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September 23rd, 2013
01:09 PM ET
'Dexter': About that series finale ...If you have loved ones who are "Dexter" fans, you might want to give them some breathing room for the next 12 to 48 hours while they recover from a horrible series finale. While there isn't really a "right" way to end a show - you can't please everyone, after all - "Dexter" fans would argue that there is now an explicitly wrong way to end a series. (If you haven't watched the final episode and care about spoilers, stop reading now.)
The angst is centered around two very out-of-nowhere conclusions: Dexter's sister, Deb, gets killed off, and then Dexter becomes a lumberjack. But, argues Entertainment Weekly, at least no one saw that coming. "This was the most important element and I think the outcome is solid," James Hibberd writes. "You want to avoid Dexter being killed by somebody or ending up in jail - those are the all-too-obvious choices. Here Dex has chosen exile. He's a shell of his former self, avoiding all human contact." The Twitter haters haven't been as open-minded: Yet in the eyes of producers Scott Buck and Sara Colleton, this was really the only place left for "Dexter" to go. "It seemed like the ending that was most justified," Buck told EW. "In season 1, you saw this guy who was so compartmentalized. The last couple seasons have been about breaking down those walls by having his son and his relationship with Hannah and having Deb discover who he is. Still he was able to justify what he did. We felt it took the death of the one person he cared most about to really look at himself." And moving him far away from Miami in a self-imposed exile seemed to be the best punishment for a ruthless character, Colleton added to TVLine. "Going into exile away from everything that he knows and has become attached (to) in his whole infrastructure is a more fitting punishment for what his journey toward being a human being has cost everyone around him," she said. "If the central idea from the pilot on was: Here’s a guy who thinks of himself as a monster and yet yearns to be human ... We’ve seen him on this journey ... and we’ve seen year-to-year what this journey has cost him. So, in the finale, the final price comes through." Although Jennifer Carpenter's character is now in the middle of an ocean, the actress wouldn't be surprised if "Dexter" did live on somehow. (After all, the guy is still, you know, alive. Unlike Deb. Just had to point that out once more.) "I guess we can't really say yet because I played my character from A to Z, but I don't necessarily think that Dexter is done," Carpenter told The Hollywood Reporter. "It's still deliciously hanging untied; there's too much intrigue and too much of the appetite for it to completely be unresolved by this finale. Maybe somewhere down the line I wouldn't be surprised if something happens. I would be interested to see Michael (C. Hall) come back with the energy that he'd have from taking a real break and seeing what he can do with that character. I'm not trying to hint that I know something is coming, but I'm saying it's possible." |
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REPORT FAT HIPS...THANKS
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MY FRIEND...WE SEE THEM ALLLLL THE TIME.
This was the worst ending of a show of this caliber. I realize that there was bad acting and annoying narration from dexter (just my opinion ) but the show was enthralling for 8 plus years. The
I think the writers intentionally wrote a finale (and season as well) on purpose with numerous plot holes, things that made no sense, sloppy writing to the extreme, just laughably bad, in order to cause much resulting publicity.
This type of strategy worked wonders for Miley Cirus.
The only thing worse than bad publicity is no publicity.
Alternative finale: Dexter in a plastic coated room, not just one person on his table but 20 .. it is the series scriptwriting team. On the wall are displayed pictures of the millions of viewers of the show they massacred. I liked the ending actually, ironic that Dexter began as a unfeeling socio/psychopath with the charade of a normal life, then when he finally began to feel emotion he exiled himself to the hollow shell that is the socio/psychopath’s natural domain. A recognition that he couldn’t really change?
Pocco called
Best positive thing too happen too the character.
BIGGEST SHOCKER.. WHEN DEXTER WRITERS REALIZE HOW DUMB THEIR FANS ARE FOR NOT UNDERSTANDING THE ENDING. DEXTER GETTING CAUGHT??? A MY GOD THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO STUPID. DEXTER IS WAY TOO SMART TO GET CAUGHT OR TO GO TO JAIL OR TO COMMIT SUICIDE OR TO DIE OR TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER LIKE AN AVERAGE JOE... YOU GUYS CLEARLY DON'T KNOW YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER.. THIS WAS A BRILLIANT ENDING AND SEASON. HAD US COMPLETELY FOOLED. GO WATCH ONE TREE HILL. SHAME ON DEXTERS FANS. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? DEB DIES AND ITS THE WORST EPISODE? REALLY?? MIAMI METRO SEES DEXTERS DARK PASSENGER IN ACTION AND ITS THE WORST EPISODE?? OH REALLY?? ARE YOU GUYS IDIOTS OR BLIND?
The actress's scripting stinks.
r u serious....of course he is way to smart for any of this but did you pay attention...he was changing...he didn't need to kill anymore so therefore there was a character change...regardless of how smart the character was the "psychopath" really had feelings...i.e. he let Saxon go...so yeah, his "self sacrifice" and ending up as paul bunyan is just the writer's plea to have room for a movie or a spinoff....
she should have been concerned with other peoples feelings.....oh wait same bimbo forget what i said.
the behavior of a typical controller...that is how the show functions on delays and garbage excuses.
I agree that it was a brilliant ending and season.
and some folks didnt understand his character.
The Fear of Loss is More Powerful Than The Hope For Gain.
The arc was when Deb died. Otherwise he would of flown to Argentina.
But for his sister to die so unexpectedly not also hurt him beyond words
but put a fear in him
that the same thing
can happen to Harrison and Hannah.
Logically he would think if I lose them I lose everything.
The ending was interesting
cuz being a logger is one of the most dangerous jobs
plus your are in the middle of a wilderness.
A job not for the faint of heart
anything can happen get crushed by a tree, get cut in half by a cable or mauled by a bear.
There is a reason why he chose that dirty job.
It keeps him physically strong and on his toes
It reminds him of his process of elimination.
To take down
Chop limbs off
Bind and dispose.
Maybe he's using the job as an escape to clear his head
And his facial expression in the end tells me he has a plan
And why else would his eyes open wider after taking a moment to think
Just my theories
With a hope that season 9 will come out.
I actually really enjoyed the season finale and how it ended but I'm a Dexter fan so was always thinking at the back of my mind that I don't want Dexter to get killed or go to prison.
Seriously tho, what else would Dexter become after faking his own death. A brain surgeon?! We're not supposed to be focusing on his occupation at the end but the fact that his new life is complete opposite to miami. Far away in the wilderness with no friends or family. The look on his face as he looks into the camera at the end said it all. He actually felt deep sadness and pain for real.
I admit there were numerous plot holes and dumb moments this season but for me that doesn't take away the suspense and emotion. Everyone's different but some of the negative comments are a bit extreme. Worst series finale ever? Not by a long shot!
we do what we need too do too get what we need....if your not impressed shut the monitor off otherwise
deal with the consequences and punishments for the behavior.
So bad. So disappointed. This show should of gone out with a huge bang, instead it went out with a total whimper. This season was so boring. They had so many stories that did not go anywhere, a villain we could care less about, and all wrapped together in uncharacter like stupid stupid moves all the time. I lost all respect for the writers and felt downright sorry for the actors. Dreadful. It does make sense if you think they SOLD out any real vision to keep the franchise going later. At this point I would welcome a total redo and blot out this rotten finale.
WORST SERIES FINALE EVER!!!!!
So maD!!!!!
Roboto - has too start thinking because everyone is getting aggressive towards her now.
Tomzie 2 said you suck in bed, you do not have s-x and you need a job you don't have time too hack. He's the man that can get your plug out...if you know what i mean (wink).....bimbo
Forward too both men.
I win the fking game–and i will always win this fking game and why because your an illegal .....
Tomzie 2 said you suck in bed, you do not have s-x and you need a job you don't have time too hack. He's the man that can get your plug out...if you know what i mean (wink).....bimbo
Brian and tomzie 2 have been warned about mrs. roboto-your felon and we have noooo respect for you
as a woman and we do not want women following your path. now go type a resume
you lost again.
Done.
Belongs too tomzie 2-go type your resume and get a job like other people do.
we nailed you at 5pm and brian knows too by our tomzie.
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keep going..bimbo...we are not doing it .. we are going too watch you fall on your face.
Your a bimbo
The could have started working on the ending a few episodes out, something like this: Deb who is now a COP again realizes that she can’t let Dex get away with it. (build up several episodes out). She finally comes to grip that she killed the wrong person and has to arrest Dex, even though it's going to be painful. Through a series of events, similar to the finale, Dex/Hanna/Harrison are about to get away and are caught in a shootout. Final scene is Harrison sitting in a pool of Dex/Hanna blood and when he looks up into the camera, he has a “Dex smerk” so you know that it's going to pass on to Harrison (killer).
