Summary
- Dexter Morgan was a complicated character who sought justice through his Dark Passenger’s desires.
- The disappointing final season left audiences craving a redemption arc for Dexter and Debra.
- A better way to handle the Dexter finale would be for Dexter to face his comeuppance and for Debra to capture him.
The jury may still be out on whether Dexter Morgan was a tragic hero. The serial killer who kills other bad guys was a huge hit for eight seasons, and audiences vacillated between seeing him as the good guy and the guy who goes just a little too far. He was constantly cleaning up his messes, dealing with other murderers, and attempting to balance a family.
However, Dexter‘s final season threw normally accepting audiences into an offensive swirl. Their character was done dirty, Debra was done even dirtier, and it was clear that the writers were not quite ready for things to end or how to end them. Rewriting the final season seems like a dream for some, so let’s do that now.
Dexter Morgan Was a Complicated Character
Dexter
- Release Date
- October 1, 2006
- Seasons
- 8
Dexter followed the titular Dexter Morgan as he made his way through life as a blood-spatter expert for the Miami Police Department. He was affable, if a little weird, loved his job, and had a wonderful girlfriend with two kids who loved him. It was a good life. However, Dexter’s big secret was that he had what he referred to as his “Dark Passenger” that made him want to murder people. His father noticed this when Dexter was young and taught him that if he would give in to these urges, he had to go after bad people. This led him to seek out criminals who may have slipped through the cracks of the system. People he thought deserved punishment and who he could feel no remorse about killing.
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Dexter was often seconds from being caught by his fellow officers, which included his sister, Debra. Debra is among the most tragic characters in television history because she has a propensity for dating murderers and, even though she is a great cop, never realizes her own brother is a serial killer.
Throughout the series, Dexter learns he has a brother (also a murderer), kills a fellow officer who was hot on his trail (Detective Dokes) and meets his match in the Trinity Killer who, in a heartbreaking season finale, killed Dexter’s wife, Rita, leaving him with her two children and a new baby to care for. He lives with the guilt of his actions and the often crumbling wall he originally built to protect himself. The more vulnerable he allows himself to be, the more pain he seems to cause. It is a vicious cycle.
The Disappointing Final Season of Dexter
Dexter followed an interesting formula throughout its run. Each season is built on the ones before while also having a self-contained plot revolving around a single serial killer for Dexter to outsmart. This final season attempted to do something a little different by not only having a main killer but also a woman from Dexter’s past, multiple other psychopaths, and an attempt to tie everything in a nice bow. It was a valiant effort but left much to be desired.
Keep It Simple?
The show has always been complex. Dexter’s background is probably one of the most complicated pieces. Between learning about his father Harry’s “code,” the fact that Dexter had a brother, his father’s suicide, and the ways Dexter feels about the entire thing, there is always an overarching plot. In the final season, we are introduced to Evelyn Vogel, who reveals that she knew Harry and was a key player in creating the code. Now, one of her ex-patients is loose in Miami under the guise of the “Brain Surgeon” murdering people and then removing a bit of their brain. It’s already a complex story.
On top of this, you have Dexter’s sister Debra, who is full of all kinds of guilt, self-medicating, attempting to process who and what her brother is, and just trying to get through life. Debra is the runner-up for most tragic character in television history. She has tried her best to succeed in life but has been thwarted, often by her brother’s machinations. This is despite the fact that Dexter wants his sister to succeed and be happy.
Let’s also add in that Dexter has met another potential serial killer in Zack Hamilton, a suspicious U.S. Marshall, his ever-present and not-nearly-suspicious-enough coworkers, his ongoing relationship with Hannah McKay, and his need to be a good father to his son, Harrison. Also, why not add a last-minute hurricane?
A Better Way to Handle the Dexter Finale
Two things need to happen in a Season 8 redux: Dexter needs to be captured, and Debra needs to be the one to do it. He needs his comeuppance, and she needs the biggest win of her life, although it will also be one of the most painful. Let’s first rewrite the final episode of Season 7. Instead of killing LaGuerta, Debra shoots Dexter. However, she shoots to maim, not kill. This gets LaGuerta on her side, as Debra looks like the savior, and Dexter, the most prolific and hidden serial killer, is brought to justice. End Season 7 and begin Season 8.
It is two months later. LaGuerta and Debra have reconciled, and the Miami police are still dealing with the fallout from the fact that a serial killer was right in front of them for years. Debra has taken Harrison, so she is dealing with being a mom and betraying her brother. At the same time, we see the members of the police force visiting Dexter in the prison where he is being held for his crimes as the team sorts through seven seasons worth of evidence, uncovering all the times he played them.
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The Punishment Is a Reward
But now, Dexter is in prison. In fact, they’ve put him in with the general population. He’s milling around without his tools or freedom. However, he suddenly realizes he is right where he wants to be. He is now surrounded by all the people that everyone wants gone. Bad people, the ones his Dark Passenger has waited for. He begins to take stock of those around him, those who are bad, worse, and terrible. Once he decides who needs to go, he starts finding ways to kill while inside the prison in ways that the guards cannot figure out.
Now, mild-mannered Dexter has nothing to lose. His life as he knew it is over, and there is no longer a reason to hold back his demons. The more he surreptitiously kills, the more confidence he gains and the sloppier the crime scenes become. Now, he’s fascinated by the blood, by the act of no longer needing a ritual. Harry’s code is stronger than ever, but now it has been bent to include even the worst guards.
End It All
The season/series cuts forward to his final conviction for multiple murders. He is sentenced to death. Debra is his final visitor, and she talks to him about how she will take care of his son but that he has to answer for his crimes. She is sorry for not being able to help him, but there is nothing more she can do. He completely understands and reminds her that she is a good person. The series ends with Dexter being strapped to the lethal injection table as the cast watches from the other side of the glass. He has one final voiceover to the audience about how he cannot fight his nature, and then the screen fades to black.
This true finale would reward viewers, significantly change the ambiguous ending left by the original, and give Debra her hero’s ending. There is no need for another killer. Dexter is THE killer. His final act should be that, through his own actions, he became his own final victim. That’s how you wrap up a show. Dexter is now streaming on Netflix.
