Dexter (TV Series) Remember the Monsters? (2013) User Reviews

To writers: How could you do this to Dexter Fans?

[sinanodes · 4/10 · 24 September 2013]

************** Contains spoiler *********************

To writers: How could you do this to Dexter Fans?

I liked Dexter because it was about a clash between good and bad. First four season, it made me to ask myself many times "Could I really choose a serial killer's side?"

After great four season, downhill started with Season 5 Finale, The Big One. In the final scene, Debra caught Dexter and Lumen but they were standing behind the curtain. Then Debra did a small talk and walked away. Nobody believes Debra Morgan release a serial killer without even looking at his face. All downhill started with this scene and and kept going until the worst and the last episode.

How writers could do that to all Dexter Fans? After we all told our friends how great this show is. I gave 4 stars, each star for great first four seasons.

Here are my questions to writers regarding whole series and finale: - Do you really think someone get out from Hospital with a body? Dexter could wear a doctor's outfit at least. - How easily he killed Debra? Even Dexter we know researches everything. She was in the hospital for one day. Not eve a second opinion on Debra's health? - Why Dexter became like super hacker, ultimate lock-picker and a Bruce Lee in martial arts? Can he really take down any serial killer without any resistance power? - Vogel's experiments was very interesting. Even I was thinking she killed Dexter's father because he knew so much. But she became like weak chicken and died. Nosense! - Masuka's daughter? What's this all about? - Zach? Really? Why you guys need a character like that to fill a few episodes cheaply? - Saxon, I think Mr. Bean could fit this role better. He really thinks he can kill Debra in the hospital with full of cops? - Miami Metro? How many murder have been happened and connected to Dexter. He can still walk away after? Really????? - How come a Fed. Marshall does not know about serial killer while whole Miami knows him. - Hannah... At least a fig, color change, a glass... Do something to hide!

And our serial killer with great principles, talent and a code became lumberjack? Really? Really?

Why you guys think all fans deserve a finale like this? After we all spent great amount of time from our life to watch this show and gave you a great milestone in your career.

This is the finale?

[Dannyboi94 · 6/10 · 13 May 2016]

Season 8 has not been a very strong season, it's on par with season 6 and the slowest and weakest of the whole series. Throughout season 8 there has never been a sense of closure for one of the most loved TV series of all time, and this episode follows.

If this episode was the finale of a normal season, and not the entire show, it would be fantastic, possibly one of the best. However this episode does not do a good job and closing the stories of the characters that we have grown to love over the past 8 years. You only see some of the main characters once in this episode, and they barely have any lines to say, and suddenly that's it. WHAT!? This is dreadful storytelling, and lazy writing. The creators of this show should have realised the size of this show's fan-base, and decided on ending it on a high note, much like Breaking Bad did, with that show's outstanding ending.

However this is not an entirely bad episode, like I said. The scenes with Dexter and Deborah are fantastic. There is a strong emotion there, and their scene in the hospital is one of the best scenes in the entire show. It's just a shame it is all wasted on an anticlimactic ending.

The second half of season 8 should have been Dexter on the run, and eventually abandon his family in order to protect them, eventually leading to how this episode ended. But instead they gave us 12 episodes of nothing.

Dexter is truly one of the greatest TV shows of all time, but also has one of the worst finales of all time. I am not giving this a very low rating, because this is still a good episode itself, just not a good finale.

A great show - a shame about the ending :-(

[sarastro7 · 5/10 · 2 October 2013]

Endings are hard. I mean, hard to write. To get right. If you try to do something different and unexpected, it's a huge gamble that is likely to go wrong, unless it makes some special kind of sense. The ending, remember, is what communicates the writers' point about the whole show; their judgment.

I liked the ending of "Lost" - for me, it worked on an artistic level. But shows that have criminals as protagonists are still a new genre, and the writers/producers apparently can't get past the moral judgment - past the idea that if people do wrong (even in such a thing as having too many wives - see "Big Love"), they should be punished. Generally, that principle is sound, but some people also deserve a second chance. Some people can reform. And in works of fiction there is most often a symbol scheme at work which means that the protagonist is not just a real and regular person, but an embodiment of a set of themes and representations.