DEXTER GETTING CAUGHT??? AND BEING ARRESTED BY HIS SISTER.. MY GOD THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO STUPID. DEXTER IS WAY TOO SMART TO GET CAUGHT OR TO GO TO JAIL OR TO COMMIT SUICIDE OR TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER LIKE AN AVERAGE JOE... YOU GUYS CLEARLY DON'T KNOW YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER..
Nobody is doing it too her-she will do it all on her own.
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Best part about this is that everyone's almost willing to murder people who say the finale was good. For example: http://thelma.com/2013/09/24/disappointing-dexter/
The decision after the first season to never watch another show looks pretty good right now.
OK this was the ending I was hoping for: Dexter realizes he really wanted to hook up with Deb just for one night. Hanna caught wind of it and laced the edible lube with a flower based poison, killing them just before climax. Hannah gets caught by Detective Quinn who thn leaves Miami Metro and runs off with her to Argentina. Harrison is left to be raised by LT. Batista and his sister...BOOM
It was a great ending.
Seasons 5 & 6 are the real problem. Those who are unhappy need to place the blame there.
The finale was awful. I would like to thank everyone of you for not talking about the bad wig Deb sported during the Meet The Newborn Harrison segment. That was the worse then the attempt at concluding this magnificent series with so many flaws. So Long Dexter Morgan. You will be missed.
Weren't those newborn-Harrison segments replays of scenes from an actual episodes from a few years ago? Or did I just make that up in my head?
I don't think so...IIRC, Harrison was born following the end of season 3, and season 4 took place some time later, so no episodes previously involved his birth directly.
OK...this is the ending. Dexter, Hannah and Harrison running away from their pursuers get caught in a shower of gunfire and are down. Cops catch up to find Harrison sitting in a pool of their blood, crying. Hannah is dead. Dexter? Not sure. Harrison, the next Dexter. And the story continues...
You hit it exactly on the head. This is the best ending, and the one I expected.
The only problem is that they already used the Harrison sitting in a pool of blood idea...remember Rita?
Hated the finale, but really it was more than time for the show to end, novelty wore off long ago. I can't understand how Dexter could give his beloved sister the same end he had for his victims, dumping them in the ocean??? And why would he leave his son with someone he knew to be a murderess and not leave him with his late wife parents, his son's grandparents?
The grandparents weren't Rita's parents, they were Paul's parents. Although Harrison is Astor and Cody's family, the grandparents aren't as related or responsible for Harrison (though no doubt they would have taken him in).
Dexter is one of my favorite shows. I have watched it til the end, every Sunday. I also wonder why Hanna didn't disguise herself. The ending was very lame, but there's a new book out by Jeff Lindsay, Dexter's Final Cut. I have read all the books by Jeff Lindsay. The series continues, but not through HBO!......Marv
Well, anybody that was a fan of a series that made a serial killer look good ought to have their values and standards examined.
I'm glad Dexter is over. I was sick of hearing how great it was. Sure, the actors might be great even likable, but as long as our society depicts serial killers like Dexter, in a positive light, we will continue to watch as our own children view this show and possibly use it as a role model in their own life.
Good luck with that, Dexter fans.
Dude, it's a damn TV show. If anyone is taking TV seriously they're crazy. We all know serial killers are bad, I certainly don't want to be killed or kill anyone and I loved this show. If you don't like a show, fine you don't like it. No need to be a dick about it.
Oh and if KIDS are watching this show that's on the parents. There's a reason they rate shows and movies. Because some people aren't supposed to be watching. Crazy people use TV characters as role models. If someone is crazy, it don't matter if they ever watched tv a day in their lives. They will eventually do something crazy like kill others.
I bet you blame violence in real life on TV, music, and video games don't you?
If Dexter died, everyone would've expected that. He put himself into exile because he knew he couldn't live a normal life, how he got out of the hurricane, well that's why it's called tv. As far as Debra being put out into the ocean, I didn't like that either, not with all the dead bodies he put out there, but you know he would not of left his sister rotting away in a hospital.
You know. I'm just about sick of people complaining about someone else's artistic vision. Go write your own show with the "perfect ending" and see how well you do. I loved the finale! I also agree Dex dying or going to jail would have been the easy ending. Everyone complaining he became a lumberjack, as if it was his master plan to cut wood in seclusion. Would pool cleaner have been better? What if he moved to Canada and groomed dogs? Would that have pleased everyone more?
I think people focus on the wrong things too. Like people complaining that Deb died. The show isn't called Debra, the show is about Dexter. Everyone else is a tool used to tell HIS story. It took the blow back from Dexter's actions that got Deb killed for him to finally realize he will hurt everyone he loves eventually.
Some people even complain about how the show got weak and started to change after Rita died in season 4. Thank the good lord these people don't write for shows. People want more of the same and for things to never change. You know how boring shows would get if characters never grew and nothing ever changed? Extremely!
I really wonder what people think a better ending would have been. Probably something lame like Deb lives and marries Quin. Dexter lives happily ever after in Argentina with Hannah. Everything is happy happy happy! LAME! It's show about a serial killer and his quest to become more human. Well he finally did this season. Only to find out what he wanted most is what got Deb killed, so now he's convinced he a lost cause and has checked out living in solitude. A happy ending was NEVER going to happen. Killing Dex or him going to jail would have been the easy ending. I prefer this ending to any alternative I mentioned.
I agree with this, and people really got hung up on the wrong thing, this being the lumberjack. What he was doing in the last scene was irrelevant, he could have been working on an oil rig in the ocean for all it mattered, the point was that he was no more than a lonely, empty shell, not even with an inner monologue or a Harry and that was his punishment. Although we'll never know, he quite possibly might have tried to kill himself in the hurricane (hard to stage a 'fake your death' plan with that) and ended up ultimately surviving, washed up somewhere. Thus, cheating him from an easy out.
FINALLY someone I can relate with. I'm pretty sick of all the hate I've seen online (yet I can't stop reading it haha). It is obvious that it is a 'hate it or love it' kind of ending, but the level of disgust I've seen and heard suggests that anyone could have written a better ending and season for that matter. I try and just enjoy the ride when it comes to a series and the final season had its down moments but I loved the final fifteen minutes of the show.
THANK YOU! This is an awesome response to all of the people who are hating on the show. They clearly did not understand what it was all about. If they would have listened to the dialouge, felt the emotion in all of the scenes. It was so good and in my opinion did it justice. A great ending to a great show.
I agree Jeff.
Getting away with it happily ever, Dexter dying, or Dexter arrested would all suck.
I liked the ending. It also opens up the possibility that sometime down the road Dexter will come back in some form.
I was introduced to Dexter in June this year by a family member and since I managed to watch all 8 series starting with the the first episode till the finale this week. I am not mad about the finale, although I think they could have done a much better job, I am just mad that it the show is over. I could have watched Dex for many more seasons!
Dexter has matured from a cold-hearted schizophrenic killer to a loving family man that cared so much about his child and the people he loved that he decided to sacrifice all he has for the ones he loved most. This is a noble gesture atypical of a psychopath. He did that on his own without real counseling or drugs. Quite a feat if you ask me.
Staying alive leaves hope for a come back and I will be the first to watch if that happens!
As bad as this was, I find comfort in replaying the episode where LaGuerta dies. Hated her.
I don't mind the ending, I mind that the episode was so poorly written. I didn't watch this season other than the finale, but I have watched all 7 previous and it didn't even feel like that same show. It felt like a completely different cast of writers. Maybe it is, I didn't look. This could have been handled sooo much more effectively, and really hit home with us longtime followers, but as it is, it felt so corny and network TVish. LAME! This was no Six Feet Under finale (another MIchael C hall show) that's for sure. In my opinion, that is how you end a show.
What a crap ending to a great show. The last 3-4 seasons slowly morphed into a network TV procedural CSI / cop drama, only with F-words and boobs added in. The show in the first few seasons was amazing, then the writers either changed or they just got lazy, and it showed. Those who don't see that, and keep on defending that crap ending, need to go back to watching Revolution and Dancing With the Stars. Let us who know good TV (and bad TV) when we see it, mourn the destruction of a great show.
Why was this so hard? Dexter dies saving Harrison who goes to live with Hannah and Deb who discover their lesbian love for each other. I mean really, it's a no-brainer.
