The meaning behind Dexter's new fake identity

Dexter: New Blood sees Dexter Morgan adopting the pseudonym "Jim Lindsay" at his new Iron Lake home, a nod to the serial killer's origins.

The meaning of Dexter Morgan's pseudonym in Dexter: New Blood is a nod to the serial killer's origins. When Dexter returned in New Blood, after escaping Miami, Florida, he was introduced in Iron Lake, New York under a brand new name and persona. Ten years after his suspended animation, Dexter's protagonist changed his name to James "Jim" Lindsay, an act he persisted in until it was revealed shortly before his death in New Blood's finale.

As a serial killer who must anonymously introduce himself to potential victims or purchase items that cannot be traced back to him, Harry's Code required Dexter Morgan to have to come up with numerous false identities in the original series. Some of Dexter's most famous aliases include Kyle Butler (of Arthur Mitchell's family), Darryl Tucker, Sean Ellis, Patrick Bateman, MD and Day Jeff Cutler. Jim Lindsay, however, is arguably Dexter's most daring false identity, both because of its longevity and because it happens to have significant significance tied to the character's origin.

Dexter’s Fake Identity Is An Homage To Book Author Jeff Lindsay

The false identity chosen by Dexter Morgan while living in Iron Lake, New York was not random. His last name in Dexter: New Blood A tribute to Jeff Lindsay, the author of the Dexter novels, whose initials are now also adopted by Dexter. Jeff Lindsay created Dexter Morgan and all his murderous moral dilemmas in Darkly Dreaming Dexter, so it's only fitting to pay tribute to him in bringing Michael C. Hall's version of Dexter back to the silver screen.

While the name Jim doesn't seem to be an homage to a specific character, the popularity of the name fits into Dexter's plan to blend into Iron Lake and appear as "normal" as possible. James/Jim could also be a nod to various real-life serial killers, as killers like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer often used common names among their aliases. Despite "Jim Lindsay" efforts to keep Dexter anonymous for a few years, it all came to naught when his son Harrison Morgan finally found him.

New Blood Continues Dexter’s Fake Name References

Patrick Bateman was one of the first pseudonyms used by the main character in the original Dexter series, referring to the main serial killer in the novel and film American Psycho. In Dexter season 1, he revealed that he used the false identity of Patrick Bateman, MD, as a means of obtaining M99 (not ketamine, the new Blood retcons) were not detected. While the name was supposed to reveal to the authorities what the Doctor's M99 orders were actually for, Dexter's American Psycho alias managed to help him evade capture.

At one point in Dexter season 7, Dexter Morgan chose to use the name Arthur Curry when hiding his real identity. Arthur Curry is also the alter ego of Aquaman in the DC Comics series, which coincides with Dexter's obsession with superheroes, even comparing himself to the one in the original series and Dexter: New Blood. While the alias is a neat reference, it's unlikely that Dexter will use the name again in the fictional Iron Lake unless some comic book readers take notice of his actions.