"Dexter" was just about my favorite drama show of all time. Right up until the penultimate episode, it was deftly told. When in the second- to-last episode Dexter actually finds out that he is no longer a killer, I started hoping for a happy end. But of course I had predicted that, at the very least, they would kill off either Deb, Hannah or Harrison - to get away scott free, Dexter would have to sacrifice something. But they chose to have him react crazily to Deb's death, letting it overshadow the good things he had to look forward to. But abandoning his loved ones is no solution - when you start a new life, a new job, you are bound to get involved with people again; it's unavoidable. If he's just sitting around staring into thin air whenever he's not at work, he might as well kill himself. The moral is clear: he is in the equivalent of hell. And he chose it himself - maybe because he got "sane" enough to see that it was what he deserved. But it's only what he deserves according to old- fashioned and preachy values. Before Deb's death, he actually started to reform. There was hope for him.

But this ending showcases the problem with having "bad-guy protagonists" - you can't really sanction their actions, so you can't give them a happy ending (just look at "Weeds"). But the audience has been (kinda, sorta) rooting for this protagonist since day one! Does that count for nothing? The thing to do in a show like this is to show development, maybe repentance, even. Some sort of evolution of character. And so his ultimate fate should also be open and fraught with possibilities. Because he represents something different than what he appears to be. Dexter represents, to a meaningful extent, justice and righteousness. Reason, even. Misunderstood and having to hide, and going through a bunch of problems, but he does symbolize rationality applied to ethics, and there's no deep point in having him end up as he does in this final episode.

So, I thought that was a weird and somewhat nonsensical ending. But, everything that went before was pretty great!!

Worst Finale EVER!

[rfrancis-au · 1/10 · 23 September 2013]

This was the worst finale ever - the pacing was terrible, the acting sub-par (even though Michael C Hall is usually pretty good - did anyone feel moved at all watching the Dexter and Deb holding the baby scene?) and the story.. GOOD LORD was it BAD.

As a season finale to a show about a serial killer this needed to go one of two ways - he ends tragically or he rides off into the sunset. This ending was more a "we're out of ideas so let's just make an open-ended cryptic finish and pretend it's meaningful."

The whole story arc of this season has been ridiculous - he struggles to regain his humanity then ends by abandoning his child and Hannah.. the exact opposite. They try to make it out that he doing it to protect them but it's just not believable - he has shown he has changed and no longer wishes to kill. What then is he protecting them from? A loving and devoted father?. And she is a wanted fugitive with a child in foreign country. Abandoning them seems like the very worst thing he could do. Dexter spent the ENTIRE SEASON chasing this goal of a life with Hannah. What was the point in all that if he is just going to abandon them anyway?

I really wish this final season had been Dexter facing the consequences of his years of killing and either escaping with an extraordinary Dexter-esque plan or it all come crashing down and he goes to jail. All his friends turning on him and Miami metro chasing one of their own would have made for an epic final season. Instead we get some uninspired drivel that is very unsatisfying and doesn't leave you feeling one way or the other. Was it a sad ending? Not really, they did all escape but his sister died (and what was with that - wouldn't you wait to see how bad her condition really was before deciding to kill her?). Was it a happy ending? No he ended alone and miserable yet Hannah and Harrison walk off into the sunset. #Confused.

Dexter was great series but this last season really hasn't delivered. You create a plot arc for what 9 Episodes involving Dr Vogel then drop her in a way that doesn't really add anything to the story. We already know Saxon is a psycopath he doesn't need any more reason to come after Dexter. Also, only introducing the main bad guy (Saxon) halfway through the final season is very poor form. It doesn't give enough time for him to develop as a real nemesis like the trinity or ice truck killer was. Very disappointing for a finale.

Overall this finale was a MASSIVE let down. They didn't wrap up any of the loose ends (Masuka's daughter anyone?) and the story arc was terrible.

My hopes now lie with Breaking Bad to provide a great conclusion to one of my favourite shows.

Is this the best you can do?

[Stormchaser99 · 24 September 2013]

I'm asking the writers this question_ Is this the best you can do? A predictable ending. I won't say it's the worst but it's not a good one. Most importantly this is not the way fans want to remember this wonderful show. We deserved better.

To tell the truth I'd really like to forget this ending and possibly the entire 8th season. A lot of unanswered questions, lot of unfinished side stories. The show ends like a slap in the face. As a long time fan of Dexter it doesn't feel like a closure to me.

Dexter started with a great 1st season, got better and better for the next 3, was at it's best on 4th season, followed by three average seasons and ends with a boring season8.

Anyway i'm gonna miss the show for sure.

Lamest end to the Greatest show ever?

[chunky-dave · 3/10 · 23 September 2013]

Season Finale... Sitting in my living room wearing dexter shirt and sipping tea from my dexter mug!! Expectations were high but still at the bottom was that sinking feeling that the writers would blow it up big times in order to make it epic and the least expected.. And alas, it did happen...