I dont care what all you P***YWhiped Guys say That was a CHIC Show! And most of TV is for women. Its All Drama that we see on Tv. Movie Channels Should be for movies. Not Tv Dramas on Steroids Are you really surised about that ending?? Its aStupid concept from the beginning.
Dexter came full circle and slowly grew into real humanity, only to painfully realize his human side couldn't keep putting his loved ones at risk. I liked it, even as I cursed it. -- did anyone else see the connection between Debs talking about hiking and mountains and the fact he ended up surrounded by mountains ? Prolly not, most people don't ponder a show on tv that much. " Wasted 8 years of my life." Really?
I know this is trite but it HASN'T been 8 yrs since this show has been on. it's barely been 7. i keep hearing it and it's just a pet peeve of mines....makes the show appear to be on much longer than it actually was. there have been EIGHT SEASONS, but the show originally aired oct 1, 2006 and final show was sept. 22, 2013. not quite the 7 yr mark. anyway, loved all 6 yrs 11 mths of the show (lol) and thought the finale' was superb. leaves an opening for a possible movie one day to all those out there wishing he were killed off, no chance for future "tonight's the night" narrations if he's deceased, right? 😉 we'll miss ya MCH, & the entire cast. you entertained us well and did TV justice for a change. THANKS!
They phoned it in.
Its a Hollywood old style "code" moralistic ending, I guess they had to make it bad for him, even though that was kind of against the whole style of the series. It just stretched belief at the end, as said hanna doesn't even try to disguise, she's the hottest girl in any room so yea not a smart choice to just stay blond, no dice on that one. It just felt like they tried to force change in dexter in a rush for the sake of it, they should have stayed true to the character .
Let's face it! know one leaves this world in a predicted manor. When u are a cop or detective, anything can happen to you at any given moment, especially if your on a case tracking a serial killer. So its not so strange that Debra was shot and took a turn for the worse. Life is like that. He did not want to know that Debra was going to go on as a vegetable. Her character would of NOT wanted that as well. She was already gone. He gave her a dignified bar-rial at sea. Just them there together sharing that moment. Maybe he wanted to die in that hurricane. sometimes when people try and kill them self's, it does not go according to plan. so Dexter was saved by someone who helped him recover. He decided to live in exile to spare his family. This happened in Soaps for years, and then they end up re surfing years later. Also this could of been an alternate plan of Dexter and his girlfriend. That if something happened out of the plan, he would hide out until everything that had happened was long forgotten. Then he would join them where ever they may be. so many scenarios of course. You pick one.
Corrections in (PARENTHESES). freddy must be a product of L.A. Unified!
Let's face it! know(NO) one leaves this world in a predicted manor. When u are a cop or detective, anything can happen to you at any given moment, especially if your (YOU'RE) on a case tracking a serial killer. So its (IT'S) not so strange that Debra was shot and took a turn for the worse. Life is like that. He did not want to know that Debra was going to go on as a vegetable. Her character would of NOT (NOT HAVE WANTED) wanted that as well. She was already gone. He gave her a dignified bar-rial (BURIAL) at sea. Just them there together sharing that moment. Maybe he wanted to die in that hurricane. sometimes when people try and kill them self's (THEMSELVES), it does not go according to plan. so Dexter was saved by someone who helped him recover. He decided to live in exile to spare his family. This happened in Soaps for years, and then they end up re surfing (RESURFACING) years later. Also this could of (HAVE) been an alternate plan of Dexter and his girlfriend. That if something happened out of the plan, he would hide out until everything that had happened was long forgotten. Then he would join them where ever (WHEREVER) they may be. so many scenarios of course. You pick one.
I can't believe I've turned into a corrector on the internet, but if you're going to do that, Juju, do them all: First line "precidtable MANNER".
I've never seen the show though, so this finale (that I didn't see) has no impact on me.
There are people who didn't like The Sopranos ending either. morons.
Some people are too dense to enjoy how much better it can be to leave an obvious piece of story telling to the imagination than to have it displayed out graphically in front of you. I liked the ending of Sopranos. Sent chills.
Here are the things that annoyed me with the finale:
1. Hannah making no attempt whatsoever to disguise herself. If that were me, I would have dyed my hair brown, cut it shorter, worn a fat suit, and put on some glasses at the very least.
2. There was a city-wide alert out on Oliver Saxon, yet of all people, the US Marshal decides to set him free. For a character portrayed as sharp-witted enough to conclude that Deb and Dexter might be hiding Hannah, this was hard to believe.
3. I get that hurricanes are scary and a bit distracting, but how exactly did no one notice that Dexter turned off Deb's life support, and then just casually carried her out of the hospital and down to his boat?
4. I'm not sure that dropping Deb's body out in the ocean right as a hurricane is approaching is a better alternative to just leaving her in the hospital. "Sorry you're dead Deb but I'm just going to drop you off like all of my other victims only you get to have your body slammed on shore by a hurricane..."
5. I feel like if Deb had to die, she deserved to go out better. She was fine, the doctor was "optimistic", and then: "let's throw in a twist and say she got a blood clot during surgery!!".
6. Dexter survives driving his boat into a hurricane...
7. I did not buy Saxon's lame attempt to kill Dexter. He played right into Dexter's plan, only...his character was too smart to do that. It felt forced and in my mind I kept hearing the show's writers say "we have to keep this under an hour".
8. A lumberjack...really? Did no one stop and say...this might come off as silly?
The only good parts were Hannah taking care of Elway on the bus and Quinn, who played his role really well throughout. I'm not saying other actors did a bad job, but his lines all made sense for him to say (which was rare in this finale) and he delivered them well. It is a shame that after 8 seasons, Jennifer Carpenter barely got an opportunity to act in the episode her character dies in.
I agree 100%. Just when you thought taking Harrison with her would completely backfire, the plot twist reveals having Harrison there was the only reason Hannah wasn't just taken into custody right away. The rest was just stupid. If you drive your boat into a hurricane, you DIE. That's how it should end. He chose exile over ever seeing his son again? Sorry I don't buy it, even if he does have the build to be a lumberjack.
Imagine how weird Dexter's new workplace folks are gonna feel, when Dexter wraps the wood in plastic before chopping them...
I thought he should have slit his own throat on that boat. This way he dies with Deb and kills the last horrible serial killer in Miami...himself. It would have been an awsome and unexpected scene of him and deb sinking together. Although I didnt like the fact he took deb out on the boat wich was reserved for his true victims. If he died with here then they both would have been his final victims.
I'm sorry but I'm not upset about the ending at all. I got a huge kick out of the scene where they are watching the video and Batista is like: "But Dexter! You don't even work here anymore!"
He's like Batman now people. That look at the end says it all. He's not done he's just more focused. He learned that he cannot have attachments. It's a hard lesson for anyone to learn and he learned it the hardest way possible. If you didn't know his trip to South America was going to fail and that someone he cares about would die, then you haven't been watching.
Ok, this is what I kept thinking every time Hannah had a "close call" of being found:
Why the heck did she not alter her appearance??! They were looking for a (rich) blonde... cut and dye your hair! Change up your clothes! Dress like a tomboy, or a goth chick, or just drab, plain clothes and mousy brown hair.
Derp!
They should have had him exile himself in Afghanistan or somewhere like that so we could imagine him keeping busy taking care of bad guys.
If the lumberjack had been Harrison, perhaps. But nothing could ever come close to the Scrubs final show............
The series was already over. Nothing even came close to the first season. The production was getting sloppy, characters poorly drawn, and details, like how when doing the same action one moment it would be sunny, then the next dark with no time lapse in between. Hannah in the last season walking around without a disguise, case in point.
TY. I have been saying some of the same things ever since the first season. The first season was epic and is what kept me going all the way until the end. I do feel that the show went on too long and the writing started to suffer. I also felt that they made a huge mistake killing Doakes and then filling in the gap that left with Quinn. Despite some good moments, I never felt that Quinn was a filler role and no where near the emotional powerhouse Doakes was.
I disagree...Season 4 with John Lithgow was by far the best. Season 1 was great and they got better up until 4. All downhill after that.
dont page me just get her
What ticked me off the most, is Deb, one of the more interesting female characters on TV.....ends up in a refrigerator. Typical.
Eh, you mean under water. Right? But, I agree. That was disappointing. Before she died, before she even became a veg, I kept thinking, how is this going to end. It can't just be that Dexter goes away and Deb stays. Something HAD to happen. I hate that they killed her and then left the ending open like they did, but at the same time, I love that they left the ending open. I hoping hoping hoping that someday Dexter comes back!
