it was perfect! it was a perfect end to a perfect show that never dipped in quality. The contrast between the 2 shows is just immense. Watch BB if you haven't, it will be like a big fulfilling Argentinean steak after eating Tesco's value horse burgers.
It was a joke of an ending in comparison to Breaking Bad. For years I'd looked forward to the time when Dexter would be found out and on the run. It didn't cross my mind that the writers wouldn't go that way because what's more exciting to watch than that?
it was perfect! it was a perfect end to a perfect show that never dipped in quality. The contrast between the 2 shows is just immense. Watch BB if you haven't, it will be like a big fulfilling Argentinean steak after eating Tesco's value horse burgers.
It was a joke of an ending in comparison to Breaking Bad. For years I'd looked forward to the time when Dexter would be found out and on the run. It didn't cross my mind that the writers wouldn't go that way because what's more exciting to watch than that?
Oh come on, we had Harrison falling off a treadmill! Edge of your seat stuff
I actually do hope they make one last Season of Dexter, a really amazing one to make up for this one, I doubt it will happen though
Have to agree with earlier posters, having watched all seasons of Dexter and Breaking Bad the difference in quality and consistently is embarrassingly evident. Breaking Bad is a consistently brilliant series whereas Dexter dipped very badly after Season 4. Breaking Bad's finale was just about perfect; Dexter's finale paled in comparison.
Breaking Bad isn't really comparable. It only lasted 5 seasons and 62 episodes compared to Dexter's 8 seasons and 96 episodes. Try getting 34 more episodes out of Breaking Bad and see where the quality is, even the penultimate episode was boring.
Breaking Bad isn't really comparable. It only lasted 5 seasons and 62 episodes compared to Dexter's 8 seasons and 96 episodes. Try getting 34 more episodes out of Breaking Bad and see where the quality is, even the penultimate episode was boring.
That's where some of these shows go wrong, though. They don't have the guts to end them when they should do, because of the money coming in. I believe that most of them start to go down the pan after around 4 or 5 seasons.
Breaking Bad isn't really comparable. It only lasted 5 seasons and 62 episodes compared to Dexter's 8 seasons and 96 episodes. Try getting 34 more episodes out of Breaking Bad and see where the quality is, even the penultimate episode was boring.
but is that the sign of a good show, to know when to end? The popularity of BB was on the rise, they could have eeked it out and yes... maybe...lessened the quality. No doubt the network would have got more money in advertising if they eeked it out. But they didn't, they ended it - on a high, so the viewers get an ending and the show will no doubt remain up there as 1 of the best shows ever.
Dexter could have been amazing - but it sounds like a lot was to do with the show runner leaving, that started its decline. I always stuck up for Dexter, even in the writers strike season but the last 2 seasons for me, lost it. Shoe horning in story lines and making them fit some bizarre ending. And its annoying, you stick with a show and then feel disappointed by the end and having to discuss why things happened and infer why because it wasn't clear and quite baffling -when BB - there was very little speculation and accepted as a satisfying ending, it fit, it was a conclusion that many people just said 'wow' to.
As viewers we can look at why story lines were such a way etc but its easy to forget that its about ratings and advertising for the networks. The network suits don't care about the storylines, but cash and ratings. If a show has a show runner that cares and has some power then it will work (look at the drama behind Mad Men, and its disappearance for a year whilst financials were sorted out but its lost some of its edge) Its a short term view, Showtime will be associated with Dexter and AMC with Breaking Bad - so if you had a show you wanted to produce, where would you go?
Breaking Bad isn't really comparable. It only lasted 5 seasons and 62 episodes compared to Dexter's 8 seasons and 96 episodes. Try getting 34 more episodes out of Breaking Bad and see where the quality is, even the penultimate episode was boring.
Some shows know when to end it, others don't. Dexter would be in the latter group, Breaking Bad would be in the former.
Breaking Bad isn't really comparable. It only lasted 5 seasons and 62 episodes compared to Dexter's 8 seasons and 96 episodes. Try getting 34 more episodes out of Breaking Bad and see where the quality is, even the penultimate episode was boring.
Very true. BB had a great story told at a considered pace, whereas Dexter had done everything it would need to in four seasons. After that, the writers and producers of Dexter took their viewers for idiots.
Breaking Bad is now in TV's hierarchy, recognised as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, whereas Dexter will be always be remembered as a show that went rapidly downhill and stayed there for half of its entire run.
Is Argentina meant to be some kind of South American Shangri-La? Watching Dexter, it would seem that you dont even need to know anything about the place. You just need to get there and everything will be OK.
Names of any of the cities or places? Its all Argentina.
A clear plan of what to do when you get there, including a place to stay, a job, somewhere for your child to go to school? Nevermind. Its Argentina.
Information about the place I did glean from the show though, which they kept till the very last episode:
The capital is Buenos Aires.
They have penguins.
They have cowboys.
Information about the place I did glean from the show though, which they kept till the very last episode:
The capital is Buenos Aires.
They have penguins.
They have cowboys.
Don't forget that they sell ice cream on Argentina high street.
the first few seasons up to 4 were superb (3 less so), but it trailed off, trying to evolve it focused less on the kills, and more on other stuff going on all around.
The kills used to be central to the show, it was why we watched, dont know what was going on behind the scenes, but something sure was.