SPOILERS to follow:: No, Dexter didn't die. No, Dexter was not caught. No, Hanna didn't die. No, Deb didn't kill dexter. Instead, Debra died.. (read... killed by dexter) And our dear Dex became lumberjack.... Reaalllllllyyyy??? Were the writers watching first of the X-men while deciding the fate of Dexter?

The quality of production continued to be lame.. Seemed like story was trying to make its way through all those pot holes left by the writers. 1.Entire terminal of Miami evacuated just on suspicion over one backpack. And the guy in question is Ex Miami metro (obviously no criminal record) 2. We thought Dexter had given her SUV to Astor... By the way he was so in rush to get away with Hanna, he never bothered to meet his foster kids and say goodbye???? 3. How come a person who resigned 3 days back still has his badge on him when he goes to kill Oliver Saxon? 4. How easily he walks out of the office once Batista and Quinn watches the tape of him killing Saxon? Even after noticing how calm he was while pressing that panic button? No bells ring to Batista or Quinn about LaGuerta blaming Dexter of being bay harbour butcher???? 5. Any one can take any one out of the hospital, maybe alive or dead as per their wish!!Who cares??? Like really?? 6. They had such a big weather warning and still no coast guard stops dexter from roaming in the ocean with a dead body on board!!! WOW!!

Well these are just to name the few!! Acting seemed to be forced!! All actors were just waiting for this lame episode to be over with

And what about all those side stories they had? About Masuka's biological daughter? Does any one care??

I can imagine 100 other ways they could have ended this finale and still they could have given justice to the legacy of this series and all the loyal fans who had been following it from day 1!!

I wish I could erase the memory of this entire season!!!

This season's end is the biggest mockery anyone has ever made of my time

[djkaspar · 1/10 · 23 September 2013]

I'm sorry, I'm not one to review movies or series online, I usually keep my opinions to myself.

But I must ask - even if just aloud - what the hell where these people thinking, wrapping this up like this? Could there be a more void, predictable, pointless, tacky way of ending this series?

I will have to put up a topic that will address the endless amount of absurdities this episode - and in fact this whole series - had to it (appart from the terrible, utterly terrible dialogs and the nonsense ridden narrative plot that ends in ambiguity leaving a bitter, acrid taste of a huge letdown)... it's like the cast and writers where forced to make one last season.

I was hooked on Dexter from the first season onward, it's almost unbelievable how long ago that was! It was my first real TV experience, my first love for a series, my first addiction to a show that wasn't Seinfeld. It was better than Lost at the time - for me, it was the best of the best, the tensest of the tense, the most edgy writing... and it ends like the worlds saddest thing...

And it now ends, and I feel I've been swindled, tricked into it. A sort of frustration I can only pair up to what it would be like if your parents say they'll give you an Xbox for Xmas, but when you get there you open the present and realize you're only getting a pair of socks. Like a cold, relieving hand job a nurse gives to an old paralyzed patient as palliative care.

It was TV's lowest point for me so far. I was really hoping for something better and I could imagine 50 alternative endings that would involve magic stuff like dragons and goblins, and still make it stick better than what I just saw.

I'm sorry guys... but it feels like you chickened out. This killer deserved better.

PS. Some specific thoughts I just have to share will follow... *spoiler*

"why the hell will he want to commit suicide if his sister's last dying wishes where for him to BE HAPPY??"

"why would they show him working a lumberyard???? WHY?????? Why not at a pharmacy or at a chemical plant, a microscope factory, a slaughterhouse... or something that would be a little more credible... Why is he crying like a little girl after walking out on his family??? WHY??? what sense is there in that? no longer a killer and no longer with Harrison?? what? how??"

So much more could follow... but it'd be a waste of time. I'm sorry. I'm truly sad.

What a disappointment

[sjensenstrad · 1/10 · 24 September 2013]

Well this last season has been a bit boring and superficial.

Lets go to Argentina... no I cant go..... lets go.... no I cant go yet....... I just need to wrap up... OK I wrapped up... lets go..... No wait I forgot my teddy bear OK lets go, no you go... I come join you later.

And then this last episode just so stupid........ I mean the writers they most have laid down at least 20 different ways this show could end, and they pick this SH1T? Dexter the lumber jack.... well that could be the spin of comedy "Hey I am dexter the lumber jack killer, let me just find my axe and chop chop"

He got what he deserved

[aabowath50 · 10/10 · 14 January 2022]

I rewatched all 8 seasons in prep for the new series. When I initially saw the end of Dexter years back, my only complaint was poor Deb didn't deserve her fate, she was a good person.

