I have basically decided to skip the next two episodes and just watch the series finale. In it's place, I'll just read episode recaps. Last week's episode was pretty much the worst of the series for me, and after reading last night's recap I think it may have hit a new low.
Dexter - The Final Season (Spoiler Discussion)
- Thread starter Agent Richard07
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As a die-hard Dexter fan who got a bit grumpy about the religion year, and has lamented the later weaker years in general, I have to say how depressed episodes 10 and 11 of the final year have left me. To think my son and I marveled at the first few years and lived on the fumes of good will until Dexter broke bad....
Wonder of Michael Hall had too much input as the "executive producer". Sometimes outstanding actors aren't capable of steering their own characters in a series.
Damn.
Wonder of Michael Hall had too much input as the "executive producer". Sometimes outstanding actors aren't capable of steering their own characters in a series.
Damn.
My 2 cents: I want a happy ending for Dexter. I hope he, Hannah, and Harrison make it to Argentina and live happily ever after. I hope that Deb gets good medical attention, makes a complete recovery, and hooks up with Quinn (who cleans up his act).
Dexter was a good bad guy. We cheered when he stalked and did away with the real baddies. He worked hard at it and he got rid of a lot of creeps who deserved it. We don't want to see him lose everything at the very end. Okay, maybe Hannah gets nabbed at the airport. She was evil.
I hope he gets away with it all. I don't want the law to catch up with him.
Dexter was a good bad guy. We cheered when he stalked and did away with the real baddies. He worked hard at it and he got rid of a lot of creeps who deserved it. We don't want to see him lose everything at the very end. Okay, maybe Hannah gets nabbed at the airport. She was evil.
I hope he gets away with it all. I don't want the law to catch up with him.
I wouldn't necessarily be averse to that if they wrote it properly. Sort of like the anti-anti-hero.... but the plots and execution were wholly improbable at the end.
I think this summed up the problems with this season perfectly:
http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/09/20/dexter-final-season-gripes/
I'm just amazed that Showtime didn't take a look at the producer's plans for this season and go "Wait a minute, we're talking about the final season of Dexter, and the character isn't going to be pursued or hunted by the cops at any point before the final episode?!? Really??"
http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/09/20/dexter-final-season-gripes/
I'm just amazed that Showtime didn't take a look at the producer's plans for this season and go "Wait a minute, we're talking about the final season of Dexter, and the character isn't going to be pursued or hunted by the cops at any point before the final episode?!? Really??"
Yup, I'm agree on all counts. The Breaking Bad cartoon is perfect. 
Well? No spoilers for us in the Pacific Time Zone? It about to start...
Dexter the lumberjack...horrible. That final twist sucked. I liked the idea of Dexter realizing that he ruins the lives of those he loves and the only way to protect them is to die. How the fuck did he survive after heading out to see into the middle of a hurricane? I'll rationalize it and say that the final scene with Dexter is him in hell.
Did anyone read the faux finale spoilers that have been out for awhile? In them after Dexter slams Elway into the wall at the hospital Quinn grabs Dexter, takes him into another room telling him to get his shit together and kill Saxon. Dexter is confused and Quinn reveals he's known about Dexter being a serial killer for awhile now. Dex says he can't kill Saxon because he's lost his will to kill. Quinn tells Dexter he'll do it. Dex stays with Deb at the hospital. Quinn finds Saxon back to Saxon's hideout, straps him down and knifes him to death. Deb dies. Then Quinn helps Dexter fake his death by sending Dex's boat out to sea. After the storm passes we see Dexter with Hannah and Harrison in Argentina...fade to black and we see Quinn following someone...we then hear Quinn doing a voice over...he's now following in Dexter's footsteps.
Another group of spoilers had Dexter killing Saxon on his boat and dumping his body out to sea. Then the storm rages and Dexter goes down in it. Then Dexter's body (he's dressed in his kill suit at the time) washes ashore along with the body parts of other Dexter victims. The Miami Metro guys finally get a clue and realize that Dexter was the Bay Harbor Butcher...everyone's shocked.
Did anyone read the faux finale spoilers that have been out for awhile? In them after Dexter slams Elway into the wall at the hospital Quinn grabs Dexter, takes him into another room telling him to get his shit together and kill Saxon. Dexter is confused and Quinn reveals he's known about Dexter being a serial killer for awhile now. Dex says he can't kill Saxon because he's lost his will to kill. Quinn tells Dexter he'll do it. Dex stays with Deb at the hospital. Quinn finds Saxon back to Saxon's hideout, straps him down and knifes him to death. Deb dies. Then Quinn helps Dexter fake his death by sending Dex's boat out to sea. After the storm passes we see Dexter with Hannah and Harrison in Argentina...fade to black and we see Quinn following someone...we then hear Quinn doing a voice over...he's now following in Dexter's footsteps.
Another group of spoilers had Dexter killing Saxon on his boat and dumping his body out to sea. Then the storm rages and Dexter goes down in it. Then Dexter's body (he's dressed in his kill suit at the time) washes ashore along with the body parts of other Dexter victims. The Miami Metro guys finally get a clue and realize that Dexter was the Bay Harbor Butcher...everyone's shocked.