Debs shouldnt have been Lt,Angel and morgan getting married?...serously?, laguerta seemed to be scripted to be 3 different characters depending on what was required for the plot that episode.
Doakes should have made Lt, and really came after dexter.
Season 4 ending, WOW....amazing. greatest moment in all seasons.
The whole final series was poor, it seemed the writers didnt know what they wanted, bringing hannah into it, she was an annoyance the first time round, but i spose the writers seen her as a vehicle to get the drama ramped up.
The ending, well, very poorly done IMO, Pointless things were happening all over, why on earth would they kill debs?, so now harrison in now with a serial killer in another country.
It was all unrealistic and contrived.
The acting was good, cant fault the actors, the guy who plays quinn did a great job.
1 of two things needed to happen.
either....
Dexter got caught, and we cut forward to where he is executed. and he gets executed in front of debs, and all his colleagues from work.
or....
Dexter gets caught, arrested, then escapes, Debs has harrison, so dexter rides his boat off into the storm......the next scene is dexter maybe 6 months later standing at a beach bar in some exotic country looking very happy, as the show ends we see dexter is stalking someone, and we see him take a needle from his pocket, he turns to the camera, gives a cheeky nod to us, the end.
That then sets us up for any future spin offs, we know dexter is back on form, debs is happy, and so is harrison.
Instead what we got was debs brain damaged, harrison with a serial killer he barely knows, and his sister and brother think he is dead.
IF, (and it is a HUGE if), they manage to get a spin off green lit, or even some sort of continuation, they could still have debs in it, taking on the role that harry played as dexters Conscience.
It is really annoying that not only did they mess up the finale, but having killed debs off, they screwed any chance of being able to do another finale for the characters, its done now, debs is dead.
Ah well, heres hoping if it does come back in some form, that at least dexter himself can get the finale he deserves, just a shame debs will never get that chance.
Have just finished a marathon 3 weeks of watching Dexter nightly. Have to say this was one of my favourite series. And although i do agree with most that season 8 was weak, it was still watchable. I am pretty disappointed that Deb's died....and i would rather Dexter have died or it was left open so no-one knew what became of him.
I agree with others when all he did in this last season was for Harrison and Hannah and to leave them like that at the end was just stupid. So not the greatest of endings but i did really enjoy the whole Dexter experience.
i have also just finished dexter and overwhelmingly disappointed by the ending. totally agree it went downhill after season 4 but i wanted to know how it ended. i wish these series writers would know how they plan to end it before they start then it can all lead to that point instead of usually coming up with it all at the last minute
Only got into watching Dexter recently on Netflix and flew through all 8 seasons.
I know the final season was disapointing for many, but I didn't mind it. Maybe because I haven't spent years watching Dexter and watched it all pretty close together, but I felt the development of his character seemed right for the part.
The finale episode had a lot I enjoyed, and a lot I would have liked changed. I would probably have been more satisfied had they left it without the final scene of Dexter, or if that scene had indicated he was still killing - some hint of his knives or walking into a kill room, holding a needle or something.
I was hoping he would be revealed in some way as the Bay Harbour Butcher. I was disappointed that he put Deb in the water, she deserved a police send off, the whole series focused on the fact she was a good person who got caught up in Dexter's world. I wish he'd unplugged the life support and left her in the hospital for Quinn to find and arrange a proper send off for her, that way we would still have had his emotional goodbye to her, but he wouldn't have treated her like his 'bad' victims. He could have left her along with a note saying he was the Bay Harbour Butcher, then he would head off into the storm. We could've had a reaction from Angel, Quinn, Masuka etc after finding the note.
Overall I have loved the series as a whole, just a few things I would have changed, but I did think they developed the characters well and the acting from Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C Hall was super throughout.
I will re-post this from the other thread, but I do think Dexter could have redeemed itself in season 8.
I would have had the entire last season focus on Deb dealing with Dexter's Code and her role as police, Dexter having told her everything in detail about his history and her having to cope with her attraction to unstable justice seeking men, a result of Harry's influence on her that affected her attraction to Lundy, Quinn and even her own brother.
The first 4-5 episodes focusing on her trying to deal with the guilt of Laguerta's death around Angel, since he came back to the force to get justice for her. Maybe even Dexter bringing her on a "ride along" to see how he dealt out justice and trying to get her to make the fatal stab wound. Only for her to feel sick, walk out and go to the station saying "I need to report a crime." and Angel to ask "Whoa, whoa, what's going on?" with her to respond "It's Dexter. He's... he's the Bay Harbour Butcher. It wasn't Doakes. It's Dexter. He's still out there... and I know where." Deb demands a plea deal and immunity for killing Laguerta if she helps them bring in Dexter. Angel begrudgingly agrees if it means they can bring Dexter to justice for being the real reason behind all the killing. They rush over to try find and stop him. Then have them arrive at the scene only to find Dexter has cleared up, Dexter having figured out Deb would go to the police as soon as she ran out of the kill site.
Have Dexter go on the run, trying to kill every loose end from Hannah to Trinity's son to Lumen/Deb's psychiatrist. Each time, they turn up just to find the cleaned up scene as Dexter is making his escape from nearby. Have him sneak on on either of the last two, Lumen or Deb's psychiatrist, with his syringe ready, only for floodlights to come on and for Deb to be staring him down, gun in hand, while Angel and Quinn appear over both shoulders, pointing their guns. