Dexter (Season 8)

[BlueNGold]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

I couldn't feel anything about Deb's death because it was done so poorly. It was off camera and done so matter of factly that it held no weight for me. It was a total insult to the audience and Jennifer Carpenter that they treated the death of a main character (and almost important as dexter, sometimes even more) so casually. Like everything else this season, it was amateur hour.

How was it off camera? She died when Dexter pulled the plug on her. And I don't think it was handled casually at all. It was the core of the entire finale episode.

Anyways, something I find interesting now that everything is said and done with this show is that there's a lot of openings to skip a lot of the bad in the later seasons and still have a fairly decent ending.

You could stop at the end of Season 4 or at the end of the first episode in Season 5 so you get a conclusion to Rita's death. You could stop right before Deb shoots LaGuerta and instead choose to believe she shot Dexter. Worst of all, you could literally go from Season 7 to the final 2 episodes of the show and it'd probably be even better, which is what someone on reddit did.

Spoilered for length:

Spoiler

Season 7 Episode 13:
(One week after Laguerta's death. Hurricane Laura is almost here.)

Deb is horrified at what she did but she's keeping it together and is still in Miami Metro. She now believes that she is a monster just like Dexter and that there is no hope for either of them.

Meanwhile, Dexter is very conflicted. A part of him still wants to kill and he has just found another victim (say, X). Yet another part is amazed at the enormity of Deb's love for him. She sacrificed all her ideals, all her morals, everything she ever wanted to be, her identity, just to save him, a serial killer.

As Dexter stalks his next prey, he keeps wondering whether he would ever be able to love her like she loved him, be the brother she always thought she had. He keeps thinking this over and over. Maybe there is hope for him. Maybe he's not a complete monster. Because no one can love a monster that deeply.

By then he has tranquilized the victim and decides to go ahead with the kill anyway. He sets everything up, wraps the victim, opens his knife case and just as he's about to take out the knife, he realizes that his urge to kill is fading. It's still there, but his mind keeps going back to Deb. He struggles with these emotions but finally admits to himself that his dark passenger isn't in the driving seat anymore. It's still there, lurking, but he suddenly feels that he can control it. Subdue it.

He calls Deb and tells her that he's giving up his life as a serial killer. He tells her to come down and arrest his 'victim' and tells her that he has enough proof to convict X. They meet up, he shows Deb where X is. Deb says she's never gonna forget what they did, but thanks him for trying to change. Dex is optimistic that Deb will become her old self again if he leaves this life behind. He leaves before backup arrives.

X wakes up as Deb is cutting off the plastic wrap to make it look like an arrest. She takes out her gun, they struggle, he shoots her, he escapes. Quinn arrives and calls an ambulance.

Deb is taken to the hospital --> surgery --> blood clot --> vegetable.

X arrives at hospital to kill Deb. Taken into custody.

Dexter goes to do GSR test. Pen stabbing.

Angel and Quinn 'agree that it was self-defense.'

Dexter goes to hospital --> euthanasia --> hurricane evacuation rush --> boat trip --> Deb goes for a swim --> Sailing off into the storm.

Harrison is adopted by Quinn and Jaime.

(Optional) Lumberjack.

-------------------------------

There, I've gone from the end of S07E12 to the end of S08E12 in ONE EPISODE. Everything else that's in Season 8 is just filler. Don't believe me? Let's take a look at the other characters in Season 8, shall we?

Batista:
Character development? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

Quinn:
Character development? NO. He dumps Jaime for Deb, yet we don't even get to see how he reacts to Deb's death.
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

Masuka:
Character development? Let's not go there.
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)?** NO**

Harry:
Character development? He's basically Dexter so this question is moot.
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

Jaime:
Character development? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

Matthews:
Character development? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

LaGuerta:
Character development? Umm...
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? Sadly, no.

Evelyn Vogel:
Do we care about her? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO. The whole 'she turned Dexter into a serial killer so he can turn back' theory didn't pan out. On the other hand, he's not a perfect psychopath. SO all her blabbering finally led nowhere.

Daniel Vogel:
Do we care about him? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? Yes, but he could be replaced by any other criminal and the ending would still be the same.

Hannah:
Do we care about her? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO. She supposedly 'cured' Dexter with love, but Deb could've/should've done the same thing. Then she pointlessly took Harrison away from Jaime.

Elway:
Do we care about him? Maybe.
Character development? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

Harrison:
Do we care about him? NO
Character development? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

Angie Miller:
Do we care about her? NO
Character development? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

Nikki:
Do we care about her? We wanted to.
Character development? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

Cassie:
Do we care about her? NO
Character development? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

Zach:
Do we care about him? Yes
Character development? Yes, actually.
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

Marshal Clayton:
Do we care about him? NO
Character development? NO
Affects ending in any way (even indirectly)? NO

If you still don't believe me, name one non-episodic drama TV series where you can transition from one season finale to the next one in 20 minutes (the part I made up) while still being logical and not missing out any significant events that affect the characters or the ending.

