TV Dexter: Series Finale w/Spoilers

[Konshentz]

I re-watched this. It's not as bad as I initially thought. Don't get me wrong, it's still bad... it's just not THAT bad. Haha.

I don't think bumping up the season 3+ months to be the lead-in for Ray Donovan did them any favors.

It ranks in my top 5 worst season/series finales... but it is no longer #1.

 

[Major]

I didn't think it was as bad as people are making it out to be. After reading what the executive produce said about it it kind of makes some sense. I do think it could have been a lot better, but it probably also could have been worse. The ending doesn't bother me nearly as much as the sloppy writing, like Dexter carrying Deb out of the hospital unnoticed, and then somehow swimming miles to shore in a hurricane.

 

[Konshentz]

6 rewrites for 'Dexter's' disappointing final season - TODAY.com

Miami Metro learns Dexter is a serial killer
The public revelation of Dexter's guilt is a payoff we'd been anticipating since season one. Why did the secret have to die with Doakes and LaGuerta? How would Masuka react when the doughnut-delivering blood-spatter expert was the one doing the splattering? Who didn't want to see Batista's face shatter when he also realized that Deb shot his ex-wife? Would Quinn's shady past make him accepting of Dex and Deb's crimes? Instead being publicly humiliated and demonized, the Morgans were deified in death. It's such an unfair ending for viewers — and for the actors who were robbed of the chance to play out that ultimate betrayal.

Debra's murder-suicide attempt succeeds
We'd cut that little detour in the lake entirely (no one seemed to notice or remember it happened anyway) and craft a different, deadly scenario for the Morgans in the series finale. Instead of passing gently into that good night, Debra would kill her brother and herself after confessing all to her colleagues. We're only rewriting season eight, so unfortunately we can't undo that dreadful "incest" story line. The damage is done, and "Dexter" has no right to pretend it never happened with the siblings' heart-wrenching, family-is-everything farewell and flashback. In fact, Aunt Deb's adoring encouragement in Harrison's nursery — "I know you'll be a great father because you've always been a great big brother" — is really kind of icky. Instead of the poignant scene they didn't earn, Deb and Dex should go out with a bang.

Saxon kills Jamie Batista
Instead of Cassie, a random new character who interested no one — even Dexter — why didn't Saxon murder Dexter's nanny? She'd be much more interesting dead than alive, and it would actually give Batista a memorable story line besides "sympathetic boss." Quinn's attraction to Deb would then be complicated by bad-boyfriend guilt, and the lieutenant would whitewash Saxon's murder out of vengeance rather than just loyalty to the Morgans.

Hannah McKay poisons Harrison
We offer a few options here: First, instead of that ridiculous treadmill mishap, Hannah accidentally drugs the boy. No one loves the blonde beauty more than we do, but she did poison both Deb and Dexter and killed another husband. Second, Hannah gives the boy and herself a fatal overdose after learning of his father's death. Seriously, something dark needs to happen to counter all those rainbows and unicorns in Hannah's sunny story line.

Masuka never donated his sperm
The last-minute introduction of Niki, the wisecracking forensics investigator's surprise daughter, is one of "Dexter's" biggest head-scratchers. The producers' blatant attempt to add some dimension to Masuka's character failed miserably. (Or was the topless waitress this season's answer to the Koshka Brotherhood's Foxhole Club?) We waited for an a-ha twist to this pointless story line, but Niki never even appeared in the final episode. The biggest crime? Masuka's paternal role resulted in fewer pervy one-liners.

Harry Morgan is alive
Executive producer Manny Coto admitted on "The Writers' Room" that he actually pitched this idea. We wish his colleagues hadn't shot him down because that would be such a fun twist. Absurd, yes, but maybe his yawn-inducing, sanctimonious screen hogging would be more forgivable if he'd faked his death. You'd think someone would've noticed him lurking about — but if the eye-catching Hannah McKay was able to elude arrest, surely Harry could've ridden shotgun with a beating heart? (Bonus: This would save us from one of season six's silliest twists — the ghost of Professor Gellar.)

What do you think? Would any of those have made the final season better?

I like 1, 2 & 3. I was hoping those would be part of the final season all along. I'm not big on the last three though. I understand (even if I didn't care) why they gave Masuka a daughter. The Harrison thing might have been too much. And Harry being alive would've been the only thing that could've made that last episode any worse. Haha.

 

[Doc]

The only one of those possibilities I don't like is the one where Harry Morgan is alive. Any combination of the first five storylines would have been fantastic and a more fitting ending for Dexter.

 

[Major]

I like the first three. I think the first one especially would have made for an exciting final season. The others are kind of meh. Hannah poisoning Harrison would be way over the top. I don't really care about the Masuka storyline one way or the other. And Harry being alive would just be too unbelievable.

 

[Altanzitarron]

It's such a shame, this series had so much greatness. The dark origin for the hero, a classic cat and mouse game between Cop and killer thanks to the brilliant James Doakes and a blood curdling antagonist in the Trinity Killer. Where did it all go wrong? Oh wait I know, exactly after all that stuff I just listed. Looking back I can't believe I made myself endure the last four season, that's half the show! and I kept watching just hoping that I'd see a glimmer of it's former self resurface. But each season grew increasingly more confused, introducing completely pointless secondary characters and subplots that go absolutely no where.

A season finale without Dexters secret coming to light feels like a massive cop out to me. Instead we're treated to him burying his sister at sea just like all his former disposable victims (what?), and abandoning his responsibilities as a father (seriously?) and leaving his son with someone who's actually more wanted by the cops than he is (facepalm).