Dexter

[Fernando]

It seems increasingly unlikely that this, the final season, will have a huge finish. And because of that, my investment and even interest in the show is draining. But maybe I have high standards... I think I would be disappointed if Deb does not end up on Dexter's table. Something that big needs to happen.

Any predictions?

I have two options:

1. he gets caught and somehow manages to run away and goes on hiding.

2. same as above but instead of running away he commits suicide, how? he injects himself to pass out to drown at the bottom of the ocean where most of his victims reside.

[Jeremy Blackman]

I guess I do have one prediction. Notice how Rampling's character keeps remarking with curiosity on things Dexter says or does that are not typical of a psychopath. "Hmm that's strange, psychopaths usually don't express love in that way" etc. etc. Are the writers simply winking at the audience, who know that Dexter does have a conscience and could probably stop killing? I mean we all know that, right? Are they going to blow that wide open finally? They've played with this halfheartedly countless times, but they almost really did it in Season 5, which I found immensely effective. Would they ever actually commit to that?

[Jeremy Blackman]

How Dexter is going to end is much more difficult to predict than say how Breaking Bad is going to end. Dexter hasn't been building toward anything. Dexter's character arc has become much more ambiguous as the show went on instead of focusing with the show ending. We've seen him kill or be involved in the murder of innocent people so he is no longer the "good guy" murderer as the he was when the show began.

The show has been emphasizing Dexter's emotions and reactions to situations are different to how Evelyn expects from a psychopath. I would guess the Dr would continue to talk to Dexter and try cure him of his dark passenger. While I can see Dexter being helped it's hard for me to see Deb getting better with Dexter still being around. Continuing with Dexter not having emotional coldness of a psychopath, I see the show ending with Dexter having to make some sort of sacrifice in order to help/save Deb. He might have to let himself be put on a table with pictures of his victims. Or Dexter will take the blame for LaGuerta and admit being the Bay Harbor Butcher freeing Deb.

Woops, I missed your reply.

Yeah, those are all decent options. I feel like something big needs to happen (this is obviously their last chance), but I just don't see the pieces being assembled for anything that ambitious. And let's face it, with Dexter you can usually see the pieces being assembled. This is why Rampling's "omg why are you not behaving quite like a psychopath" bits really stuck out to me. Those moments definitely resemble the foreshadowing we've seen in previous seasons.

[Kal]

I can imagine the show ending without anything major happening... meaning things sort of go back to how they were in season 1.

Or he would die. Not sure if suicide or how... but it will be to save Deb and for her to have a chance of a normal life.

And she will probably end up with Quinn.

And Dr. Rampling will be dead.

[03]

im not as good at this reviewing stuff as you guys are, so ill try my best eventually, but im very impressed with these past episodes. does everyone fell that they more or less ended this storyline halway through the season to make way for more stuff? i really wasnt expecting last nights episode.

[Brando]

I was surprised by the conclusion of the story line. It now seems as just a set up to get Dexter, Deb and the Dr together as a new family. It made me wonder why they didn't do this for the previous season. But this is Dexter and they go season by season and by guest star and guest star. They really haven't been heading towards anything without any thought to anything past the season finale.

I have no idea what is going to happen next. I still don't entirely trust the Dr. She comes off as a overly protective mother to Dexter. It also seems stupid for both her and Dexter's father to think it was fine to record themselves talking about creating Dexter. Maybe the Dr filmed Dexter's father without his knowledge.

There was more set up in last couple episodes of Dexter having to make a sacrifice for Deb. When Dexter tricks the killer to coming to the hospital for his father, the killer removes his father's breathing tube to make his escape. The only thing is that this was all done in the first quarter or third of the season. If they plan to have Dexter sacrifice himself for Deb, will it still be as relevant since the set up was done in the first quarter or third of the season.

[Jeremy Blackman]

I was surprised by the conclusion of the story line. It now seems as just a set up to get Dexter, Deb and the Dr together as a new family. It made me wonder why they didn't do this for the previous season. But this is Dexter and they go season by season and by guest star and guest star. They really haven't been heading towards anything without any thought to anything past the season finale.

I have no idea what is going to happen next. I still don't entirely trust the Dr. She comes off as a overly protective mother to Dexter. It also seems stupid for both her and Dexter's father to think it was fine to record themselves talking about creating Dexter. Maybe the Dr filmed Dexter's father without his knowledge.

There was more set up in last couple episodes of Dexter having to make a sacrifice for Deb. When Dexter tricks the killer to coming to the hospital for his father, the killer removes his father's breathing tube to make his escape. The only thing is that this was all done in the first quarter or third of the season. If they plan to have Dexter sacrifice himself for Deb, will it still be as relevant since the set up was done in the first quarter or third of the season.