However after rewatching the serious, it ends perfectly. Let's remember, Dexter is a bad person. Yes he killed terrible people, but he also killed innocent people directly (photographer, rude bathroom guy) and indirectly (Dokes, Laguerta, Deb and countless others). Many people unnecessarily died because he mislead the police countless times.

Dexter gets the ending he deserves, he looses everyone he loves (his kid, the woman he loves, the job that feeds his Ned, and his sister). At the end, he's along and miserable, for the rest of his life, exactly what he deserves, short of being killed himself.

Glimpse of a life that never could have been.

[davidking9753 · 7/10 · 15 May 2022]

Dexter is a new man but still the same.

Realising he shut himself of because he can't handle loosing the ones he loves.

Broken man.

I have seen worse finalies.

But it could definitely have been better.

Very briefly

[Stardust21 · 1/10 · 23 September 2013]

**** SPOILERS**** Very briefly put, this series final can summed up as such: Debra dies in service, Dexter gets revenge by killing her killer... with a pen, he buries her at sea ... (with all the chopped up bodies of the crooks he's killed before), decides to abandon his son to Hannah (who manages to make it to Argentina with Harrison) he then sails into a storm, survives, and becomes... a lumberman!

Most fans will be extremely disappointed by the lack of suspense,excitement, fear for the character to name just a few. I was expecting a fire work, twists and turns, but we got: nothing. A tasteless dish cooked up by some dried out writers. Most horrible series final ever.

The real, perfect finale

[sizucca · 10/10 · 24 January 2022]

It would be unpopular, but I loved this finale.

It was perfect. It delivered and I haven't noticed any flaw in acting. The open ending was just amazing because it was right of each one of us, after 8 series, decide how things went. I cried for days, like Iclost friends. The outcome was tragic BUT totally EPIC.

The low rate is only given by moralist with abandon issues. Come on!

Dexter is a sociopath, yes we love him, but is not judging his behavior as a father that we have to judge a whole serie. The death of Debra, the Hurricane, the final trip on the boat and then the last scene on Dexter... epic.

I just can't believe it....

[sammunro100 · 6/10 · 23 September 2013]

My god i can't express how lame this ending was, i have been an avid fan of Dexter throughout every single series, and i even enjoyed this last one a great deal.

But this final episode is another classic case of just writing a story, which is just far to good to live up to a decent ending, i don't even get why in this final episode every body acting decided to forget everything about acting, it was very sub par for some reason, but that aside i could have lived with, and sadly only and i do mean the only decent thing to this final episode was the incident with Debra Morgan.

And the final ending to it all where he is still alive and well, makes NO SENSE WHAT SO EVER, he went into the storm to commit suicide and stop ruining peoples life's(And to protect his loved ones from himself), yet comes out of it seemingly unharmed(Amazing right? As he boat was completely demolished....) and living a normal sedimentary life with the hint he is back on his serial killing habits.

I literally am so infuriated at this ending and the writing behind it, and i would find it rather hard to believe that the actors themselves were greatly impressed with it.

What the f***!!!!

[batista_fan · 3/10 · 26 September 2013]

What started as one of the best series I've ever seen quickly dissolved into one of the most poorly written and directed ever. It really does show what happens when a great show-runner leaves. Clyde Phillips left after the last great season (Season 4), and after that it was pretty much all downhill from there. You could tell in the very first episode of season 5 that it wasn't . Now, we have the ultimate culmination of bad writing, poor character choices, and an ending that tries to be "edgy" but ultimately falls flat on it's face. I'll always remember the first four seasons of Dexter, but the last four? I won't waste my time again.

This season felt totally rushed and totally strayed away from what Dexter is all about. Dexter killing serial killers and dealing with Deb's transformation. Deb's death in this episode was completely absurd. Felt rushed, unceremonious, and it was like the writers thought to themselves "It's the series finale. Somebody has to die right?" Deb deserved a better death, like death in combat.

Hannah was such a stupid person these past couple episodes. What's weird about Dexter is that logic set up by the narrative is very selective. Hannah's face was on television, everyone is Miami has seen her face. Why didn't her dye her hair, or cut it, or wear sunglasses, or SOMETHING. And what's peculiar is that Elway, the Marshal Deputy, and that women at the hospital that recognize Hannah.

Dexter's decision to kill himself was dumb. This season we have been witnessing his transformation from a psychopath killer to a normal human because of Hannah. Why would he need to protect Hannah and Harrison from him when he is normal now? And that fact that he is a lumberjack and never meets up with Harrison or Hannah is stupid. Dexter gives one last stare into the camera but I couldn't see that because I was throwing stuff at my TV.

Final verdict: Absolute crap.

Just Bad and Disappointing

[jbboss78 · 2/10 · 23 July 2014]

As a big fan of this show, I was really disappointed. As far as I'm concerned, the seventh first seasons were awesome, some more than others, but in general, they were great ! Then comes the eighth season. Obviously, ending such a great show was a difficult task but, I've never seen an ending as terrible as that one. Big Time.

The first episodes of the season were okay, not awesome, but okay. Butthen...

Some of the things that got under my skin : 1) NIkki : useless 2) You tell me Marshall Clayton didn't see the news ??? 3) I think Deb deserved more than a "there was a complication" 4) The idea of loneliness for Dexter's end was not bad but a lumberjack ?? really ?? 5) Oliver Saxon walking in the parking lot with a gun in his hand and blood all over him while wanted and nobody cares, What the... 6) Jamie/Quinn 's story 7) After Dexter told Saxon he was going to kill him with the pen on the table, Saxon, as an experienced killer, "tried" to kill Dexter by aiming the shoulder ???? 8) Hannah, wanted all over the news, doesn't even Dye her hair ???? SO much for blending in...

Well, I guess that summed it up. Now, all I want is to forget how my favorite show got destroyed.

Really?????

[hi1678116 · 1/10 · 23 September 2013]

If I could give this episode 0 stars I would. This whole season has been terrible but none of the episodes have been as bad as the finale. This was the most unrealistic and disappointing finale of anything I've ever seen. 1. The fact that Hannah McKay didn't even bother to DYE HER HAIR at least to get through the airport makes no sense. 2. How does she even have custody of Harrison? 3. So you're telling me that A US MARSHALL hasn't seen the news about a murderer on the loose??? 4. WHY IS DEB DEAD? 5. Amidst all the commotion of the hurricane, NOBODY saw Dexter take Deb's body? Nobody wondered where the hell it went when the storm was through? 6. Who the HELL thought of the last scene and why does it exist? Are we supposed to find some comfort in Hannah thinking Dexter is dead and Dexter being a lumberjack?

That was definitely the worst of all finales ever aired. I thought this boring 8th season couldn't get any worse but the writers really outdid themselves here.

Remember When Dexter Was Good?

[AnnabellaWilliam · 3/10 · 9 December 2017]

CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Let me start by saying that I loved this show. Seasons 2 and 4 were my personal favourites. Unfortunately Season 8 did not live up to the show's legacy at all, and to be honest, I don't think this was a bad finale as much as I thought this was a bad season. I don't think changing the finale would have fixed what was comparatively, a wholly dull and uninspired season. But this review is about the finale only.

This finale failed to ignite any real emotion because of everything happening too fast. It consistently felt like a string of attempts to tie up plot holes that never should have developed in the first place, and in doing this they created a whole bunch more. For example, Hannah being a wanted fugitive but making no efforts to conceal her identity, the US Marshal being completely unaware of a highly dangerous serial killer on-the-run despite his face plastered everywhere and Dexter stealing Deb's body and throwing it in the ocean with no one noticing she was missing, but somehow noticing Dexter was missing - given her vegetative state, it's pretty safe to say she didn't walk out of the hospital herself. I highly doubt Quinn - who the writers made consistently clear was madly in love with her - would let that slide. The same goes for Batista, who was very close friends with Deb. On top of this, no one saw him carrying her lifeless body to his boat, no one found his fingerprints on the life support switch despite him making the peculiar decision not to wear gloves that day, and there were zero cameras anywhere in the hospital (and apparently this extends to every hospital in Miami, given the incident with Hannah taking Harrison to another hospital earlier in the season).

The whole narrative arc of Season 8 was Dexter realising his humanity and realising he is more than the serial killer Harry created him to be. But in the finale, his humanity doesn't extend to Deb - a person he truly loves and deeply cares for - and he gives her only a mere day to show improvement before turning off her life support and throwing her in the ocean where he disposed of countless "people who deserved it". Deb never deserved it, and him discarding her this way after not only coming to terms with his humanity but reeling from the guilt of his fault that resulted in her condition, is just totally unbelievable. Part of the reason Dexter threw his victims in the ocean was because he felt they didn't deserve to be found, that they didn't deserve a proper burial; for him to deprive his beloved sister of that and treat her this way when he always saw her as innocent and merely a victim of his issues is absurd. Not only this, but she was a strong character who always fought for herself; she deserved a better ending than dying of a "complication". Even where this was the case, it would likely be assumed that someone accidentally turned off her life support when trying to move her during the storm. There was zero need for Dexter to dispose of her.

