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Hookemfins

macrumors 6502
Jan 13, 2013
325
27
Florida
My analysis of the ending now that I had some time to calm down.

SPOILER


Dexter gets the ending he deserves (no happy endings for serial killers) and must live on. Not the one he wants (death).


More Spoiler






OR, could that be Harrison later on in life setting up a spin off series?

What gets me standing up about the ending is the poor depiction of hurricane Laura. The seas rise and waves build hours ahead of a hurricane. He never would have been able to dump Debra's body as he would have been bouncing around. As Dexter drives his boat towards the eye wall a boat that size never would have penetrated it, let alone get close.

Living with and studying hurricanes, just one of those things that bother me.
 

mmomega

macrumors demi-god
Dec 30, 2009
3,879
2,089
DFW, TX
Traded in blood for tree sap. The last 90 seconds of the show was not needed.

Dexter the Lumberjack.
 

Tsuchiya

macrumors 68020
Jun 7, 2008
2,310
372
I've just got to say it...that ending sucked.

I felt that the standard was slipping the past few seasons, but this one in particular has been a train wreck.

It's left a bitter aftertaste for sure, Dexter used to be one of the best shows on air.
 

BigHonkingDeal

macrumors 6502a
Feb 8, 2009
832
1,027
Fort Pierce
I've just got to say it...that ending sucked.

I felt that the standard was slipping the past few seasons, but this one in particular has been a train wreck.

It's left a bitter aftertaste for sure, Dexter used to be one of the best shows on air.

If you ask me the entire season kind of sucked..... it felt like they where just going through the motions waiting it to end already.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
May 5, 2008
23,396
26,521
The Misty Mountains
My analysis of the ending now that I had some time to calm down.

SPOILER


Dexter gets the ending he deserves (no happy endings for serial killers) and must live on. Not the one he wants (death).

I don't know about that. Driving out into the hurricane resulting in a trashed boat would have been the perfect opportunity to achieve that goal. :)

The entire key to this conclusion is that he realized that he kills the ones he loves. Well not directly, but through the events resulting from his "dark passenger". Most ironic is that this was the first time he decided to leave a killer for the cops, a new leaf so to speak, and looses his sister because of it. But keep in mind that if he had killed Sexton, mostly likely the Federal Marshall would have caught him.

Anyway, in the spectrum of possible endings, I believe his exposure would have been the worst. I wanted him to get away with Hannah and Harrison and live happily every after, but I realize this has no edge. My reasoning is that life is hardly ever about getting what you deserve as evident by the human race. :p

I am puzzled by his decision to take his sister's body and dump it out in the ocean like all the other bodies. I suppose this was supposed to be symbolic, as in "I killed her too".
 

mscriv

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2008
4,923
602
Dallas, Texas
I haven't yet fully decided what I think about the way they chose to end the series. There are things about the ending that I really don't like, but I think I understand what the writers were trying to do.

As Huntn mentioned, they can't give Dexter the "happy ever after" ending, but I'm frustrated that they blew up everything. Some would say that Harrison was spared, but I don't think growing up without a father is a positive end for him. As for Dexter's self imposed exile, it's very hollow feeling that he would overcome the "dark passenger" only to give up on his chance at happiness in the end. This entire season has centered around Dexter's developing emotional capacity and the realization that he was capable of being more than what Harry and Dr. Vogel guided him to be. It was realizing how much his family and others meant to him that motivated him to make a new start and leave his old life behind. Deb's death, while extremely tragic, didn't change his chance to have a new life with Harrison and Hannah. I'm not comfortable with Dexter being a quitter who gave up in the end.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
May 5, 2008
23,396
26,521
The Misty Mountains
Deb's death, while extremely tragic, didn't change his chance to have a new life with Harrison and Hannah. I'm not comfortable with Dexter being a quitter who gave up in the end.

Definitely a shock to his system when he decided he was at fault for Deb's death and his conclusion that abandoning those he loved was the best way to go, but as you pointed out he did make substantial progress towards shaking his past. The thing is, this is no resolution for the character. Who is to say 6 month later, he does not decide to head to Argentina?
 

Tsuchiya

macrumors 68020
Jun 7, 2008
2,310
372
I've concluded that the story wasn't as much of a letdown as the execution. In different hands it might have felt more poignant and had more of an impact.

It stands in stark contrast to the final episodes of Breaking Bad where all the elements come together and are spot on.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
May 5, 2008
23,396
26,521
The Misty Mountains
I've concluded that the story wasn't as much of a letdown as the execution. In different hands it might have felt more poignant and had more of an impact.

It stands in stark contrast to the final episodes of Breaking Bad where all the elements come together and are spot on.

Part of me wishes I had stuck with BB, but the self destructive story just did not click for me in the first season issues.
 

mscriv

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2008
4,923
602
Dallas, Texas
Definitely a shock to his system when he decided he was at fault for Deb's death and his conclusion that abandoning those he loved was the best way to go, but as you pointed out he did make substantial progress towards shaking his past.

