Where was Dexter: New Blood filmed?

In the first episode of Dexter: New Blood, our protagonist appears to be a changed man. He’s a pillar of the local community, dating the local police chief, and seems to have put his killing days behind him. As we see him heading to work, we’re given a taste of just how far integrated Dexter has become into the fabric of Iron Lake as he cheerfully greets his neighbors.

Eventually, he arrives at the hunting and fishing store where he works, Fred’s Fish & Game, and opens up the shop. This is where he first encounters the obnoxious Matt Caldwell, a local troublemaker who wants Jim to sell him a hunting rifle without waiting for the proper FBI check, and who will soon play a key role in Dexter returning to his killing ways.

Fred’s Fish & Game is actually the Bridge Street Bazaar in Shelburne Falls, and it sits right next to the easily recognizable iron bridge that Dexter drives over when heading into town. You can visit the store in person and browse its wares, but be aware that it sells completely different merchandise to the rifles and hunting knives you see lining the walls in New Blood.

Another key recurring theme of New Blood is Jim/Dexter’s connection with a rare white deer. He’s clearly fascinated by the majestic creature and can’t bring himself to harm it, but Matt Caldwell doesn’t have any such qualms.

He shoots the deer right next to Dexter, covering him in blood, and that’s all it takes for Dexter to snap. He hits Matt over the head with his rifle before taking him away to his kill room. It’s been 10 long years, but Dexter’s inner monologue is back and he is now officially off the wagon. “It’s been a long time,” he says, spitting on Caldwell’s body.

While the scenes of Dexter tracking the deer through the woods were filmed near Lake Wampanoag, his encounter with the deer and Matt was actually shot in a residential area of Lancaster, around 50 miles west of Boston. It’s quite an easy spot to get to, but just remember there are private residences here so you’ll need to show common courtesy if you plan on visiting this site.

It’s been a long time between drinks, so to speak, but Dexter has found his next victim. When Matt comes to, he’s naked and strapped to a table in Dexter’s new kill room, which just so happens to be a shed near his isolated cabin in the woods.

A terrified Matt begs for mercy and even tries to threaten Dexter, but his protests fall on deaf ears. “So you’re not gonna kill me?” Matt begs, hanging on to a glimmer of hope. “We’re past the point of no return on that one”, Dexter replies.

As he plunges the knife into Matt’s chest, he utters a chilling greeting: “Hello, Dexter Morgan.”

While the killing takes place indoors, Dexter’s cabin and shed were set on the western edge of Lake Wampanoag, at Camp Collier in Gardner. Unfortunately, the cabin and all props were removed after filming wrapped up, but this site will always be iconic as the venue for Dexter’s first kill in a very long time.

Next on our list of Dexter: New Blood filming locations well worth checking out is an old mine. In episode three, when Dexter begins to fear that Matt’s body will be discovered, he considers moving it to Clark Caves, an old iron mine. But when he’s confronted by an angry bear, he knows he’ll need to find somewhere else.

Then, in episode six, after becoming suspicious of Kurt (Clancy Brown), Angela and Teddy (David Magidoff) decide to explore the caves. They discover a secret cavern and, after moving a pile of rocks out of the way, uncover the corpse of Angela’s childhood friend Iris. “Teddy, get in here now,” she says urgently.

The mine where these memorable New Blood scenes were shot is known as Tantiusques. It’s found in Sturbridge, MA, about 65 miles southwest of Boston, and is found on the western side of Leadmine Road. Photos of the mine entrance make it look like quite a creepy spot, but there is a nice hiking loop here if you want to do some exploring.

One of the key questions the audience must grapple with in Dexter: New Blood is whether Harrison has the same homicidal tendencies as his father. It’s pretty clear from the outset that the kid has issues, and we soon learn that he’s got no problem with violence as he viciously protects his friend, Ethan (Christian Dell'Edera), from a school bully.

Then in episode four, Dexter rushes to the school after Harrison has been stabbed. His son is being hailed a hero after supposedly thwarting Ethan’s plan to attack and kill his bullies, but Dexter smells a rat

“I guess we all have two sides to us,” Harrison says. “Maybe we’re a little bit hero, and a little bit monster. It’s all about which side wins in the end.”

The school scenes from Dexter: New Blood were filmed at Nashoba Regional High School in Bolton, which is about 70 miles east of Shelburne Falls.

It’s always a thrill to see a fan favorite return to the screen, and that happened in episode five of New Blood — with a huge impact on the storyline. At a conference in New York City, Angela and Molly (Jamie Chung) run into Angel Batista (David Zayas), a regular feature from the first eight seasons.

Batista is now the Captain of Homicide of the Miami Metro Police Department, and he’s got some info that is about to shock Angela to her core. He’s giving a talk about the Bay Harbor Butcher case, which long-time fans of the show will be well aware of.

“They actually thought it was a cop from the same department,” Molly says. “Can you imagine being next to a serial killer for years and having no idea?” And after a chat with Batista, Angela is about to discover that her everyman boyfriend Jim is nowhere near as innocent as he seems.

The conference scenes were filmed in the AC Hotel by Marriott Worcester, which is found on Front Street in the heart of Worcester.