The Argentina plan was made unbearably unrealistic by the couple's stupidity. Dexter has a speedboat - why not use it to travel to somewhere like Cuba, then from there to Mexico, then to Argentina from there, to face less chance of being spotted? Given Hannah's fugitive status - and it's not like she skipped bail on a DUI, she's a manipulative serial killer who kills anyone in her way, more than one US marshal and a money-hungry private investigator would be trying to find her - the idea of getting on multiple planes and through multiple airport checks is crazy. What's more crazy though, is that not a single person in any airport identified this woman who looks identical to the picture of a wanted serial killer plastered on the news.

In a similar vein, no one noticed another wanted serial killer knocking out a stranger in a busy car park while bleeding all over the floor, nor walking into a vet, driving to the hospital, cutting out a guy's tongue in public in broad daylight and entering the hospital. To even imply Dexter would let him live and face justice at the hands of Miami Metro in the first place knowing how little evidence he leaves behind is an insult to the character the writers spent seven seasons creating. While Dexter realising he didn't NEED nor want to kill Saxon was an important and vital moment, his character would still have done it through self-preservation, protecting his family and avenging Vogel's death. That's the character we watched this show for and grew to love, and that's not the character we saw in this finale.

Summarising, this finale fell flat on its face and failed to grip its viewers or leave a lasting impression. For a show that brought some real shocks, compelling story lines and stunning cinematography (the shot with Harrison in Rita's blood springs to mind), all of which moved its audience and hooked us until this point, to end this way is really disappointing. Like others, I hope one day we'll get an alternate ending - or alternate final season, for that matter.

Better than the new end

[akzahra · 1/10 · 20 January 2022]

I just watched this episode and I cried as hell. I really didn't know that I'd had such a strong connection with Deb.

I really wonder how well the writers were able to ruin two ends of this great show. But still I think this end is better than the new one.

Some people say why did Dex kill Deb. Look, Deb was brain dead and when someone is brain dead they are almost dead. They can't even breathe alone. So Dex actually didn't kill Deb. She was already gone.

Let's apologize to this episode

[LovingDexterMorgan · 10/10 · 10 January 2022]

Believe it or not, I've always loved this ending. Now Dexter New Blood has ruined everything. I find this ending very satisfying, Dexter going away from his family for their sake seems perfect to me.

Happiness?

[harrytumilson · 7/10 · 25 February 2023]

On the overall, I found this to be an entertaining episode. We open at the airport with Debra's former boss Jacob Elway staking out the departure gate waiting to capture Hannah who is hiding in the bathroom. She calls Dexter who devises a plan that clears Elway from the immediate scene but their departure plans are scuttled when the terminal is evacuated so they remain trapped in Miami. Then Dexter receives a call from Deputy Chief Tom Matthews informing him that Debra is in the hospital being treated for the gunshot wound inflicted by Oliver Saxon in the previous episode which, until now, he was completely unaware of. Later, when Saxon attempts to finish the kill of Debra at the hospital, Detective Joey Quinn and Lt Angel Batista arrest him and haul him off to jail. Meanwhile, Dexter sends Hannah and his son Harrison ahead with plans to meet them in Argentina. A catastrophic stroke renders Debra a complete vegetable. In retaliation, Dexter creates a plot where he successfully kills Saxon in jail. Heartbroken, and in the confusion of the approaching hurricane, Dexter terminates Debra's life support system and carries her lifeless body to his boat. After her burial-at-sea, dexter is seen driving his boat into the hurricane with presumably suicidal plans. Next, we locate Hannah and Harrison enjoying a drink at an outdoor Argentine café where she reads an on-line article outlining Dexter's presumed loss at sea. In the final scene, we find Dexter, quite alive, looking totally beaten and alone in a logging camp.

I felt that this entire season was degrading to the 'Bay Harbor Butcher', especially the previous episode (eleven). To begin with, if he hadn't completely set aside his 'code', Zach Hamilton and Dr Evelyn Vogel would still be alive. And, who knows, with a greater effort backgrounding the 'Brain Surgeon' way back when, he might have even saved Cassie. Then, if this mere facsimile of the Dexter we had come to admire, had used a little imagination, he would have planted his knife solidly in the heart of Saxon while he was strapped to the chair. At that point it would have been a simple bit of murder scene creativity to make it appear that Debra took out Saxon in an attempt to arrest him. All of this done, and he certainly had the time, before calling her would have made her a hero again at the P. D. That concept would have saved the life of Deputy US Marshall Cooper as well as Debra.