I thought it was the perfect ending. I thought it portrayed him a great tortured character having to live with the choices he had made. Still thinking about it here a day or so later since I've seen it. Man the feels. Still hurts thinking about it. I loved the Deb and Dexter characters.
We love debra also–she is always welcome in our home–oh like wait she is in our home.
The actress needs a de frizz balm. Thank you.
So it's okay and people accept that Bruce Banner can go live in isolation because he hurts the ones he loves, but it's not acceptable for Dexter Morgan? People that are upset don't understand the way the character has changed over the series run.
I totally agree. It is almost as if most of these commentors were either watching with the sound off for the last 8 seasons, or were texting, facebooking, playing candy crush, etc., while they were "watching" the epsiodes.
Both were wonderful
Cant decide which finale was worse Seinfield or Dexter
Seinfeld! Hands down. Hard to beat that one. They just gave up.
People to to stop being shallow and looking for the the "instant gratification". Use your brain. All Dexter wanted was to be normal. Every step he took towards that ended in those he cared about being hurt or killed.
In the end, Dexter did the most human and normal thing one can do. He put aside his own wants and needs and sacrificed it so that those he loved could survive. He put himself in prison.
I do agree that when a hot blonde is the most wanted serial killer in the area, maybe, just maybe she should change her appearance just a little. Just saying.
Put himself in prison? You mean metaphorically?
He's a lumberjack, he's hardly in jail. He gave up his son and Hannah, but he gave up Cody and Aster a long time ago without second thought. None of this episode made sense. Deb dying is pretty much the last thing that should have happened. Or if she did die it shouldn't have been like this. Dexter dying is sort of predictable, but would have been better than lumberjack Dexter. There's a million ways this show could have gone, and they picked the one scenario that just sucks.
Why Masuka's daughter? Why didn't Hannah throw on a scarf? It's all the sloppiest writing in tv history.
I kept wondering when someone was going to buy her a box of hair dye. Good Lord!
I can't believe I named one of my cats Dexter.
That's your mistake and problem.
I guess your cat wraps the mouse in plastic before eating it?
I think this is what should of happened.
1. Dexter returns from the airport to find Deb ok. Quinn stays with Deb and makes sure nothing happens to her. Dexter then goes to find Hanna only to find Harrison alone in the room and no Hannah. Dexter finds a clue on the floor that points to the brain surgeon taking Hannah. Dexter rushes to find Hannah, and eventually finds her at Debs house with her brain removed. Dexter searches for the surgeon only to find he has fled Miami. Fade to Black. Fade back into view. Dexter is now in Maine with Harrison working for the Maine Police Department. He drops of Harrison at the school and goes to work. While at his first day of work, he walks into the squad room where the detectives meet and go over the cases, it seems someone is surgically removing people brains in Maine. Dexter hears a familiar voice. Focusing in he notices someone looking back at him smiling. It is Lumen, a detective with the Portland Sheriff's office. Dexter smiles. Fade to Black. The end.
I like Manny's ending–much better than the one they gave us!
I didn't think of this direction, but great direction, Manny. That would have been a wonderful ending.
I guess I'm in the minority here. I liked the finale. I would have like it better if Deb had survived, though. He went from a cold, calculating, unfeeling psychopath, to a self-aware person who knows he has no place in society, thus the self imposed exile. Thought it was a good twist.
An even better ending:
Fan turns off TV in disgust, picks up copies of "Darkly Dreaming Dexter", "Dearly Devoted Dexter," "Dexter in the Dark", "Dexter by Design", "Dexter is Delicious", "Double Dexter", and "Dexter's Final Cut", and immerses his or her self into the excellent novels by Jeff Lindsay, who created (and still continues to write) Dexter in all his glory. Fan is thrilled knowing that the TV writers totally screwed Dexter up after the first season. The end.
I thought the Seinfeld finale was bad, but compared to this crap they pulled with Dexter, now it seems like a masterpiece.
Dexter and all his fans got shafted with that finale, and the writers should make a public apology for writing such an unmitigated disaster of a finale.
So right. This was the stupidest finale I've ever witnessed. Why would such talented writers drop the ball so badly? They could have written the best ending of all and it would have been more believable than what they wrote. Dexter and Hannah start a new life in Argentina. Deb is happy with her boyfriend and being a cop again. I've always raved about how great the show was and recommended it to all my friends. Now I can't do that anymore. The writers really sucked on this ending and they should do the right thing and rewrite the more believable ending that has a good payoff for loyal fans. So Stupid!
You people need to get a life. It is just a TV show. Some of you nut jobs take it to personal.
NEW ENDING: Lumberjack Dex stairs at the camera . . . out of the shadows walks in dad, puts his hand on Dex's shoulder and stairs at the camera . . . . out of the shadows walks in Deb, puts her hand on Dex's shoulder and stairs at the camera . . . FADE TO BLACK.
...and Ewoks suddenly start dancing, fireworks go off, and the galaxy rejoices.
LM AO! Too funny.
Stares, not * stairs.*. One stares at objects, one climbs stairs....
I would have liked that little touch. Both of them in his head now.
I haven't seen the last episode yet so I cant read tzhe article or any comments. Therefore I don't really know why I'm even posting this. Hmmm.
Spare yourself the pain.
He's a lumberjack and he's ok....
Sorry, it had to be said.
filed
The only most wanted person who doesn't even attempt to hide who she is. . .the plot was weak
should have let him die but let us see him meet the ones he killed in all the shows... he should have stayed dead not come back as a lumber jack.. what a joke.... stupid stupid ending... whos idea was that..
Deb should have survived and married Quinn; Dexter should have contacted Hannah and they should have reunited in Costa Rica and Dexter should have joined Interpol! Dexter was not a hero, but he was not a villain. He started out being an efficient killer of evil people, but he became a very good guy, a good husband and a good father. Cf. American snipers. The End
Dexter was a horrible father! Harrison was constantly with the nanny, and in the end he pawns the kid off on his girlfriend who is known to poison people. I bet being a single mother in a foreign country was just what Hannah wanted.
I think the offer of an ice cream for Dexters son Harrison, from a serial killer whose gives her victims poison, after she learns of Dexters demise in the newspaper was interesting. Hannah McKay killed herself and Harrison with poison laced Ice Cream. Dex is truly alone.
woah! That's dark – and awesome!
Wow, The Dexter Finale made the Soprano's ending seem epic.
Is this show all about poop?
This final episode was worse than Big Tony and his group's final episode! They left it with the feeling that there might be something in the future for Dex? One thing that really bothered me was Dexter just giving up his son and also the woman that he truly loved!!! With all the talk from Dexter about 'family, family, family, family......' and how important, so important it is, then he just says good bye and that's it???? If this is it, totally, then they have made Dexter a program that people will remember more for how it ended instead of all the great episodes during the years! What a waste!
He left them cuz he said that hes a threat for everyone he loves and he left them cuz he cares about them and he doesnt want anything to happened to them!
Told u she is a bimbo.
This is what you get for watching Dexter while Breaking Bad was airing.
The finale was a huge disappointment, and insulting to the series real fans. The last 2 seasons have been bad, so perhaps we expected too much from the last series, but the finale was atrocious. The fool-you ending was incredibly dumb and lame. We just kept waiting for Dexter the lumberjack to look into the camera at the end and mimic Bobby on Dallas by saying, "What's the matter, honey, seen a ghost?" Except that the Dexter writers could not even come up with something that intelligent. We keep hearing that there will be a spinoff series – good luck with that. After 3 bad seasons and an awful final show, we can safely say this: Dexter is dead to us.
I agree and what an insult to the actors that have spent many years of their lives doing this show. What a indignity to fans and the original creator of the books. I didn't want a happy ending – just a well thought out, believable, honorable one.... like we will see on Breaking Bad next week.
Just bust through it-thanks-off too apple
TERRIBLE episode, poorly written and filmed like a SciFi movie of the week. The season started good but halfway through fell to pieces. And why introduce Maitsuka's daughter for no apparent reason? Why? And Dexter to leave his son to Hannah?! No way. Very, very weak effort shame on the writers.
I have to say that was one disappointing finale for me; very anticlimactic so-to-speak. Dexter's last "kill," is based on love and not the need to actually kill, by pulling of the plug of his sister, and then the symbolic body dump in the ocean? I almost threw up in my mouth. Getting sappy "sentimental" on the last episode? C'mon, guys; we deserved better.
Thank god for Breaking Bad. I bet they nail that series finale.
