Now that it’s been over a decade since the originalDexterfinale aired, I can finally make peace with it, especially with the finale ofDexter: New Bloodto compare it to.Dexterhas one of the most notoriously disappointing series finales in modern television history, arguably right up there withGame of ThronesandHow I Met Your Mother. Critics and fans alike were wildly let down by theDexterseries finalebecause it ultimately felt forced, rushed, sloppy, and simply not enough to end a celebrated series.
I vividly remember my speechless surprise as the final credits rolled after thatcontroversial lumberjack sceneand not wanting to believe that a series I loved so much could flop so hard in its final moments. Anticipating that ending all over again is one of theharshest realities of rewatchingDexter. Debra deserved a much better conclusion than she got and Oliver Saxon, while intense, was an impersonal villain to end the series with. However, considering the arguably worseNew Bloodfinale, which started out pretty well until once again everything came crashing down in the final act,the originalDexterfinale doesn’t seem as bad nowadays as it did in 2013.
Rewatching the season 8 finale helped me appreciate it more
Many fans and critics were outraged by the ending of the originalDexterseries, specifically the random lumberjack part and Debra’s death, which seemed unnecessary and overly dramatic. At the time, I was in complete agreement and basically stunned by it. The silent fade out on a bearded Dexter’s face without so much as a final voiceover nod to the audience made it nearly feel like I was watching a different show entirely back then. Dexter walking away from his entire life, particularly his lover Hannah and his only biological child Harrison, so as not to hurt them was logical but terribly unsatisfying.
It made sense that Dexter had a tragic outcome as the anti-hero he was, but to cause his own downfall seemed completely out of his character when the entire series was built on his self-preservation. He lost Harry, Rita, his biological brother Brian, his spiritual mother Dr. Vogel, both of his biological parents, etc. He would have made peace with his guilt for Debra’s death eventually, which is demonstrated inNew Blood,especially since he’s, you know, a psychopath. While it’s certainly not perfect but also not completely horrible,the ending isn’t as bad as it seemed in 2013 upon a modern rewatch, with certain elements even making it poetic.
Dexter Cast & Where They Are Now
The cast of the Dexter original series has gone on to appear in dozens of films and television shows after the celebrated series concluded in 2013.
Dexter: New Blood’s Frustrating Finale Makes The Original Series Finale Seem Better
The final minutes of New Blood were worse than the original series ending
The sequel series as a whole was tonally different from the original show, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Seeing Dexter back in action inNew Bloodin 2021 was exciting and refreshing, especially watching him in a brand new landscape with new characters and different stakes. The series wasn’t effectively nostalgic in many ways but it did add a new spin and take the series in a new direction while still retaining much of the core elements of Dexter’s character.The ending ofNew Blood, however, is somehow even less satisfying than the season 8 ending.
Dexter: New Bloodhas several loose ends that don’t get wrapped up in its finale and alsomissed the perfect opportunity to reintroduce Hannah McKay, one of the more compelling characters of the later seasons. Instead, theNew Bloodcreatives just wrote her off, saying she died of cancer when it would have added a whole new layer of tension to the series to have Hannah in it and might have offered her retribution or clarity. As new and evolved asNew Bloodfelt, it was also missing some of the quintessential and familiar characteristics of the original series. With Dexter dying by Harrison’s hand, the ending once again feels forced and lacks a true sense of closure for Dexter as a protagonist.
Dexter’s 10 Best Villains, Ranked
Dexter Morgan has faced many formidable foes throughout the Dexter original series and 2021 miniseries. Here’s how the top 10 villains stack up.
Dexter Season 8’s Finale Would Have Worked Without The Lumberjack Epilogue
The confirmation that Dexter was alive worked against the finale’s impact
Imagine if the lumberjack scene was never a part of theDexterfinale. Having Dexter die on his Slice of Life boat would have added some poetic justice to the original ending, with his body floating down into the bottom of the bay off the coast of Miami where he had deposited so many of his victims, as well as Deb. It’s clear now thattheDextercreative team threw in the lumberjack epilogue to leave the door open for a sequel series, but Dexter dying in the bay off the coast of Miami where he dropped so many of his victims, after just dumping Debra’s body out to sea, is really not that bad of a way to go out.
The final episode ofDexterwas still fairly compelling leading up to its ending. Dexter was about to get on a bus with Hannah and Harrison, one on which Elway also boarded and nearly busted Hannah, when he felt compelled to visit Deb at the hospital for an unexpected face-off with Saxon. Angel was able to arrest Saxon before he got to Debra, but the greatest threat to Debra wound up not being Saxon at all, but fate. Debra poetically becomes Dexter’s final kill in the series after Dexter detaches her from her incubator and shuts off her life support out of mercy. It could have just ended with Dexter driving into the hurricane.
How Old Dexter’s Returning Characters Are In Showtime’s New Prequel Show
The six original Dexter characters returning for Dexter: Original Sin will be portrayed by new cast members, some of which have interesting age gaps.
What A Better Dexter Finale Might Have Looked Like
A more fulfilling outcome for Debra would have been nice
TheDexterproduction team could still have made a sequel series without the original series epilogue confirming he was still alive. There might have been debate following the finale about whether Dexter had survived or not, which would have left the entire fandom in suspense. There could have beenyears of mystery and ambiguity that would have made the announcement ofNew Bloodeven more excitingsince it would have also been the first confirmation that Dexter was still alive. If they can bring back Wolverine afterLogan, then Dexter could certainly have been brought back from a hurricane without the ridiculous epilogue.
Much of the focus was on Dexter during the original finale, but other characters deserved stronger resolutions as well, particularly series regulars such as Quinn, Angel, and Vince.It would also have been nice to have given Dexter a chance at redemptionrather than subject him to a forced sense of martyrdom. A more personal confrontation between Debra and Dexter might have allowed Debra to redeem herself at Miami Metro after killing LaGuerta. Less focus on new characters such as Zach Hamilton and Masuka’s random daughter might have made for a strongerDexterfinale as well.
Dexter
Cast
Dexter is a television series following Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for Miami Metro Police who secretly leads a dual life as a vigilante serial killer. Released in 2006, the show focuses on Dexter’s internal conflict as he hunts down criminals who elude justice within the legal system.