It seems that the writers decided that none of the main characters in this series were to enjoy any reasonable happy ending. It started with Sgt. James Doakes who met with his demise in disgrace way back at the end of season two (although his name continued to pop up right until the end of season seven). In that season's final episode, Capt. Maria LaGuerta met eternity at the hands of Debra. This season, Jamie Batista, Dexter's nanny, is jilted by Quinn who is still in love with Debra - no happiness for her or Quinn who loses Debra anyway. Obviously Debra has gone off to meet her maker, so not much joy there. Hannah McKay is in Argentina and will never again get be with the love-of-her-life, Dexter, and must face raising his son Harrison who, unbeknownst to him, has just lost his father. The least of the unhappiness goes to Vince Masuka and Angel Batista who have only lost two friends and co-workers, although Angel had, quite some time ago, lost his marriage to LaGuerta; I don't know if that was bad or actually a good thing.

Well Dexter, as you sit in your dilapidated shack, grieving, miserable and alone, I'm here to tell you that you earned this outcome. You worked hard for it and you truly deserve it. This is what you get for making such huge changes to your life in such an abbreviated time without regard to the consequences. You get no sympathy from me!

What the HELL was that?!

[Playbahnosh · 1/10 · 26 September 2013]

Okay, let's get one thing out of the way first: I absolutely LOVED this series. It had it's ups and downs as far as quality goes, but all in all Dexter was a really good show and I would watch the re-runs forever. It had it's great moments, truly epic, never before seen scenes that would move mountains and it also had, at times, some of the worst possible blunders....like this ending.

After a quite stellar 7th season, I (and I assume everyone else) expected the creators to pull out all the stops, bring out the big guns and end one of the best series in TV history with a bang. But sadly, that's not what happened. The final season was simply the worst of Dexter, choke full of gaping plot holes, forced dialogue, dreadful blunders and characters undoing 7 seasons of character development.

But let's talk about this finale. Instead of a BANG, we got a lousy whimper utterly undeserving of such a great series. I know, writing a finale to such a great series after 8 years is a horribly thankless job, and no matter how you write it, most fans would hate it, if only just because it ended their favorite show. However, ruining the entire series with a terrible schlock like this finale is simply unacceptable. A room full of howler monkeys with a typewriter could've done a better job.

Bringing back Hannah was one of the biggest mistakes. It served no purpose other than sticking a huge flashing sign on her that says "MOTIVATION". She did nothing the whole season but sit in rooms and act concerned. Some of the biggest, most blatant plot holes were all Hannah's. Her face was plastered all over the news as a dangerous fugitive, and yet she didn't even bother to change her looks? No haircut or dye, hat, shades, different clothes, nothing? She was busted by a simple hospital receptionist for gods sake, yet she passed airport security right up to the departure gates? WHAT?! Looks aside, how did she explain away the syringe full of horse tranquilizer? I assume she had it all along and it didn't just magically appear en-route to the bus terminal. Even if security was dumb, SOMEONE should've recognized her! She also stabbed a guy with a syringe on a packed bus, yet nobody bats and eye. Then she strolls through security at YET ANOTHER airport? Damn...

How about Saxon? The walking plot device, without whom there would've been no season 8. His presence is only to serve as a beating stick and a disposable plot generator. Being a total psychopath, he shows a considerable amount of emotion and utter lack of common sense when he just casually stumbles into the hospital filled with cops and media, and goes after the person that's the sole reason for them being there? After he makes his dramatic entrance by depositing a cruelly mangled victim (who's tongue he cut out in a vehicle parked on a high-traffic street in broad daylight) to the doorstep of said hospital, he just waltzes in and strolls around clearly drenched in blood without anyone noticing? Keep in mind, there is a MANHUNT after the guy, his face is plastered all over the news. *sigh* Don't even get me started on the holding cell scene. When given a weapon and cornered like an animal, fully aware he is going to be killed one way or another and he has only one shot, (Saxxon being a fully experienced, seasoned killer himself) he stabs Dexter in the shoulder. Yes, the shoulder. As in Hollywood's go-to "it's just a flesh-wound" spot. Really? REALLY?! And after Dexter quite predictably goes for the jugular, a few minutes later Batista just lets him leave for Argentina? WHAT?

