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Eric Stonestreet to return as Rapunzel in Dexter: Resurrection season 2

At New York Comic Con, the Dexter: Resurrection panel revealed Eric Stonestreet will return as serial killer Rapunzel in season 2, which returns to Paramount+ on October 30.

5 outlets · 2L · 3C · 0R First reported Account updated

Updated (version 2). New coverage since the last version from Collider, The Hollywood Reporter.

Image: Screen Rant
Image: Variety
Image: The Hollywood Reporter
Image: Collider

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The story, neutrally told

Centre · 2The Dexter: Resurrection panel at New York Comic Con on 8 October revealed that Eric Stonestreet will return as serial killer Rapunzel in season 2. Centre · 2Screen Rant describes Stonestreet's character as the only serial killer who escaped Dexter's kill room in season 1, and Deadline says Stonestreet surprised the audience at the panel. Left · 1Variety, which describes Stonestreet's appearance as a surprise, says he played Al Walker, a.k.a. Rapunzel, in season 1 as part of the group of killers assembled by Leon Prater; Dexter intended to kill Al, but Al left New York and returned to suburban life first.

Centre · 1Season 2 returns to Paramount+ on October 30, and fans at the panel were able to screen the season premiere. Centre · 1The panel featured Michael C. Hall, Uma Thurman, James Remar, Jack Alcott, Bokeem Woodbine and Krysten Ritter, with showrunner and executive producer Clyde Phillips and executive producers Scott Reynolds and Marcos Siega. Centre · 1According to Deadline, season 2 finds Dexter Morgan caught between two killers, one with decades of notoriety (Brian Cox) and a young newcomer terrorizing New York (Dan Stevens), while he also faces a mid-life crisis and his son Harrison (Alcott) pursues his own justice.

Left · 1Variety reports that Brian Cox plays The New York Ripper and Dan Stevens plays The Five Borough Killer, and lists further season 2 cast members Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Kadia Saraf, Dominic Fumusa, Desmond Harrington and Gabriel Luna. Left · 1The Hollywood Reporter quotes Stonestreet saying he wanted to return because of the contrast between Al being a family guy who seemingly has it all and being an awful person, and he recalled that showrunner Clyde Phillips had turned him down for season 1 before he was cast in Modern Family. Left · 1The Hollywood Reporter also reports that Krysten Ritter is back; her character Lady Vengeance died in season 1, and the cast and crew avoided saying how she returns, with Phillips noting that she was pronounced dead at the prison and Marcos Siega saying they felt it could not be the end.

Left · 1Phillips said the move to New York gives the show an energy Miami lacked and lets it show the city as a character, and Hall said the season 2 premiere opens after a time skip filled in with a montage of Dexter's victims. Centre · 1Collider adds that no new season 2 footage was released at the panel, and recounts the franchise's recent history of cancellations and renewals, including Dexter: Original Sin being cancelled after an earlier season 2 renewal. Centre · 1Screen Rant says season 1 broke many records for the franchise, which has run for two decades; that claim is the outlet's own and is not backed by figures in its article.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left2 outlets

Framing
Variety and The Hollywood Reporter report the panel as trade news: Variety a compact casting announcement with season 1 background and credits, THR a long panel write-up with cast quotes and a tease of Krysten Ritter's return.
Emphasis
Variety: Rapunzel's season 1 backstory, season 2 cast and credits. THR: Stonestreet's and Ritter's returns, the move to New York, cast praise for the set and for Michael C. Hall.
Leaves out or plays down
Neither mentions the season 2 premiere screening for fans (reported by Deadline); Variety gives no panel quotes.
Charged language
“newsy”
For example
“Stonestreet made a surprise appearance at the show’s New York Comic-Con panel on Thursday to make the announcement.” — Variety
“Krysten Ritter‘s resurrection was made a bit clearer during the show’s newsy Thursday panel at New York Comic Con.” — The Hollywood Reporter

Centre3 outlets

Framing
Screen Rant, Deadline and Collider treat it as an upbeat casting and promotional announcement; Screen Rant stresses franchise legacy, Deadline the season 2 premise and credits, and Collider the franchise's cancellation-and-renewal history.
Emphasis
Screen Rant: Rapunzel's escape and franchise success. Deadline: panel lineup, season plot, premiere date, producers. Collider: franchise history, villains and no new footage.
Leaves out or plays down
Screen Rant gives no premiere date or plot detail; Deadline does not mention Rapunzel's escape in season 1; Collider does not name the panel.
Charged language
“Era-Ending Killer”“killer Season 2 premiere”“Fan-Favorite”
For example
“his return on Showtime and Paramount+ with Dexter: Resurrection season 1 broke many records” — Screen Rant
“The fans in attendance were able to screen the show’s killer Season 2 premiere.” — Deadline
“Dexter: Resurrection fan-favorite and Modern Family star Eric Stonestreet is officially set to return for Season 2.” — Collider

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.