Considering how many people here collect the Dexter cards I find it surprising that no one has been posting anything about the final season. It just wrapped up and we now know how it ended, assuming of course that it really did end because Dexter did not go down with ship, so to speak.

Anyway I was wondering what other fans thought of the wrap up and if it was all worth the ride? Without going into a drawn out critique of multiple seasons, I thought the show went into a dive after Rita's death and they never quite got the tone right after that. Dexter was always a balancing act and like too many shows it didn't live up to its early seasons. At least not for me, but what do you think?

I agree the show never again reached the excellence of the Trinity season, but it did have its moments, and the acting was generally a clinic, and just about everyone who appeared on the show can be proud of their work. Debra and Quinn were especially excellent in the finale.

I was at the final Comic Con Dexter panel in July and they had just filmed the finale and all seemed pretty emotional. We missed Vince Masuka at the panel and he also didn't appear in the finale in any meaningful way. I wonder if there was any relation to those events.

Anyway, Jennifer Carpenter, whom I adore, was asked how she wanted the series to end, and what she wanted to happen to Debra. Without pausing a moment, she said something like "I wanted her to die, I want her to die, and I will always want her to die", with her reason being that she wanted to know that the character's story was completely finished and there was nothing she wouldn't know about her. She's a pretty intense person.

I was sad the way it ended, and thought it probably should've ended with the boat wreckage. The little coda, it seems like they made, just in case they want to return to the character for another series (or perhaps a movie) someday.

All in all, Michael C. Hall's other show "Six Feet Under" ended up being better than "Dexter" in my view, and in no small measure thanks to the "Six Feet Under" finale which was phenomenal, far superior to the Dexter wrap up, and one of the best in TV history (The only HBO series whose finale can even compete with the finale of SFU is that of "The Larry Sanders Show", which was also a masterpiece.)

That must have been a real high to attend that panel.

I guess everyone has there own take on it, but what happened to the Debra character along the way was probably the thing that ended up bothering me the most. After last season's final show I figured it would wind up like a Greek Tragedy, because really how else could it end? But long before that, Debra started making decisions that seemed designed just to advance the plot rather than make sense to her character. She was a highly principled person in her own way, but it all pretty much went out the window.

Now the argument would be that she was never that stable, she loved her brother, and her ultimate decline was supposed to be the heartbreak of the story. I just don't like that argument. There were places in episodes where she made mistakes that her character had no business doing and that is what happens in many TV shows. As the plot has to keep moving forward, characters start behaving in ways that is against their established grain and its at that point that I begin to get annoyed. What they did to Debra annoyed me long before the end.

I agree. The character of Debra ended up better than the show, and that's never a good thing. I don't think they ever thought they'd have 8 seasons, so that may have something to do with the writing losing it's way at times, and increasingly as the show went on.

Even so, I'd characterize the show as a success in the overall (critically, as opposed to the no-doubt-about-it financial success it reaped). I'm a fan of every one on the show, and I hope to see them all in other roles, and soon, especially Jennifer Carpenter.

Maybe she can go on "Modern Family" of one of those other lousy sitcoms so she can finally get the Emmy she's long deserved.

Hey did you guys also read the new Dexter book? I was wondering which you guys liked better?

I honestly was hoping that if Deb did die in the final scene when Dexter is about to kill or hunting someone you see Deb as his new Harry and I would of been happy lol.

I only read the first book and was happier with the show. The books were more extreme and its my understanding the plots were not followed for the show.

From what I got of the ending, the writers were trying to show that Dexter didn't hear his inner voice anymore and perhaps was no longer a complusive killer because he could feel the emotion of losing Deb. No matter how you look at that ending it was dumb. The whole season was dumb and it was all because of the way they botched up the big reveal last year.

Once Deb killed Maria it meant that there was no hint of a normal person on this show. When Doakes died Dexter couldn't be the one to kill him because Doakes was basically a good character, but Dexter needed to get rid of him. Conveniently someone else did it, so we could still like Dexter and he could kill Lila to avenge Doakes. But when Maria needed to be killed the writers tried the same trick, only with Deb doing the dirty work. That was a big mistake because it crossed a line that couldn't be re-drawn.

They messed up the show when they got rid of Rita and they destroyed it when they made Deb the same as Dexter. The rest of the last season and the additional cast they brought in to pad it out never worked.

Dexter deserved to die for being responsible for the deaths of Doakes, Rita (by not killing Trinity when he could have), and LaGuerta (for putting her in the position where Deb chose to kill her). Around season 3 or 4, Dexter also killed a person in error (the guy was not an actual murderer) which is also a strike against him.

Deb should've died for choosing to kill LaGuerta.

One out of two isn't bad, but it needed to be both. I think they wanted to leave the door open for another Dexter series or possibly movie someday, but short of that, the coda showing Dexter alive and well was a mistake.

Conversely, "Breaking Bad" last night, that finale was so great, it's greatness may not be fully grasped for years to come. It is in the pantheon of all time great wrap-ups with MASH and "Six Feet Under".

Everyone seems to be raving about the Breaking Bad finale today. That was one show I never followed. In contrast Dexter's ending was generally panned all over.

Deb should have never killed Maria, Dexter should have died taking out the Brain Surgeon and Deb should have raised his baby with Quinn. Wasn't that better?

Yes, that is better. But even allowing Dexter survived and is in the Northwest, they should've had him killing someone, even making it look like an accident, indicating that while he may not have his police cover anymore, he's still doing Dexter's "good" work, but now away from his last few loved ones so he can't inadvertently harm them, and also to make amends for the mistakes he's made, which were one after another beginning with the death of Rita as a result of his code requiring Trinity die a certain way.