Yep, the Breaking Bad writers need to teach a clinic on how to write final seasons to the buffoons who wrote this finale and Cuse and Lindeloff of LOST fame, or should I say infamy. BB has been great, and no doubt the finale will be spectacular. This Dexter finale...I still can't believe it was so bad. A pitiful end to a good series.
gee wonder if the scripts are any good....
The entire Dexter concept was ridiculous to begin with, so why not an absurd ending? Tops that second season ending of The Killing, however, when it was revealed - finally - that 'everyone did it.' American TV is just a bowl of pap. The fans of these shows deserve what they get.
Bitter much? What do you watch in you leisure time? HGTV and FoodNetwork? Take your bitterness out of America.
I, too, stand in righteous opposition to the degradation of American minds with this liberal pap. The idolators in Hollywood have pushed us into end days, and when Jesus returns with his sword of fire, the streets shalt run slick with the blood of the liberals.
These writers that refuse to pander to their audience are really upsetting. The way to end the show is he gets Saxon on his table for one last kill. Deb can still be dead but I'd rather it be Hannah. He dumps the body in the water along with his tools and leaves the country with his kid. We catch up with him a few years later with his brief narrative of how he hasn't killed anyone and has devoted himself to teaching his son right from wrong. We see him working as a lab tech where talks about a local gang leader who they finally get evidence on. He destroys the evidence then narrates i guess all good things must come to an end.
This is a personal issue and we will email her superior
Here are the problems with this episode:
– Didn't ANYONE notice that Deb wasn't in the hospital anymore?
– How exactly do you wheel someone out of a hospital and onto a boat and no one notices?
– I guess there are no cameras in the airport anymore.....
– Isn't reporting a false bomb threat a felony?
-Again, back to the cameras thing at the airport.....
– Wouldn't the authorities ask the ticket counter clerk who reported the bomb?
– Ask yourself, would you notice if some was sitting DIRECTLY in front of you on a bus, administered a massive dose of horse tranq usint a syringe about the size of a telephone pole., and then loudly boasted what she did?
– That kids Harrison's age are that well behaved in the airport, bus, etc.
– That the death of a Miami PD police tech would be on the front page of the paper?
– There are alarms on life support equipment.....very loud alarms at that.
– They are not even going to detain Dexter? Really?
– After Deb's death ( although I am really confused if they knew she died or not), the police should have had a black ribbon on their badges.
The lumberack thing was the most believeable thing during the whole episode....it was a letdown, but only becuase it was soooo ridiculous.
I agree with every one of your points and want to add that when Dexter takes his boat to the hospital, I was yelling at my TV how ridiculous it was. I grew up in Miami and have been through more than a dozen hurricanes. When a hurricane is approaching, the ocean is whipped up to a choppy mess with big waves becoming huge as the hurricane gets closer. Ever heard of small craft warnings? Apparently the writers and producers haven't. The sea is calm, even after Dexter drops Deb into the ocean and heads towards the approaching storm. What a crock!!! Nevermind that nobody sees him walk out of the hospital carrying a body wrapped in a sheet. And then there are all the points you brought up. I felt hugely let down by this finale. Easily the worst series finale since Seinfeld. As another poster mentioned, Dexter should have wound up in jail with the Seinfeld cast.
Thanks for the list of points. Add to them this one: It takes 48 hours and the opinion of 2 doctors, one of them usually a neurologist, to declare brain death. The rush to judge Deb incapable of independent thought based on a "brain scan" taken on the day of the brain insult IS and insult to the viewer's intelligence. There is NO WAY that a general surgeon would load all that garbage on a family on the day of a stroke because nobody knows. NOBODY knows on that day what the outcome will be. So, Dexter fans, we got lots of detail on blood splatter and forensics throughout the series but at the final jump, on the last episode, we got nonsense, not medicine. Shame on the writers for this garbage, shame. It added nothing and insulted all.
Brilliant!
Last point: Dexter left his child to be raised by a Serial Killer Mom.
All great points. One other obvious one: When Dexter pulls the breathing tube out of Deb, he doesn't bother to deflate the cuff on the tube. He wouldn't have been able to pull it out otherwise. Overall just a terrible episode. However the last season (or really the last 2 seasons) were such a dumpster fire that it was hard to care. It's amazing how a once great show can become such a joke. The only reason I kept watching was to see if the show continued to circle the drain all the way to the end. In this regard, it did not disappoint.
Didn't anyone notice that Dex showed up at the hospital in his kill suit? Of course he was going to kill Deb!
The ricen is for Scott Buck and Sara Colleton.
peace 50
20 years later Dexter hunts a mass killer- his son, tramatized by the loss of his father- so , when can we expect it- oh in about two years.
If you all know anything about someone who has anti-social personality disorder they are the last people to want to kill themselves typically. Dexter's character would have never taken his own life. I immediately knew when Dexter drove into that storm he would still be alive. Remember when he was trying to sell his boat? He had mentioned he had a life raft installed. He used that to survive. He also mentioned he did not want to ruin any more lives (i.e. Hannah and Harrison). Where else could he go and not be noticed. The ending was better than what you all make it out to be. Pretty close to what I believe a man like him would do actually. He will kill again thought for sure. You can't just turn that off. Like the Sorpranos, it leaves the rest open for interpretation.
Sara Colleton is that you? XP
I thought that boat looked different from the one he was trying to sell. Am I mistaken?
Dexter is coming back. That is why the finale was not a finale!
I suspect that Dexter will come back as well, maybe as a special or tv-movie as well.
But that does not change the fact that the season was dreadful.
I agree with all the comments I have read online observing the terrible plotting:
* "We are leaving, no we are not, we are leaving, no we are not."
* Dexter leaving his son with a character just introduced last season.
* Dexter dumping Deb's body the same way he did the serial killers he hunted.
* Dexter denying Deb's friends the chance to say goodbye to her?
* No Masuka? Really, they could not even find any opportunity to give us a chance to see him in the finale?
The first thing I said after the final fade to black was "That is how you end a tv show"?
The final season felt like lazy, sloppy writing.
The fans of the shows, books and the character Dexter deserved better. Jeff Lindsay deserved better.
Bring back Clyde Phillips (original showrunner from the good seasons, 1-4) and re-do the ending!!!
told you she is a bimbo.- skype party bashing..
I actually was glad that Dexter survived. After all, the writers made him likable and a hero of sorts. But, I didn't like that Deb had to die. Hope this series will pick up again. Michael C Hall is a great actor, and I will miss the show on Sunday nights.
Not all lumberjacks are gay. Just saying...
They just wear women's clothing and dance around in bars...
Michael C Hall is not butch enough to be a lumberjack, anyway.
What a terrible series finale... it felt like a filler episode. Lots of running around and getting nothing accomplished. Why would a murderer go into the hospital knowing Deb is an officer? How does Dexter take Deb off the support system and take her out of the hospital without alarming anyone? Don't say it was because of the storm either, it's just not believable. This episode wasn't thought out very well... What a waste.
My sentiments exactly. I was in total disbelief at that scene. To think he could have done that with any patient is ludicrous to begin with but an officer?
The actor is hot
I think it ended perfectly.. one part of the "code" was that he not make any innocents suffer..and ALL HIS life (on the show) innocent people, his friends, people he loved suffered because of HIM... so he staged his own death... Hannah will be a good mom to Harrison.. and he put himself to self-imposed exile.. I think it all ended well.. (but on another note.. If an air bubble or bubbles would've came up from Deb as she was sinking and he dove in after her, and the credits rolled, I wouldn't have been dissapointed either!!! It was a GREAT show.. GREAT acting, GREAT ending nonetheless!!
Had it ended with Dexter taking the boat into the hurricane, it would be one of the great endings.
The Batman ending though really weakened a great image. The idea of one force of nature taking out another was sublime.
I've been a Dex fan from the entire start to the end. I admit, I am one who needs grief counseling after this tragic ending!!! Deb dying after all she went thru just sucks really bad!! I wasn't a big fan of Dex running off w/Hannah but him ending up as a Lumberjack def wasn't something I enjoyed either! What an amazing show regardless! So many twists and turns along the way always kept us viewers on the edge of our seats. Regardless if people think the finale was crappy, the 8 years of amazing episodes trumps a bad finale. At any rate, I miss Dexter already! 🙁 Who knows, maybe more to come....maybe a movie?