This also explains why most of this season just felt wrong and unnecessary to many viewers and why there were so many abandoned storylines.

They just had one episode in mind and filled up the gaps with whatever they could think of.

[Bruins]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

So I wonder if everyone assumed Harrison died on the boat with Dexter or if Elway ever woke up and told anyone one that Hannah fled the country with him.

Didn't they show Hannah and Harrison in Argentina?

[SlimKibbles]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

Didn't they show Hannah and Harrison in Argentina?

I think he's talking about everyone in Miami that had no idea Harrison was with Hannah.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

So I wonder if everyone assumed Harrison died on the boat with Dexter or if Elway ever woke up and told anyone one that Hannah fled the country with him.

Who knows, because apparently -- and this is literally from Sara Colleton herself -- there was too much to do in a one-hour episode. Lol.

Also, here's an interview with Jennifer Carpenter on the finale.

In the end, no one finds out who or what Dexter is. Do you think that’s fitting?

I guess we can’t really say yet because I played my character from A to Z, but I don’t necessarily think that Dexter is done. It’s still deliciously hanging untied; there’s too much intrigue and too much of the appetite for it to completely be unresolved by this finale. Maybe somewhere down the line I wouldn't be surprised if something happens. I would be interested to see Michael come back with the energy that he’d have from taking a real break and seeing what he can do with that character. I’m not trying to hint that I know something is coming, but I’m saying it’s possible.

And the producers attempting to defend the finale.

Have to ask: How did Dex get from his boat to the shore in the middle of a hurricane?

BUCK: Hopefully it’s not a question that will be examined too closely. The show has always been a half step away from reality; it’s a hyper-reality. We established there is an emergency life raft with an outboard motor on the boat. He could have gotten in the raft and made it safely to shore.

[Champion8877]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

Wow, I just, this was just, uhhh, horrible? Worst episode I've ever seen....

[p2xgamers]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

I was really disappointed with the episode, but after thinking of some of the themes they were trying to do - I didn't hate it as much. I saw an interview where they said that they felt Deb dying because of Dexter, would be the worst thing that could happen to him, worse than death.

I don't agree with that, but do think it's one of the worst things to happen to him - worse than Rita dying. I also like the basic idea of Dexter trying to be more human (which he has tried to do in the past) and then something like Deb dying to cause him to essentially forgo that battle and go back to the old Dexter.

The problem is the execution was absolutely awful and both things that I kind of liked, I liked the basic idea of them and they were executed badly too. It felt like this could of started 4-5 episodes ago and the show could of been better and the end much better. Also:

http://imgur.com/a/A0Dl0

[BlueNGold]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

I was really disappointed with the episode, but after thinking of some of the themes they were trying to do - I didn't hate it as much. I saw an interview where they said that they felt Deb dying because of Dexter, would be the worst thing that could happen to him, worse than death.

I don't agree with that, but do think it's one of the worst things to happen to him - worse than Rita dying. I also like the basic idea of Dexter trying to be more human (which he has tried to do in the past) and then something like Deb dying to cause him to essentially forgo that battle and go back to the old Dexter.

The problem is the execution was absolutely awful and both things that I kind of liked, I liked the basic idea of them and they were executed badly too. It felt like this could of started 4-5 episodes ago and the show could of been better and the end much better. Also:

http://imgur.com/a/A0Dl0

Regarding the linked picture, Dexter going against that was him finally realizing that that option was the best for everyone connected to him. Had he been caught, those people would have been associated with that forever in some form.

[LakerFan56]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

And the producers attempting to defend the finale.

Thanks for posting that. I'm scratching my head on them not having Dexter chased because it felt "repetitious" and instead choosing new threats for him to chase like they've had every season.

[Burns11]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

Its not making it all in his mind, its almost that time stopped while he was in there and we were seeing all the events that put him there. I think it would have been a far better ending but it would have had to been shaped by the last 2 seasons entirely since clearly it wouldnt fit with the way the last 2 seasons played out.

You need to go reread the quote, the story he said he was basing it on was a man on the gallows, he drops, rope snaps, he runs across a river and is hugging his wife and child when the rope snaps tight and he's hung. All that ran through his mind was fantasy, played out in the split second before the rope tightened.

[Hassan Darkside]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

Didn't care for the finale (or season) much at all.

One thing that I wish they did more with, in retrospect, was the narration/Dexter's voice-over. At first it was very interesting as far as explaining his psyche and decisions, however, I got real tired of it the last few seasons.