As for "Breaking Bad", reflecting on it, this is one of the only shows that ran for an extended period that I can think of that really felt like one long (excellent) movie. Everything on it was in the service of one basic plotline and it never felt like they were making it up as they went along as it did eventually on Twin Peaks, Heroes, Sopranos, True Blood, and X-Files (on which Vince Gilligan, creator of "Breaking Bad", made his name). Don't get me wrong, I liked all of those shows to the end (except for Heroes season 3 which was unwatchable.)

Dexter flailed away wildly like those for its final few seasons, but in the overall, was still a good show. 4 great seasons with occasional misfires plus 4 mediocre years with occasional flashes of the earlier brilliance adds up 8 years of a good show.

I was also disappointed by the ending. Mercy kills his sister and then disappears leaving his son (and hot girlfriend) behind to be a truck driver. Maybe they have left room for s spinoff show. Would love there to be season 7 and 8 trading cards.

There's actually a whole different spinoff that could work, as a series, a mini-series, or even a movie.

Pick up the story with Harrison and Hannah 10 years from now. She's noticed the now teenaged boy has the same tendencies as his father Dexter, so she teaches him to kill those who deserve it, as he did, but using her area of expertise, silent and deadly poisoning. It'd be "Hannah's Code" as opposed to "Harry's Code"

There's already a recurring villain they could use, the bounty hunter Elway, who, after getting bested in the finale, would have grown even more relentless in catching her.
I see them not based in one place, but traveling around the world, perhaps in a different city each season, since Hannah is a fugitive.

Eventually, they could run across Dexter himself where he could explain his actions in the finale to them (and perhaps more importantly to us, the viewers) and what he's been doing in the years since. The sky's the limit from there.

Michael C. Hall, Yvonne Strahovski, Jennifer Carpenter as the ghost of Debra, and an excellent teen to young-twentysomething actor as Harrison could make this work in time for the 2014 season.

"Harrison" Season 1. Only on Showtime.

Get to it, writers, you can have the idea for free, just send me a complimentary Showtime tote bag.

I wouldn't count on getting that tote bag. As hard as it is to get people to watch a psychotic anti-hero, its even harder to get them to watch a teenage psychotic anti-hero.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
I wouldn't count on getting that tote bag. As hard as it is to get people to watch a psychotic anti-hero, its even harder to get them to watch a teenage psychotic anti-hero.

Oh, I'd watch it.

I can definitely see a spinoff now Chesspieceface. But I see Dexter coming back to find his son and Hanna. The last episode seemed to show Dexter shows empathy (towards Debra)and wants to protect his son and Hanna from himself. He wants to connect with them. He then starts to see behavior similar to how he was in his son. Debra comes back as his ghost just like his dad did. But she comes back not too help guide him but the opposite. She is his conscience to stop him from doing it. Always there giving him reasons not to allow what ever event his is going to do (training Harrison to kill or vent his tendencies). If you remember he was taught at a young age to cope with his urges. I wont be as nice as you Chesspieceface. I want royalties from Showtime

quote:

Originally posted by chesspieceface:
There's actually a whole different spinoff that could work, as a series, a mini-series, or even a movie.

Pick up the story with Harrison and Hannah 10 years from now. She's noticed the now teenaged boy has the same tendencies as his father Dexter, so she teaches him to kill those who deserve it, as he did, but using her area of expertise, silent and deadly poisoning. It'd be "Hannah's Code" as opposed to "Harry's Code"

There's already a recurring villain they could use, the bounty hunter Elway, who, after getting bested in the finale, would have grown even more relentless in catching her.
I see them not based in one place, but traveling around the world, perhaps in a different city each season, since Hannah is a fugitive.

Eventually, they could run across Dexter himself where he could explain his actions in the finale to them (and perhaps more importantly to us, the viewers) and what he's been doing in the years since. The sky's the limit from there.

Michael C. Hall, Yvonne Strahovski, Jennifer Carpenter as the ghost of Debra, and an excellent teen to young-twentysomething actor as Harrison could make this work in time for the 2014 season.

"Harrison" Season 1. Only on Showtime.

Get to it, writers, you can have the idea for free, just send me a complimentary Showtime tote bag.

Good stuff, a lot of creative types around here!

I think about 6 seasons is the extent at which a drama series can operate at the highest level, with the same basic characters anyway. Six Feet Under and Breaking Bad were 6 apiece, and just about perfect. Deadwood was only 3, and I'd say 3 too few, but not 5 too few.

Dexter and Sopranos were 8 seasons and probably each a couple too long in the end. But it must be incredibly hard to say no to the money, so I can see how it happens. And even those shows that do hang on a little too long still tend to have some excellent moments in the last couple of seasons. The script writing may get a little sloppy or repetitive, but an actor playing the same character for years and years just gets better at doing it, generally, and definitely the case with Dexter and Sopranos.

I was so disappointed with all of season 8, it even makes me not want to continue collecting the cards for the show. It is without a doubt in my mind the worst season and it's a real shame because it won't be able to redeem itself with a new one.

I think I was more disappointed with the last episode of lost. I really think they messed that one up.

I didn't have a problem with the Lost finale actually.

quote:

Originally posted by Sidewinder:
I was so disappointed with all of season 8, it even makes me not want to continue collecting the cards for the show. It is without a doubt in my mind the worst season and it's a real shame because it won't be able to redeem itself with a new one.

I know what you mean. I was so disappointed by it, I'm even considering no longer serial killing people.