To me Dexter was an interesting serial killer – a serial killer who kills serial killers. The episodes that had Harry's Rules to replace the empathy for others that Dex lacked was a remarkable cinematic device that worked at taking one into the mind of the character. The season finally was unexpected, which I liked. The last few shows saw Dexter Morgan develop a consciousness that was brought home by the death of his sister – and the realization that he was the cause of much of the sadness about being a "bad person" to her and her ultimate death. And leaving him, at the end of the show, as a lumberjack, removed from the two people alive that he loved most – leaves the show on a poignant, melancholy note. But since he is still alive, this allows for the possibility of a return series in a new local, with new situations, and people to deal after a hiatus. Let's keep the love alive for this complex character – and maybe we will have another adventure as twisted as this drama series was. It was fun while it lasted.
For those of you that thought you'd get a Disney style finale for Dexter....you've been missing the point for a long time. Dexter's death would have been too easy a way out for Dexter and for the writers! There's no bigger punishment that the one he gets at the end. I thought it was terribly sad but perfect for the character and all his complexities.
Disney-style finale? Who implied that ending? This ending insulted the intelligence of all past Dexter fans, who have
endured a blah final season hoping the finale might somehow tie things up. Lumberjack it is, Deb's dead, Harrison's new mom poison's people who get in her way including Deb.,etc...OK.... but for God sake, it has to make sense. Read the posts and you will understand.
Killing the main character would have been anything but Disney like. I don't think many of the fans expected a happy ending but they did expect it to make sense. There lies the disappointment.
Disney like in the idea that everyone is not living so happily after is what I am sure you mean. I agree with you, the punishment he gives himself in the end is the worst one imaginable. It just showed how strong he really is to be able to let it all go.
The writers are brilliant and followed many classic uses of archetypes. In literature, wood represents fate, so while I can see how you might think the writers were off their rockers making Dexter a lumberjack, they were, actually, executing their craft magnificently. The entire series happens to be laced with these complexities.
I loved every minute of every Dexter show for 8 seasons. Absolutely, positively hated everything about the finale. The writer should be wrapped in plastic with someone holding a knife over him...
I should have written the end for Dexter. Dexter rides off into sunset with Hannah and son and last scene is of Dexter's son, Harrison showing up with a dead animal in his hands and says "Look what I did Dad !"
They should have hired you to write the ending.... it would have been much better.
They were so worried about crime and punishment they forgot the essence of the show.
Your ending would have made him have to deal with what he created – a new little serial killer...
and what is more creepy than a cute little kid that turns out to be evil (The Omen, The Ring, The Grudge, Excorcist)
That would have been a great ending!
Uh..and that would have been cliche. You know how many times that's been done in horror movies? :-\
That would have worked well,, now Dexter has the dilemma of teaching Harrison the "code".
Emailing her superior tomorrow and she is illegal
Except you guys don't understand that would be a terrible way to end the show. Dexter really did cause nothing but death and suffering to those he loved. Rita, Deb, the Doc, his father... all dead because of Dexter. Why does Dexter deserve to ride off into the sunset and be happy when Deb died because Dex screwed up? Dexter knew he didn't deserve happiness. It was a good ending, if weird with the lumberjack business. (Dex with an axe though... good stuff maybe).
Enlighten us Dasmodul with examples of a serial killer finding out their child is also one too. In the books, Dexter teaches Astor and Cody Harry's code after they show signs of psychopathy due to the trauma they experienced with their bio dad. I think having Harrison become what Dexter is would be truly coming full circle for him (realizing what the people that loved him- Harry, Deb, Rita went through). AND...since they can't write they should borrow more material from the books on which the series was originally based.
YeahNo – i understand what you are saying but Dexter has never been a show about morality. About being human yes but not so black and white as right and wrong.
The absolute worst series finale in television history! Exile in Tree Town, what a stroke of writing genius. The only glimmer of hope, is a possible return to mayhem in the future.
Gets my vote for worst ever series finale ending but i didn't watch Lost.
I can see it now, Dexter the park ranger, but in his spare time, he targets bad ass bears and take them to his mounting room.
Good ending? Probably not. But in my book, it would have been made better at the end, he comes home, goes to the AC duct and take out a box of blood slides and then stare at the camera.
I didn't have a problem with the ending, it was alright. I did have a problem with Dr Vogel. Totally unbelievable actress portraying the part. Besides that and the fact the series is over, I'm fine... once I get past the withdrawal symptoms. 🙂
Dr Vogel was kind of disappointing. She started out sinister and nothing came of it
I wasn't a big fan of the final scene, but the rest of it wasn't bad. Deb's death sucked, but other than Rita, Dexter has never endured any personal loss for all the murders he committed and to think he was just going to get away scott-free was more wishful thinking than anything else. In the past, my one knock on almost every season of Dexter (other than the Trinity season) was that everything was wrapped up neatly at the end and everyone went on with their lives. I felt that, had Dexter died in the hurricane, it would have been a stark departure from how most seasons wrapped up, and would have given some finality to the viewers. Had it ended there, I would have been happy with the finale. As it is, I thought it was a pretty bold and satisfying finale and a fitting conclusion to a good, albeit underrated, show.
He lost Rita.
A former cancer survivor?
So what's Walter White going to become? A pharmacist?
Vince Gilligan won't do that to us.
Tweak the ending. Between the lumber yard and going home, Dexter stops at a store to get something. He witnesses something, an argument between a man and a woman. Dex catches the guy's license plate as the guy peels out of the parking lot. Show Dexter in the house near the lumber yard. Show him sit in his chair at his desk. He gets up and walks away, but the camera stays on the desk. He comes back, sits down, opens the laptop, and enters the license plate number into a search engine. He looks up from the computer into the camera. Fade to black. Dexter is back - and he cannot change his true nature. He is back to who he was in E1S1. He will no longer develop relationships...but he will take out the trash. He can't help it.
Wow! A man arguing with a female is justification for killing the man! What kind of misandrist are you? How about a female arguing with a man so Dexter decides to kill her?
enuff now...she's ignorable
Or they should have ended like they did with the boat .. and then show a TV report of a rash of murders of drug dealers (or something like that ) in South America. So that way you don't know if it was Dexter, Hannah or Harrison ... have the TV report be years later ... Oh well Dexter was a good show and will be missed ... time to get Netflix and drop Showtime
Dexter was always selfish. He killed murderers who could have been handed over to the police which would have provided some closure for the families of the victims. They would also know that the murderer was finally off the streets. But Dexter preferred to kill these murderers in secret because it gave him pleasure. He did not care about alleviating other people's pain. Dexter was always out for Dexter despite the fact that what he did, indirectly, got his wife (Rita) killed and put his sister and son in jeopardy. Dexter's final act saves the last two people he cares about from getting caught up in his bloody wake. Suicide would have been easier for him but he chose, in the end, to live in painful loneliness and isolation instead. He ends up purposely punishing himself while keeping his loved ones safe. For the first time in his life Dexter has not put himself nor his pleasure first.
Did you not watch the show at all? He killed the bad people who were getting away with it and had otherwise eluded police due to lack of evidence, etc. He was selfish yes, but the people he killed were generally the people the police couldn't get. It was vigilante justice in a devious and clandestine fashion.
It should have ended with Dexter being a lumberjack and then show Hannah & Harrison coming into the house. What was bad about it was now Harrison is going to grow up without a dad ,, and the cycle continues. .. Hannah might say she loves Harrison but is she going to kill him after awhile. But yes Quinn's expression watching the tape was priceless because he knew Dexter was a killer but could never prove it. The Finale was just like the Sopranos ending .. kind of weak ... The best ending was "The Sheild"
While there were several things in this season which didn't make sense to me. I really didn't have an issue with the finale.
Dexter turned over Harrison because, as he said, he destroys everything close to him. I saw that as him trusting Harrison's outcome better with Hannah than with himself.
I do wish they had just ended with them saying that his boat was found destroyed and his body was never found.
I don't know that there was a right way to end it.
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay. I sleep all night and I work all day. I dress in women's clothing and I hang around in bars???
LOL, You beat me to it.
It would have been better if they'd nixed the whole dumb lumberjack thing. Just have Dexter drive his boat into the storm and show the wreckage, and everyone not really knowing whether Dexter survived. I just knew Hannah was going to end up with Harrison. And an even more dramatic ending would have been if Harrison became just like his father. He did witness his mother being brutally murdered.
Look, if you waste your time watching trash – you deserve to know that you've wasted your mind.
Ending seems worthy of the show – nothing of value in it.
Ah typical I Internet dbag with delusions of grandeur. Let me guess? 300lbs thats your weight right?