I wish as they altered Dexter's mental state, they altered his monologue. Would have been even better to see them manipulate it to the point where he becomes an unreliable narrator in the sense that we, as a viewer, can't really trust what's coming out of his mouth (or what's in his mind).

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

How was it off camera? She died when Dexter pulled the plug on her. And I don't think it was handled casually at all. It was the core of the entire finale episode.

She was declared nearly brain dead (which is pretty dead to me, dex pulling the plug was merely a formality) matter of factly by the doctor a few minutes after saying she was gonna be fine. They could have at least shown the drama of her turning for the worst with people like Dexter, Quinn and Batista around her rather than Quinn just informing Dexter after Saxon's arrest.

And why not have her enter the hospital in grave condition to give some weight to the situation rather than giving us "Oh she'll be fine......oh wait....now she's brain dead, sorry folks" They wasted time with a throwaway character like Saxon who had no reason to go back to the hospital anyways and they build up this little mini drama of him looking for Deb and being thwarted at the last minute and then she dies right after anyways. Absolutely pointless.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

She was declared nearly brain dead (which is pretty dead to me, dex pulling the plug was merely a formality) matter of factly by the doctor a few minutes after saying she was gonna be fine. They could have at least shown the drama of her turning for the worst with people like Dexter, Quinn and Batista around her rather than Quinn just informing Dexter after Saxon's arrest.

And why not have her enter the hospital in grave condition to give some weight to the situation rather than giving us "Oh she'll be fine......oh wait....now she's brain dead, sorry folks" They wasted time with a throwaway character like Saxon who had no reason to go back to the hospital anyways and they build up this little mini drama of him looking for Deb and being thwarted at the last minute and then she dies right after anyways. Absolutely pointless.

I don't think it wouldn't have made a significant difference either way. And that scene was probably Quinn's best of the entire show, so there's that too.

I didn't mind the sudden switch in her condition. It made it that much more of a surprise to me, as well as Dexter and Deb's final conversation, which I thought was good as well.

Either way, there was much, much worse things going on here. I don't feel this was one of them.

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

Thanks for posting that. I'm scratching my head on them not having Dexter chased because it felt "repetitious" and instead choosing new threats for him to chase like they've had every season.

That made me laugh as well. It wasn't reptitious for the writers, it was pure laziness because making a well thought out final season would have taken some thought and cohesiveness but why do that when you can introduce 4 serial killers to keep things fresh. You had the mall gym guy first, then they went to the protege, then to Hannah and finally Saxon. 4 serial killers to cover each quarter of the season and more importantly 4 times the danger.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

That made me laugh as well. It wasn't reptitious for the writers, it was pure laziness because making a well thought out final season would have taken some thought and cohesiveness but why do that when you can introduce 4 serial killers to keep things fresh. You had the mall gym guy first, then they went to the protege, then to Hannah and finally Saxon. 4 serial killers to cover each quarter of the season and more importantly 4 times the danger.

Except there was next to no danger the entire season.

I can understand what they were trying to do going in a different and unexpected direction, but the execution was just awful. They can blame it on a rushed schedule as much as they want, and to some extent Showtime definitely deserves some of the blame, but the writers/producers deserve all of the negativity they're receiving. There just isn't much of an excuse for a lot of the things they've done these past few years, and this season specifically.

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: Dexter (Season 8)

Except there was next to no danger the entire season.

I can understand what they were trying to do going in a different and unexpected direction, but the execution was just awful. They can blame it on a rushed schedule as much as they want, and to some extent Showtime definitely deserves some of the blame, but the writers/producers deserve all of the negativity they're receiving. There just isn't much of an excuse for a lot of the things they've done these past few years, and this season specifically.

I was being entirely sarcastic. The path they chose this season had no redeeming value whatsoever and wasn't different or unexpected in any way. It was the same thing they did every other season. Introduce a bunch of forgettable characters and kill them off in 3 shows or less.

There was no reason to introduce any new characters, you can get away with one but they literally introduced half a dozen which took valuable time and focus from the main characters which we have watched for years and wanted to see for the last time. You had titty girl, Vogel, her son, the protege ( i don't even remember his ****ing name, he was so pointless) and Elway. Oh yeah and the Marshall guy whose name I can't remember either. That's how memorable they were.

Batista was inconsequential and Deb had next to nothing the last few shows except for being Hannah's babysitter (and going thru an entire personality change in less than a week) and rolling her eyes as to what Dexter was doing which I'm sure wasn't acting. And then let's kill her off too. Even her reuniting with Quinn was a throwaway scene where they are walking on the beach and 3 seconds later they are saying "hey I love you".