No, I haven't. Got a link?
The writers seem to have forgotten that Dexter and Deb are not Harrison’s only family. There is no indication what Dexter told Rita’s parents, or if he told them he was going to Argentina at all. Did he leave them with the impression that Harrison also died on the Slice of Life, or are they putting out an Amber Alert right now thinking he’s been kidnapped (which, actually, he has been). At some point isn’t Harrison going to want to pick up a phone and call Grandma and Grandpa? How is Hannah and Harrison in Argentina supposed to work without Dexter?
Let me see if I under stand the final scenes correctly... Dexter heads into the hurricane cuz he... fucks up people's lives by ya know, killing people and the shit that goes with it. Of course he recently discovered that he isn't so into killing people so really after taking out what's his dude you'd think he could retire... ok... whatever.
So then his boat gets ripped in half... and also... the hurricane rips off his penis.. right? That's what happened? Was there a scene where we saw it floating or something? That's the only thing that can explain him going to snuggle up with hairy dudes in Alaska or whatever instead of relaxing in Argentina with Hannah. Right? I mean c'mon man.
That's quite the fuck you btw.. fake killing yourself and forcing her to raise your kid as a single mom in a foreign land... Wtf?
And seriously what was Mr Big Bad's motivation here. I mean he was a little pissed because Dexter took over the role of son to his mom and all... but for the most part he seemed calm, cool, and more interested in self-preservation than trying to pull some nonsense like going to finish off Deb for... no reason.
If I'm being honest here I think the flash before his eyes thing at execution would be kind of silly too. Seems like to do that you kind of have to skip over the details of his capture/conviction... because if you did that stuff then there's no reason for it to be a flash before your eyes situation, it'd just be linear.
So then his boat gets ripped in half... and also... the hurricane rips off his penis.. right? That's what happened? Was there a scene where we saw it floating or something? That's the only thing that can explain him going to snuggle up with hairy dudes in Alaska or whatever instead of relaxing in Argentina with Hannah. Right? I mean c'mon man.
That's quite the fuck you btw.. fake killing yourself and forcing her to raise your kid as a single mom in a foreign land... Wtf?
And seriously what was Mr Big Bad's motivation here. I mean he was a little pissed because Dexter took over the role of son to his mom and all... but for the most part he seemed calm, cool, and more interested in self-preservation than trying to pull some nonsense like going to finish off Deb for... no reason.
If I'm being honest here I think the flash before his eyes thing at execution would be kind of silly too. Seems like to do that you kind of have to skip over the details of his capture/conviction... because if you did that stuff then there's no reason for it to be a flash before your eyes situation, it'd just be linear.
I thought this was one of the better episodes of the season from an emotional (rather than logical) standpoint. Unfortunately, that's not saying much in this godawful mess of a final season full of missed and misused opportunities (did we really need Masuka's daughter, Quinn and Jaime's relationship woes, Young Indiana Jones, the multiple fake out Brain Surgeons, Dexter dating the neighbor, Dexter's apprentice, Quinn's quest for sergeant against the lady who completely disappeared after being promoted, Hannah's abusive husband, the US Marshal, etc.? What a bunch of extraneous filler).
The worst parts of the episode for me:
- Is Dexter Superman all of a sudden? How exactly was he supposed to have escaped unscathed from sailing his tiny boat directly into the hurricane, where it was destroyed? Did he swim miles back to shore in hurricane force winds and waves?
- Is Dexter the Invisible Man all of a sudden? It was bad enough that he took Debra off life support and all of her vitals monitors without anyone at the hospital responding, but then he --in plain clothes-- wheels her out, picks her up, takes her down to the dock, and just sails away with her body. I get that there was a hurricane incoming, but that was ridiculous.
- So Harrison is better off living with a serial killer who has a history of poisoning people close to her, and who has now lost the one person she loves who acted as a stabilizing influence on her? Better than living with his grandparents? Or Jaime? Or Batista? Or a pack of wolves? Or just about anyone else but Hannah? It's totally out of character for Dexter to just entrust the care of his son to even someone he loves like Hannah, especially after she's clearly still unstable given her poisoning of Dex and Deb and desire to murder her husband, abusive bastard or not. What happens when Harrison gets to the age where he starts to talk back to her and Dex isn't there to keep her under control?
- I love Batista, but my god he's the worst detective in the world. It's a wonder Miami Metro PD even has a 20% clearance rate. I thought finally something was going to click after he saw the way Dexter dispatched Saxon, but other than a little confusion and a furrowed brow, Batista let it be. Quinn knew it was a straight up revenge murder, but he was fine with that. Batista wasn't however, but still let himself be talked out of finding anything wrong by Quinn and Dexter.
- I don't mind the idea of Debra dying, but not like that. I'll grant it was a surprising twist, but I would have preferred a more meaningful and poignant exit for her character than to have her suffer a stroke offcreen. Though it was still sad to see her go.
- Why did Young Indiana Jones feel it was a good idea to ride on the bus with Hannah all the way up to Daytona when he confronted her before the bus was even moving? It's not like they were on a plane that's pulled away from the terminal. Just grab her and Harrison and hop off the bus. Of course she's going to try and make a move if you leave her uncuffed on a long bus ride.
