend at the time and opted to drive right into the car in his fit of rage. Confused by this revelation, Leon also oddly found himself drawn to it. So, he continued to visit.
Eventually, Cooper admitted to Leon that he felt no remorse for his actions. Rather than angering Leon, he found himself intrigued by this reality. Cooper finally told Leon that he had killed before, and Leon felt more connected to him than ever at that moment. He felt in control of his life. The conversation made him vow never to be the scared little boy in the backseat again.
Cooper was said to have died before he saw his 50th birthday. Feeling lost and alone after that, Leon started to collect trophies from other killers in hopes that this would continue to fuel his darkness. And so, his obsession and fascination began, culminating in these dinner parties and show-and-tell sessions. Or so Leon claims.
Could Leon Be the New York Ripper?
Given Leon’s strong ties to New York and hisobsession with serial killers,is it possible that he’s more than just a voyeur but also the notorious New York Ripper? This serial killer has reportedly been terrorizing the streets of New York since the ‘70s and ‘80s, the very streets Leon mentions playing on as a child. Claudette (Kadia Saraf) became obsessed with taking him down and almost lost her job in the process of searching for the Ripper. But why? Chances are, she came close to finding out who he was, and Leon used his power and influence to force her off his scent.
There are plenty of other theories about who the New York Ripper could be,including the Gemini Killer(David Dastmalchian). However, he’d likely be too young, and even Blessing (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), which would be a shocking but believable twist given the reveal of his dark side. But there’s something about Leon that fits, even if the age doesn’t.
Taking that into account,it’s more likely that the Ripper was his father, and Leon either decided to continue his dad’s work after his death or felt drawn to killers because of this. RedditorSyndromegetsdowntheorizes that Leon is the New York Ripper’s son and his relationship with his dad mirrors that of Dexter and Harrison (Jack Alcott).Electronic-Drive7348adds in another discussion that it would be a crazy twist if “Prater, as a kid, kills his father [and] thus begins his fascination with serial killers.”Far-Rip5821adds that it makes sense because “why else would Prater be so interested in killers unless he was related to one.”
One clue relates to the weapon used in the Ripper cases. It’s a very long tool with a hook on the end. This is an ideal option for someone of Leon’s diminutive stature, since it would provide the extra height he would need to attack his taller victims. “Little person bullied as a child,” notesMurky-Cheetah-4317, “gets even by using a long tool to assist him with his natural lack of reach, also ‘gets even’ by becoming a great success…”Interestingly, that weapon is among the items in Leon’s museum. How did Leon manage to get a hold of it? The Ripper never left a murder weapon at crime scenes.
It would also make sense that the Ripper is Leon (or his father) since the Ripper hasn’t been active for some time. Leon may be using these serial-killer friends not just to fuel his dark passenger but to satiate his hunger to kill so he doesn’t act on his impulses and risk his status and wealth. It’s like living vicariously through these killers is Leon’s own twisted version of a code. Or, more likely, it’s his way of honoring his father by gathering the most notorious killers in their respective fields.
Could He Be Connected to Brian Moser?
Another theory is that Leon could potentially have ties to Brian Moser (Christian Camargo), Dexter’s biological older brother, who turned out to be the Ice Truck Killer. If Brian were still alive, he would be in his 50s and thus around the same age as Leon. Seeing as both grew up in orphanages and with foster families, it’s possible they crossed paths at some point, either as kids or even later as adults, before Brian became the Ice Truck Killer and started stalking Dexter (again). There is a 15-year gap, after all, in the timeline between when Brian first appears inDexter: Original Sinand when he shows up in Miami in Season 1 ofDexter.
Interestingly,Camargo is set to appear inDexter: Resurrection.While it was initially believed to be in ghost form, much like Harry (James Remar), perhaps it’s in a flashback before his death to reveal that the two knew one another. We know, after all, that Leon followed the killings in Miami, since he had relics fromthe Ice Truck Killer, the Bay Harbor Butcher, and the Trinity Killer in his museum, and knew very detailed information about the cases. If he had known Brian before, he might have collaborated with him on kills.
Leon Remains an Enigma, But Probably Not for Long
There’s certainly a lot more than meets the eye to Leon. He has secrets that will likely be revealed before the end of the season.It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for one of those secrets to be that Leon is one of the most notorious serial killers to never be caught, or at least connected to the killer in some meaningful way. Maybe he’s just your regular garden-variety killer, or he’s the son of a killer who has become drawn to other serial killers after losing his murderous father, hoping they might fill that hole.
It’s entirely possible that Leon really has never committed a murder himself and just mastered the art of pulling puppet strings to quellhis dark passenger. Whatever more there is to learn about Leon, one thing’s for sure: Dexter will find out.StreamDexter: ResurrectiononParamount+ with Showtime.