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay
I sleep all night and I work all day
He's a lumberjack and he's okay
He sleeps all night and he works all day
I cut down trees, I eat my lunch
I go to the lavatory
On Wednesdays I go shopping
And have buttered scones for tea
He cuts down trees, he eats his lunch
He goes to the lavatory
On Wednesdays he goes shopping
And has buttered scones for tea
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay
(He's a lumberjack and he's okay)
I sleep all night and I work all day
(He sleeps all night and he works all day)
I cut down trees, I skip and jump
I like to press wildflowers
I put on women's clothing
And hang around in bars
He cuts down trees, he skips and jumps
He likes to press wildflowers
He puts on women's clothing
And hangs around in bars?
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay
(He's a lumberjack and he's okay)
I sleep all night and I work all day
(He sleeps all night and he works all day)
I cut down trees, I wear high heels
Suspenders and a bra
I wish I'd been a girlie
Just like my dear papa
He cuts down trees, he wears high heels
Suspenders and a bra?
He's a lumberjack and he's okay
He sleeps all night and he works all day
He's a lumberjack and he's okay
He sleeps all night and he works all day
Read more: Monty Python – Lumberjack Song Lyrics | MetroLyrics
I like it because now I am wondering just how long he can be a lumberjack until he comes face to face with someone who really needs to be put down. Or even how long he would stay in one place, because staying means planting roots. I think a Showtime Movie would be awesome in a couple of years. Give him time to ferment.
I cried my eyes out! I continued to cry for probably an hour after the episode. While I understand the way Deb was ended, I am devastated with how Dexter ends up. Dexter gave me hope that all of us with dark sides, and we ALL have something, can still find happiness and love. Dexter finally found his happiness without killing. He had evolved into what Harry wanted for him his entire life. This was a show, why could we not have Dexter be happy with Hannah and Harrison in South America? Life is already tough enough, I don't need my shows, an escape from reality, to be just as real. The Sopranos ending doesn't seem so bad now.
Good lord, go see a shrink immediately.
Loved it, haven't seen the last of Dexter Morgan! What do you people want it was just an hour. Ended perfectly, can't please everyone! Miss him already!
The ending was genius. I watched the show for all eight years, never missing an episode. What was genius about the ending occurred right after Dexter killed Oliver Saxon while Quinn and Angel are watching the tape. Angel's expression was good, but the whole reason the ending worked was because of Quinn's reaction. Remember that he heard Deb's "confession" and he knew what accusations had been made against Dexter over the years. In that one moment, with that one movement of his eyes, we knew that Quinn KNEW who Dexter was and yet, because of the way the story had been told, Dexter gets way with it all. Here was a serial killer, the Bay Harbor Butcher and a conspirator in LaGuerta's murder, sitting in a room with two cops–and Quinn KNOWS! And Dexter gets away with it all, to live in self-imposed exile and his own personal hell. And Deb, well, Deb could not live as a vegetable and she could not live with her guilt knowing she killed LaGuerta, so this was the correct outcome for her as well. Go back and watch Quinn's expression–that one look sold the whole ending for me.
Dexter does his best to be socially useful by destroying murderers, but he does it because he has no choice. If he doesn't find a murderer, he will end up killing someone innocent, because he's crazy. Did you expect that to have a happy ending, or even end well?
File a complaint against her like we did.
Dexter's finale represents classic transition to the mature psychological defense mechanism of Sublimation.
He cut/chopped/sawed up psychopaths (people)...then he "heals" by sawing logs!
What actually happened in the finale didn't bother me, it was the execution. Despite feeling rushed the episode managed to also lack the sense of urgency when there needed to be one. The episode felt muddled and in a word "blah". I think that it had potential is part of why I disliked it so much. Deb's unexpected turn for the worse was meant to be a shock and it didn't feel like it somehow. The scene where he takes out Vogel's son just felt wrong, as did the scene with Angel and Quinn afterwards.
Their attempt to show how Dexter's attainment of humanity and the pain that caused him lacked the intensity that it required. He decided to kill not out of a psychopaths need but out of the rage anyone would feel at the loss of a loved one and the whole depiction of it felt hollow. The whole episode felt rushed
The only scene I actually liked was the very last one. It was subtle but you see him suffering with his guilt and remorse, something previously beyond him, and then his eyes shift to the the cold, penetrating glare of a psychopath. It was like he had had enough of the pain and flipped a switch in himself and turned it off and became what he was before.
The story they tried to tell, the one of a psychopath who tried his whole life to fit in and become human, only to find it incredibly painful when he finally did was a good one. Its too bad they didn't actually make it. They could have done a show with the exact description of events of the show they did and it could have been awesome. Somehow they managed to fail at this.
I'm really kicking myself for sticking with the show when it started to go downhill a few seasons ago. I hope the Breaking Bad finale isn't a big bag of suck, too.
Actually, a perfect ending for Dexter-The Movie coming in 2017.
Actually, the whole series was just a gruesome waste of time. After watching only a few episodes, that was my conclusion. Way too much of this gruesome killing on the boob tube.
@jon You only watched a few episodes but then comment on the whole series? That makes no sense. Also why did you come here to whine about violence on TV? This show was not on prime time TV and was intended for mature audiences. Your comment is off topic (has nothing to do with the season finale) and is self indulgent nonsense. The show was actually far less graphic that one would expect.
If you don't like violent shows, don't watch them. Its that simple. Annoying others with your preachy nonsense accomplishes nothing other than making you feel good about yourself. Why don't you go and complain on CNN's site about their exploitation of actual violence to make millions. You'd still be wasting your time but you'd at least have a valid point. Coming here to do it just makes you look like a moron.
I don't watch Dexter, but if he became a lumberjack, they must have gotten that idea from how Walt looked at the end of the last Breaking Bad episode. : )
"And moving him far away from Miami in a self-imposed exile seemed to be the best punishment for a ruthless character," Isn't Argentina further away from Miami than the Pacific Northwest? Last time I looked, it was at least 1000 miles further. He wasn't really going to Argentina by choice.
Not lumberjack–the people who take down trees are loggers. Only people from anywhere other than logging country call them lumberjacks. Geez....
If it's good enough for Monty Python, it's good enough for me.
"Only people from anywhere other than logging country call them lumberjacks. Geez..." Which would be most people in the world. .
Oh yeah...to Rita's family...that might be wondering where their grandson/little brother is...go **** yourselves.
Don't forget that Harrison was last seen with Hannah by the private investigator and the family would have eventually found out, thinking that he was kidnapped. Especially with Dexter's faked death. There's a lot of loose ends but that they don't touch on these beyond Batista saying "Dexter" into a phone and Hannah's reaction to the news of his death and that was a part of what gave the show a real out of touch feeling. I mean, how about Deb disappearing before her brother "dies" after he kills the guy who shot her while in police custody?
Loose ends are fine if you handle them right and they certainly did not in this case.
It will all come together in the movie....Summer of 2015
The whole concept of the series grossed me out. I had no desire to ever watch it. I was intrigued enough to read the finale article and glad it was a dud, glorifying serial killing amongst other plots for eight years is really messed up.
@Shoos – you didn't watch the show, so you couldn't know it wasn't about glorifying serial killing. So how could you possibly render an opinion on the show finale?
Dexter was the adopted son of a policeman – who as an infant watched his mother get butchered by a drug dealer and sat in her blood for 3 days. That's enough to mess up a good kid. His cop dad taught him to control the urges to kill randomly by only killing those that killed other people and slipped through the justice system unpunished. In a twisted way, Dexter was providing a service to society, to make it better. Would you rather the real serial killers got away with it and kept killing randomly?
Your comment is off topic. No one really cares about what you find "icky". There are far more gruesome and disturbing shows on TV.
HA! Never watched the show because you didn't like the premise of it, and now you're commenting about how you're glad it's over. Wow, that's prolific. Maybe we should now hear about the BM you DIDN'T have this week?
Your replies make me laugh. Thanks for the chuckle.
Crap.
I enjoyed the series and I enjoyed the finale. That last moment when Dexter looks up, the humanity that he craved is gone. He truly looks like the self imposed exile has given him the freedom to go completely nuts!.
Why is self suffering the only possible ending for Dexter? I know there is an unwritten rule in Movies/TV stories, if you commit a crime, you can’t get away with it or can’t be happy. That’s definitely what happened in Deb’s case – she was over wrought all season because of shooting LaGüerta (not that I wanted to see Deb face that type of justice – but I can understand why they did it).