What I liked:
- Even though I wasn't a fan of the way Debra died or how Dexter got her out of the hospital, I thought pulling the plug would be what she would want, and I liked Dexter's care for her as he took her on the boat and gave her a burial at sea, which mirrored his other body dumps at sea but with a completely different tone, obviously.
- The showdown between Dexter and Saxon in the prison interrogation room was well done, as was the way Dexter dispatched him. I also liked the earlier fake out in the hospital where it looked like Saxon and Dexter were going to rush each other in the hall, but Batista put a gun to Saxon's head first.
- The acting was solid all around. The problem with this show is definitely not from an acting standpoint.
- The music was excellent, especially the variations on Dexter's eery theme.
- The flashbacks to a younger, happier Debra before she carried the weight of Dexter's crimes on her shoulder's was nice.
- The minimal use of voiceovers and ghost Harry were a plus.
Ultimately, I just don't buy that ending. I don't think Dexter, even believing he was a danger to everyone he cared for, would leave Harrison in Hannah's care. I would have been fine if he was killed or captured organically to the plot, but voluntarily walking away from his son without even being chased just doesn't seem in-character. It also cancels out the whole plot development where Dexter realizes he no longer needs to kill now that he's truly learned to feel something for Harrison and Hannah. If he could have lived without killing, how would he have ruined Harrison's and Hannah's lives in Argentina (unless he reverted to the old ways)? And if he doesn't have them as a stabilizing influence, will he return to his old habits and become LumberJack the Ripper?
The worst parts of the episode for me:
- Is Dexter Superman all of a sudden? How exactly was he supposed to have escaped unscathed from sailing his tiny boat directly into the hurricane, where it was destroyed? Did he swim miles back to shore in hurricane force winds and waves?
- Is Dexter the Invisible Man all of a sudden? It was bad enough that he took Debra off life support and all of her vitals monitors without anyone at the hospital responding, but then he --in plain clothes-- wheels her out, picks her up, takes her down to the dock, and just sails away with her body. I get that there was a hurricane incoming, but that was ridiculous.
- So Harrison is better off living with a serial killer who has a history of poisoning people close to her, and who has now lost the one person she loves who acted as a stabilizing influence on her? Better than living with his grandparents? Or Jaime? Or Batista? Or a pack of wolves? Or just about anyone else but Hannah? It's totally out of character for Dexter to just entrust the care of his son to even someone he loves like Hannah, especially after she's clearly still unstable given her poisoning of Dex and Deb and desire to murder her husband, abusive bastard or not. What happens when Harrison gets to the age where he starts to talk back to her and Dex isn't there to keep her under control?
- I love Batista, but my god he's the worst detective in the world. It's a wonder Miami Metro PD even has a 20% clearance rate. I thought finally something was going to click after he saw the way Dexter dispatched Saxon, but other than a little confusion and a furrowed brow, Batista let it be. Quinn knew it was a straight up revenge murder, but he was fine with that. Batista wasn't however, but still let himself be talked out of finding anything wrong by Quinn and Dexter.
- I don't mind the idea of Debra dying, but not like that. I'll grant it was a surprising twist, but I would have preferred a more meaningful and poignant exit for her character than to have her suffer a stroke offcreen. Though it was still sad to see her go.
- Why did Young Indiana Jones feel it was a good idea to ride on the bus with Hannah all the way up to Daytona when he confronted her before the bus was even moving? It's not like they were on a plane that's pulled away from the terminal. Just grab her and Harrison and hop off the bus. Of course she's going to try and make a move if you leave her uncuffed on a long bus ride.
What I liked:
- Even though I wasn't a fan of the way Debra died or how Dexter got her out of the hospital, I thought pulling the plug would be what she would want, and I liked Dexter's care for her as he took her on the boat and gave her a burial at sea, which mirrored his other body dumps at sea but with a completely different tone, obviously.
- The showdown between Dexter and Saxon in the prison interrogation room was well done, as was the way Dexter dispatched him. I also liked the earlier fake out in the hospital where it looked like Saxon and Dexter were going to rush each other in the hall, but Batista put a gun to Saxon's head first.
- The acting was solid all around. The problem with this show is definitely not from an acting standpoint.
- The music was excellent, especially the variations on Dexter's eery theme.
- The flashbacks to a younger, happier Debra before she carried the weight of Dexter's crimes on her shoulder's was nice.
- The minimal use of voiceovers and ghost Harry were a plus.
Ultimately, I just don't buy that ending. I don't think Dexter, even believing he was a danger to everyone he cared for, would leave Harrison in Hannah's care. I would have been fine if he was killed or captured organically to the plot, but voluntarily walking away from his son without even being chased just doesn't seem in-character. It also cancels out the whole plot development where Dexter realizes he no longer needs to kill now that he's truly learned to feel something for Harrison and Hannah. If he could have lived without killing, how would he have ruined Harrison's and Hannah's lives in Argentina (unless he reverted to the old ways)? And if he doesn't have them as a stabilizing influence, will he return to his old habits and become LumberJack the Ripper?
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