All that aside, Michael C. Hall's acting (or rather, the lack thereof) was the worst, most cringe-worthy thing in the entire finale. After being handed a script this stupid, I assume nobody would've done any better, but still, he could've tried at least instead of this "why bother" attitude. Being at the deathbed of Dexter's dearly beloved sister, pulling the plug and then unceremoniously dumping her body in the ocean (right near his other victims), all he manages is a series of clearly forced, wimpy frowns? If anything, one would've assumed THIS would make Dexter flip the hell out, trash a room, scream, cry, beat himself up, ANYTHING. But no, all we get is a tired-looking, mopey, stone faced Dexter with a "meh" attitude. Pathetic.

Adding insult to injury, the totally-unnecessary-but-crammed-in-anyway- for-the-sake-of-spinoffs epilogue. After magically surviving a giant hurricane on the ocean (which wrecked his boat to splinters), we see a totally unharmed Dexter in what I assume Alaska, sporting a horrible looking fake beard and nonchalantly working as a....lumberjack? Of all the things, this is the best they could come up with? A lumberjack? The very last ending picture is this hollow shell, we once knew as Dexter, tiredly looking at the camera with a "are we done yet?" expression on his face. Why? Just...why?

I don't know what were they thinking. I assume they were just "lets get this done quickly, because I need to look for another job now". Sad. Real sad. It's particularly infuriating too, because unlike the great majority of series, they knew full well Dexter is going to end TWO YEARS beforehand. They had ample time and opportunity to write a two-season story arc to tie everything into a neat little bow. But apparently they shot their load at season 7 and the energy and drive was simply lost by the end. Shame. Now not only we have to deal with one of our favorite series ending, we have to deal with the awful taste this finale left in our mouths, that sours the entire show in our memory....

Compared to New Blood finale...This is legit much better...

[PhoenixUnderdog · 9/10 · 9 January 2022]

I always kinda liked this ending, wasnt reading much about people's opinions back when I originally watched it and thought it was alright... Michael C. Hall is amazing actor, He did awesome job again as Dexter, but the finale was super sketchy...I prefer this one by a lot...

Remember Dexter...

[mrxelement · 6/10 · 22 September 2013]

Dexter Morgan. The blood guy, a father, and greatly known as America's favorite serial killer. For all 8 years of Dexter we been watching, we have been waiting for the moment of truth on Dexter's last voyage. First all, the episode was poorly done during the 45 minutes of it all. The writing was quite horrible and I feel sorry for everybody on the show having to say theses lines out loud. Its the final episode and everybody should at least have a final part at least but, nope that doesn't happen. Masuka is barely in the screen for like 3 seconds. I was hoping to see everyone having a resolution seeing all their endings to it now that its all over. Pretty disappointed about that. Last but not least, Dexter finally killed someone making me feel just a little bit better

But what made this episode were those last moments with Deb. Amazingly powerful,gripping, and truly one of the best moments of Dexter history that my heart sank to the bottom of the ocean. Poor Deb they didn't have to do that to her. She should have a happy ending.

In fact,the way it ended felt unreal where it doesn't make sense leaving interpretations of how Dexter went against a hurricane. Though, I really liked how he looked at the camera and gave a little smirk that's what I've always wanted.

Still as for a final it really doesn't feel like one, this one has a lot of major flaws. I wished we had a better Dexter than this one. But Dexter will always be my all time favorite serial killer. Goodbye Dexter.

Truly awful

[tyronne-3 · 1/10 · 24 September 2013]

After watching 'Dexter' for the past 8 seasons with my girlfriend, we felt that to have it finish the way it did was very anti-climatic.

I will not spoil it for those yet to see it but the feeling of shouting at the telly 'Oh come on - you have got to be kidding me' at the conclusion was very strong. Had I been able to go all 'Elvis' on my telly at that moment I would have as after spending so much time with these characters, we honestly felt cheated.

Lazy, lazy, lazy, lazy, lazy - so many plot holes simply passed over to get the series wrapped up and that is without even mentioning some of the poorest C.G.I near the end we have seen in ages.

We now wish we had stopped watching it during a series high, rather than this damp squib.

Glad its now over if that is the best that could be done to be honest.

How Wrong We All Were!!

[glyn-25860 · 11 January 2022]

After revisiting season 8 after the awful ending of 'Dexter: New Blood' this finale now seems to fit Dexter's character. The Dexter we knew would be riddled with guilt and abandon his son and girlfriend to save his own skin or he would have been caught.

From the code that Harry taught him, he would have saved his own skin to fake his death and assume a new identity.

I want to remember my Dexter as living in hiding under another identity and evading capture. I will take this closure any day over him being killed by his son from the absolute abomination that was 'New Blood'

This finale will be revisited and looked in a completely new light now!!