But Dexter didn't kill for personal reasons – he was supposed to be the last resort for justice, to take care of the ones that fell through the cracks in the official justice system. Yes, he made some mistakes, but for the most part he did follow the code. Rita died not out of punishment – but by the choice Dexter made to take Trinity out instead of protecting her. Last night we were hoping he learned from that mistake.
In this season it seemed as if the writers/ show creators were showing that Dexter was making progress in the area of social development: he had real feelings for Deb, Hannah, and Harrison – that's not something that was possible a few seasons ago. With Rita, he was still playing the role of husband and dad, as cover. Yet even then he was talking about the possiblity of having it all. Last night, he was going to leave Saxon for the police to handle – which went against his gut feeling but was a bow to Deb's judgment – something she suggested in a recent episode back in June. He was become more human – so why not allow him to live with Hannah and Harrison as happily as Dexter could be?
The most depressing hour of my life. I realized in the last 15 minutes of the series finale that I had wasted 8 years of my life. There was so much squandered potential this season. I cannot believe that they chose to center the final season on characters who popped out of nowhere and about whom no fan gave a damn (Dr. Vogel and Oliver, not to mention Elway and Clayton).
OK – I agree it was really lame but you didn't waste eight years of your life – just about 12 hours a year for 8 years. So feel better!
The series final was okay. Nothing to gloat about or complain. My only issue is I guess Dexter didn't really love Hannah or Harrison, for him to be able to give his only child up like that isn't real to me, Although I suppose they left it to where after all the series actors aren't making money they could do a update series or movie. The question I also have is if Dexter loved Hannah and Harrison enough to let them go like that and is now a truck driver, how does he deal with his urges to kill??
He becomes the same serial killer in the Pacific Northwest. Trust me, they've had a lot of them. Nothing new. It becomes a movie a few years from now with numerous sequels. If they are well made, people will go to see them. I probably would. Not sure how he was supposed to pull off the demolished boat in the middle of a hurricane but...maybe that's just me.
You cannot find the school lap either can you bimbo–
Glad someone else noticed that he was a truck driver and not a lumber jack that we know of.
If you want to see the diametrically opposite, correct way to end a series... wait till next Sunday's Breaking Bad.
It was by far the worse cop out ending of all time. No consistency with how the characters would actully react. So many holes in the writing and the plot, it is pathetic. So riddle me this batman: according to the writer they chose to end it this way because no one expects it? Of course no one did because it was illogical and made no sense. Why would Oliver Saxon in the hospital go after Deb knowing she would be heavily guarded? This is a serial killer of Dexter's level just without the code, he has been under the radar for 20 years and he is just going to walk in and get captured? and why would he stab Dexter in the chest/shoulder area? He is skill enough to be nicknamed "the brain surgeon" and he yet stabs dexter in the place which does the leaset amount the damageand instead the jugular or the eyes? besides, Oliver would not have taken the bait so easily. This is a cold and calculated serial killer. Not to mention Dexter has a flash back about Deb telling her he will be a wonderful father and than he abandons his whole reason for living and let Deb die in vain? And whats with of the Masuka-Daughter storyline???? It had no value and they should have used the time and energy to develop a better ending.
Joy – you could go back a little futher. Hannah was ID'd at the ER, so why is she still walking around with her bleached blond over straightened hair like no one is going to notice her? No hair dye, no wig?
it does not work for you hon especially with no makeup....makes you look a green faced hacker.
Couldn't agree more. Not to mention Dexter being able to disconnect someone from Life support, wheel the body out of the hospital dressed as non medical personnel and then just carry it to his boat docked right in the back of the hospital.
"I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay . . !"
The dexter finale and season 8 was atrocious.
First for half the season there is this threat of Hannah being discovered as a wanted, escaped murderer. Yet at no point does she or dexter lift a pinky to make it harder for anyone to find her. Did they both drop 50 IQ points in season 8? A simple SUN HAT with sunglasses if she had to leave her hideout.. for chrissakes. A baseball cap. Change her hair color to brown. Cut it. Anything but running around with those long locks.
Second, is dexter INSANE? I know he likes banging that sweet Hannah sash, but she's killed former love interests and families. He could possibly surrender himself to her as he might be able to deal with her.. but he actually trusts Harrison with her? They never had a future together. Dexter is a smart guy, smarter than most. He's not dumb enough to trust his son to a widowmaker.
Third, dexter has an emo crybaby fit and turns into a lumberjack to "protect" his son? While leaving him in the company of someone who has killed her former lovers/families? Duh? And how does he think his son not having a father will effect his son? Dexter has shown he has less of a need to kill. In the end he didn't need to kill Vogel, he just should have, to protect those he loves (Deb). It wouldn't have been about Dexter any more – it would have been about protecting his family. With Dexter's less need to kill, comes a potential future – a better one – for him and Harrison. I think he should have realized this, but you turned dexter into an emo crybaby who feels sorry for himself. Boohoo. Right – that isn't Dexter's way.
I agree with you! it was illogical and made no sense. Why would Oliver Saxon go in the hospital go after Deb knowing she would be heavily guarded? This is a serial killer of Dexter's level just without the code, he has been under the radar for 20 years and he is just going to walk in and get captured? and why would he stab Dexter in the chest/shoulder area? He is skill enough to be nicknamed "the brain surgeon" and he yet stabs dexter in the place which does the leaset amount the damage instead going for the jugular or the eyes? besides, Oliver would not have taken the bait so easily. This is a cold and calculated serial killer. He has been taunting Dexter with move he makes not the other way around. Not to mention Dexter has a flash back about Deb telling him he will be a wonderful father and than he abandons his whole reason for living and let Deb die in vain? And whats with of the Masuka-Daughter storyline???? It had no value and they should have used the time and energy to develop a better ending.
I agree Brad! Dexter chose to leave everything he loved and in a way cause his own suffering for what he had done or what happened to those he loved. Thought it was pretty awesome.
I thought it was terrible. Deb gets killed and the serial killer grows a beard and abandon's his family. He commits murder but the police are fine with it. Maybe they should have just blown up the police department with everyone in it.
When one of their own is inovled, you damn straight they aren't going to have a problem with it. The way Quinn flew off the handled when the brought in Saxon/Vogel, you know he wanted to strangle him.
I just wanted to say that the author of this piece does not speak for everyone. I thought the finale was great! If you didn't get this ending, then you didn't get Dexter.
II agree! I hated to see Deb die, but when it comes down to it, there was no other way to end for her. She'd seen to much to be able to go back & live her life on the force.
And the ending for Dexter showed that he will never be normal. Great ending!
Agree completely! And whose to say that he even remembers being Dexter. That was my take on it. He tried to kill himself but failed. He does know how to use a chainsaw.
I agree Brad! Dexter chose to leave everything he loved and in a way cause his own suffering for what he had done or what happened to those he loved. Thought it was pretty awesome.
Nail it
Thought the ending was VERY appropriate. What did you complainers expect? That he'd go and live in a little house with the white picket fence? Hardly! The complainers here are probably the same ones who complained about the "Sopranos" ending, which was spot on!
I get what you are saying – about the unwritten rules. They touched on that through the series that he could never truly be happy. I get that. But with this season, it seemed as if the creators were trying to show that Dexter was developing real feelings for those closest to him – not becoming human like everyone else, but more human than he ever was before. He picked Rita becasue she was emotionally damaged and didn't think it would lead to a family situation. But later he saw there was an advantage to having a family to cover his other life. They also showed several times recently that he didn't need to kill any more. I just think they spent the entire last season setting us up to pull the rug out from under the fans.
I don't agree with Dawn, that he was trying to kill himself. Through the whole series – he was always about detail (several times things didn't work as planed and he had to improvise). He planned to wreck the boat so Hannah and Harrison woudln't look for him. That was the first thing I said when I saw the wrecked boat.
It would have been better if there were an obviously-needs-killing type in the lumber camp and then Dexter focused on a big knife with dah dah DAH music like seeing one more Godzilla egg left over.... and fadeout
I got that it was a slow, boring finale full of plot holes and ridiculous, wishy-washy decisions leading to lame resolutions of the character arcs.
I get Dexter, apparently better than you. There were a million things wrong with this season. I don't watch this show to be babied on a sunday night. I expect it to be interesting and thought provoking.
Masuka has a kid. Nobody cares.
Deb dies in a fairly uninteresting way.
Dexter suffers no real consequence for his actions, other than having to be wolverine for a while.
There's a miracle of somehow Dexter can get to shore after his boat is destroyed.
Quinn and Batista don't give a crap Dexter just stabbed a person.
Deb dies in the worst climatic way possible.
And Dexter becomes a lumberjack.