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When a beloved TV show ends, it elicits a flurry of emotions: sadness because the story is over, excitement for the final chapter, and occasionally, disappointment over how the writers decided to handle the finale. That was certainly the case with Dexter, a popular crime drama series that aired in the mid-aughts and shocked viewers with its fascinating (yet grotesque premise).
Whether you’re a fan trying to make sense of the last episode or just a curious reader, this article will help you understand what really went down in that final season. Because we’ll be discussing character arcs and major plotlines, beware of spoilers ahead!
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What Is Dexter?
Dexter was a crime drama TV show that aired from 2006 to 2013 on Showtime. The show’s premise and storylines were based on a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay.
Dexter is centred around Dexter Morgan (played by Michael C. Hall), a forensic expert at the Miami Metro Police Department. Dexter also happens to be a psychopath vigilante serial killer who only murders other serial killers or murderers who were not brought to justice.
The show also features other characters such as Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter), Dexter’s sister and Rita Dexter (Julie Benz), Dexter’s girlfriend and later wife.
How Many Seasons And Episodes Are There?
There are a total of eight seasons with 12 episodes each, totalling 96 episodes. There was also a spin-off animated web series called Dexter: Early Cuts with three seasons and 24 total episodes.
Dexter’s pilot episode aired on October 1, 2006 to over half a million US viewers. The final episode of season nine, entitled “Remember the Monsters” garnered 2.8 million viewers, the largest audience in both the show’s and network Showtime’s history.
Who Are Some Of The Notable Characters & Cast Members?
- Anton Briggs (played by David Ramsey), Dexter’s sister’s ex-boyfriend.
- ‘Trinity Killer’ Arthur Mitchell (played by John Lithgow), Dexter’s ‘mentor’ and fellow serial killer who kills Dexter’s wife Rita.
- Detective Joey Quinn (played by Desmond Harrington), Dexter’s co-worker and Debra’s boyfriend at the time of her death.
How Does Dexter End?
The final season of Dexter attempted to wrap up several loose ends. Debra, who in the previous season had found out about her brother being a serial killer, deals with trauma and guilt over her past actions. A psychiatrist comes in to help on a serial killer case – and turns out to be the original co-creator of Dexter’s ‘code of ethics’, alongside Dexter’s father.
Why Did The Show End?
Although the show officially ended in 2013, series execs already knew that Dexter was ending soon in 2011. After difficult negotiations with star Michael C. Hall, Showtime gave the show two more new seasons to wrap up its storylines.
Dexter Ending Explained
What Does Dexter Mean?
Dexter started out as a classic anti-hero tale with a criminal twist. The show can be quite subjective about its stance at times, but it does ask some important questions on ethics, morality, and justice. The biggest question at the heart of the crime drama is, to borrow from the Ice Truck Killer in season two, “Can you be both a monster and a hero?” Dexter doesn’t offer up any easy answers – or happy endings.
What Happened In The Season 9 Finale?
In the last episode of the series, Dexter attempts to leave for Argentina with his son Harrison and love interest Hannah (played by Yvonne Strahovski), but his plan is foiled by the arrival of private detective Jacob Elway. Meanwhile, Debra is shot by serial killer Oliver Saxon and is rushed to the hospital. Dexter heads to the hospital and sends Hannah and Harrison ahead to Jacksonville for safety.
Dexter later finds out that Deb had a stroke, leaving her in a vegetative state. In a rage, he kills Saxon (in full view of security cameras) and claims self-defence – a claim which detectives Batista and Quinn accept.
Dexter disconnects Debra’s life support, flees the hospital with her body, and boards a boat. He calls Harrison and Hannah, who are finally on a flight to Argentina, and tells him he loves them.
Soon after, Dexter’s boat is found completely wrecked. It is assumed that Dexter has died in the crash, and Hannah tearfully reads about his death in a newspaper. However, it is revealed that Dexter faked his death and is living under a different identity in Oregon.
Are There Any Alternate Endings?
An alternate ending was planned for the series by the original showrunner Clyde Phillips. He wanted the final episode to show that the entire series was a ‘flashback’ – Dexter was caught by authorities and sentenced to the death penalty. The show was supposed to be his life flashing before his eyes.
How Did Fans Respond To Dexter’s Ending?
Although the finale brought in more viewers than any other Dexter episode (or any Showtime episode for that matter), critics and viewers alike had mixed responses to the ending. Some people thought the episode was well-acted and well-justified, but most thought that the writers ‘botched’ the ending – creating an unsatisfying conclusion to a beloved series.
What Did Cast Members Think About The Ending?
Apparently, even cast members knew that the finale wouldn’t be well-received by all fans. Michael C. Hall who plays the title character himself said that while he feels “good” about the ending, he knew it would definitely be polarising.
“I think it will be a broad spectrum in terms of the response to how the show ends,” the actor hinted at in an interview the week before the last episode aired.
Goodbye, Dexter
For better or for worse, Dexter ended the way it did. While some fans believe that the ending was unsatisfying, others defended it as the only way the show could have ended. Either way, we can still appreciate how Dexter made an impact on its audience and the TV industry as a whole during its eight-season run.
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