The botched Dexter ending is now legendary. Rarely has a series ending disappointed its fans as much as the 12th episode of season 8 of the friendly neighborhood serial killer. Exactly eleven years ago today, on September 22, 2013, the finale flickered across the screens on the US channel Showtime. In the meantime, however, Dexter Morgan has been revived three times. Does that invalidate the conclusion of the main series? Does it save the botched ending? Or does it just make everything worse?
Warning, spoilers for Dexter and Dexter: New Blood follow.
The Dexter ending disappointed all along the line 11 years ago
Dexter is one of my absolute favorite series. The fact that the story of the criminal-murdering serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) declined in quality after season 4 does not change that. Even the infamous series finale of season 8 couldn’t kill my love for Dexter. Nevertheless, as a fan, it still bothers me that the brilliant series didn’t have a brilliant ending.
The weaknesses of the Dexter finale can be found in many elements: A boring season opponent (let’s be honest: who remembers the “brain surgeon” Oliver Saxon?) crossed with the story of psychologist Dr. Evelyn Vogel (Charlotte Rampling) did not form an exciting basis in season 8. Having Dexter fake his death in a storm and then in the end as a lumberjack into the wild has now rightly become a hated meme.
If that is not enough trouble for you: The escape of partner Hannah McKay (Yvonne Strahovski) with Dexter’s son Harrison is also caused by the senseless murder of Dexter’s sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter). The comatose main character was able to force a mercy killing from Dexter for the first time, but Debra’s own character development was burned at the stake of the “emotional” series finale. No, Dexter’s ending really doesn’t deserve any laurels.
But then four years ago a sequel was suddenly announced and Dexter: New Blood hit the screens again in 2021/22.
Dexter: New Blood gave the ruined series ending a second chance
“What the hell happened?”even Michael C. Hall asked about the ruined Dexter ending. The announcement of the sequel series New Blood was accordingly “Redemption from the caustic finale” welcomed. And indeed, the spin-off skilfully addressed open questions and simmering annoyances without aiming for just a 9th season:
Dexter was (tongue in cheek) still a lumberjack in the cold north, far away from Miami. There his now youthful Son Harrison (Jack Alcott) tracks him down years laterwho was wrestling with his own urges. The father-son interaction worked extremely well in walking the line between character drama and serial killer hunting. Dexter: New Blood, with showrunner Clyde Phillips, who had already led the first four Dexter seasons to success, managed to find the perfect balance of nostalgia and renewal. I and many other Dexter fans were thrilled. And then came the second finale.
“Fucked up for the second time”was the conclusion of many when Harrison shoots his unmasked father (at his request) in New Blood. Death of Dexterwho slowly bled to death in the snow, caused outrage among Michael C. Hall fans in many places. I, on the other hand, celebrated the controversial ending of Dexter: New Blood. It was sad, without question, but at the same time courageous and consistentBecause it brought the series’ 15-year history full circle: over the years, the emotionless serial killer had become a human being who, for the first time, questioned himself as a villain. His sacrifice made the ambivalent figure a real “hero” for the first time. For me, it was a perfect conclusion to the Dexter story.
But then the bloodstain analyst was revived once again this summer with two new Dexter series.
Rise until you drop: Dexter returns and back and back
Shortly after the end of New Blood, Showtime announced three more Dexter series a year and a half ago: one about Dexter’s youth, one about his son Harrison and one about the fan favorite villain, the Trinity Killer from season 4. Thankfully, the uninspired Trinity series was soon scrapped. It has become suspiciously quiet about father-killer Harrison. The prequel series about Dexter’s beginnings, however, remained. Even though the main series had already told everything important in its flashbacks. Not exactly a creative legacy, but at least not damaging to Dexter’s legacy.
Dexter’s expansion into further series spin-offs was clearly a Brand decision: Original and prequel series had high ratings and were popular. You couldn’t just let a golden serial killer goose fly away. Even the fan complaints about Dexter’s death did not fall on deaf ears. The fear of not landing another hit without the main character became tangible when at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego Michael C. Hall’s return announced: as the narrator of his rejuvenated version in Dexter: Original Sin and as Dexter Morgan himself in the new sequel series Dexter: Resurrection.
This announcement split my fan heart more reliably than any lumberjack axe. On the one hand, if I’m completely honest, I can’t get enough of Michael C. Hall in his iconic role and am celebrating the imminent reunion, even if the mechanisms of his resurrection leave the makers in a difficult position to explain. On the other hand, I love the New Blood ending because it finally gave my favorite series a worthy conclusion after so many years of finale frustration. violent resuscitation feels like backtracking. Like the destruction of a well-rounded project in favor of the commercial exploitation of the Dexter phenomenon.
This sets the stage for a disturbing Dexter future in which death becomes meaningless. Which could hardly be more paradoxical in a serial killer series. The first resurrection after the serial crucifixion may still be a miracle. Every repetition makes it less miraculous. But if his universe If Dexter can’t let him die, he will never find a happy endingAnd then we’re back where the parent series left off eleven years ago: with an unsatisfying ending that doesn’t give its iconic character a worthy farewell.
Podcast with Dexter: 5 catastrophic series endings
On the occasion of the five-year anniversary of the Game of Thrones finale, we look back at five controversial series endings that have stuck with us.
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In this edition of our Moviepilot podcast Streamgestöber, we delve into the history of the series and review some of the worst final episodes that have buried the legacy of otherwise very good series. From Dexter to The Blacklist, everything is included – so be warned about spoilers at this point.