I know what you're getting at, but I'm not expecting anything like that at this point. The show has struggled to achieve any kind of elegant complexity since Seasons 4 and 5.

I'm just hoping for something surprising. Something big. They're going to need to start setting that up really soon, because I don't think it's happening yet.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Hannah is probably one of the show's best characters, so I appreciate that. But this entire season is spontaneous and disoriented, like they decided which way the plot would go by flipping a coin. There's no particular vision anywhere. And the production value is possibly the lowest it's ever been. (Seriously, what was with that awkward softcore porn scene?)

I feel like the show is aggressively hinting that Vogel herself is the brain surgeon. This would be absurd, but in the Dexter universe that doesn't make it less likely.

The more sensible candidate is the guy who dated Cassie. This would explain why he (purposefully?) didn't identify Zach from the picture. Perhaps he was hanging out with Cassie to get closer to Dexter.

[Brando]

But this entire season is spontaneous and disoriented, like they decided which way the plot would go by flipping a coin.

Seconded.

I feel like the show is aggressively hinting that Vogel herself is the brain surgeon. This would be absurd, but in the Dexter universe that doesn't make it less likely.

I thought about that option early in the season but there was a shot of her opening her front door finding a piece of brain in a jar. She would be staging that event when no one was around. But there is something really off about her. Vogul is constantly telling Dexter how he is unable to show empathy towards others but she shows none towards anyone that has been killed. She only shows empathy towards the murderers. That dinner scene weirded me out for some reason I can't pinpoint. Maybe Vogul has another adopted serial killer son and she is working with him and they're both the brain surgeon.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Yeah, I was also getting some weird vibes from that dinner scene. It felt like she was about to reveal Titus-style that they were eating human flesh, or she had just poisoned all of them. So strange that absolutely nothing happened. But it was subtle enough that it might have been an accidental result of the poor production value. (That's how good this show is now!)

I thought about that option early in the season but there was a shot of her opening her front door finding a piece of brain in a jar. She would be staging that event when no one was around.

That's funny, I had the exact same experience. From that point on I also eliminated her as a suspect.

The Vogel hints have been so heavy-handed... It's hard to tell if it's misdirection or hamfistedness. The show is known for both.

You're right, it is more likely that she's working with the brain surgeon. That would actually be semi-consistent and not altogether surprising. She's at least a little nuts. (He could still be the guy dating Cassie. Everyone wins.)

[Brando]

But it was subtle enough that it might have been an accidental result of the poor production value. (That's how good this show is now!)

I guess I was expecting some sort of crazy reveal at the dinner scene too. It speaks a lot about the show that the creepiest scene all season could have been accidental.

Speaking of the poor production value. I don't remember seeing a clear shot of the body in Dexter's apartment. I didn't realize it was Zach until after the show when I read it. I don't know how I missed it. I remember trying to think of why that song was playing. Maybe I was too focused on the song that I missed the reveal of the body.

It could be the guy that was dating Cassie. He did give kind of a weird answer when Quinn questioned him.

There are four episodes left and still doesn't feel like the show know how it's going to end.

[Fernando]

agree with both of you about the lack of plot direction and the low production value, why did it plummet like that?

these writers could learn a thing or two from breaking bad's, are they just lazy and like fuck it, lets just end the damn thing?

at some point of the season I thought Quin was going to be all over Dexter's activities (ala Hank?), that doesn't seem the case now but if they chose to tell that story I'm sure it would be far better than what we are seeing, also, Harrison has always been useless as a story devise, with no purpose whatsoever in this universe, I can only remember one time where Dexter had to deal with him alone (this season where he goes to hunt Deb's guy at a motel), even now that Jaime moved with Quinn she can have him 24/7.

still hope these last four can give us an interesting closure.


also. yeah, Hannah has been saving this show the last episodes.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Harrison has always been useless as a story devise, with no purpose whatsoever in this universe, I can only remember one time where Dexter had to deal with him alone (this season where he goes to hunt Deb's guy at a motel)

Harrison was interesting in Season 5. Remember Dexter had to drag him around? That was funny.

Season 5 remains my favorite. It's the most exciting and meaningful the show ever was. Season 4 is close, but Rita dragged things down. Ending the show with Season 5 would have been dignified and fairly coherent. Dexter was starting to figure out the nature vs. nurture thing, that he possibly doesn't "need" to kill, etc. That was great stuff. It was even subtle. What an insult to follow that up with Season 6 (the "hello, whore" season).

I like how they started to reprise some of those themes (Vogel realizing that Dexter may not be a psychopath) and now they seem to have dropped it entirely for what I'm sure will be another "Hannah in peril" plot.

[AntiDumbFrogQuestion]

Who else expected Mads Mikkelsen to pop up in that dinner scene?

[Fernando]

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