I guess what is so hard for me is that I understand Deb's death would be extremely hard for Dexter and I get it that he would blames himself for it. However, they have developed Dexter's character as a practical guy who understands that life is full of randomness and evil that often can not be controlled or righted. Heck, that's the entire nature of the code. Life itself can't be trusted to take care of evil and so sometimes a person has to bring about their own justice. Dexter delivered that justice in his own vigilante serial killer way.

Deb's death is tragic, but for me it doesn't in any way measure up to Rita's death. Deb herself told Dexter that she got shot because the Marshall messed everything up, not because of Dexter's choice to let the police have him. While I understand he would feel partially responsible, there is clear evidence that he was not directly responsible and that overall the situation was the result of an unfortunate set of connected circumstances. It's basic correlation with an unforeseen extraneous variable as opposed to direct causation. Rita's death on the other hand is directly the result of Dexter's choice to get involved with the Trinity Killer and, in essences, start an all out serial killer cage death match. Dexter purposefully brought the Trinity Killer into his life and exposed his family to the fallout. That's why Rita's death was such a powerful and critical part of Dexter's life, not to mention one of the greatest TV season finales of all time. He was able to work through that horrific event and move past the self blame without giving up on Harrison or exiling himself for the "good of those he loves".

I just find it very dissatisfying that he could overcome one, but not the other. He worked through his responsibility in the Rita situation by recognizing that he needed to be there for Harrison. And he did all of this with no end in sight when it comes to the dark passenger. He was literally lost and didn't know what steps to take, but he knew he needed to focus on his son and moving forward with his life. Yet, when it came to Deb the writer's made him choose the exact opposite. Instead of moving onward with life and doing so with those he most cares about he decided to remove himself and basically "check out" of the game of life entirely. It just feels so empty, inconsistent, and illogical to me. Dexter has never been one who wallows in self pity or refuses to take action.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
May 5, 2008
23,396
26,521
The Misty Mountains
I guess what is so hard for me is that I understand Deb's death would be extremely hard for Dexter and I get it that he would blames himself for it. However, they have developed Dexter's character as a practical guy who understands that life is full of randomness and evil that often can not be controlled or righted. Heck, that's the entire nature of the code. Life itself can't be trusted to take care of evil and so sometimes a person has to bring about their own justice. Dexter delivered that justice in his own vigilante serial killer way.

Deb's death is tragic, but for me it doesn't in any way measure up to Rita's death. Deb herself told Dexter that she got shot because the Marshall messed everything up, not because of Dexter's choice to let the police have him. While I understand he would feel partially responsible, there is clear evidence that he was not directly responsible and that overall the situation was the result of an unfortunate set of connected circumstances. It's basic correlation with an unforeseen extraneous variable as opposed to direct causation. Rita's death on the other hand is directly the result of Dexter's choice to get involved with the Trinity Killer and, in essences, start an all out serial killer cage death match. Dexter purposefully brought the Trinity Killer into his life and exposed his family to the fallout. That's why Rita's death was such a powerful and critical part of Dexter's life, not to mention one of the greatest TV season finales of all time. He was able to work through that horrific event and move past the self blame without giving up on Harrison or exiling himself for the "good of those he loves".

I just find it very dissatisfying that he could overcome one, but not the other. He worked through his responsibility in the Rita situation by recognizing that he needed to be there for Harrison. And he did all of this with no end in sight when it comes to the dark passenger. He was literally lost and didn't know what steps to take, but he knew he needed to focus on his son and moving forward with his life. Yet, when it came to Deb the writer's made him choose the exact opposite. Instead of moving onward with life and doing so with those he most cares about he decided to remove himself and basically "check out" of the game of life entirely. It just feels so empty, inconsistent, and illogical to me. Dexter has never been one who wallows in self pity or refuses to take action.

I agree with you it's out of his character, but I acknowledge that people don't always act in predictable logical ways... it's just not that satisfying when told in a story like this.
 

applesith

macrumors 68030
Jun 11, 2007
2,775
1,570
Manhattan
I binge watched the last season last week with the finale on Friday night. I agree the show went down hill after the Trinity killer.

As for the finale...

It's quite obvious Deb would find out about Dexter and would die as a result of his actions. I was surprised when Deb was just in a coma and didn't die. Let's be honest, the show does the typical thing of most entertainment: killing the strong female characters. Rita, Laguerta, Evelyn, and ultimately Deb. I'm surprised Hannah lived, but at the same time not. She was always a distraction and served as either a convenient plot device as a foe or friend.

I would have preferred it ending with Hannah reading the news on her iPad and the headline making it clear no body was found. Dexter should be assumed dead and leave the audience to decide. He is a strong serial killer, but no match for a hurricane like that. Deb driving the car off the bridge would have been beautiful foreshadowing of both of them dying.

I'm glad it's over. I really wanted to love the ending and was hoping it would redeem itself but it didn't.
 

BenTrovato

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2012
3,035
2,198
Canada
Season 8 wasn't so bad.. it started out really good but lost it in the last 4 episodes. The finale was horrible with that CGI and ridiculous chain of events like taking deb out of the hospital and sailing into the hurricane with calm waters. :confused:
 
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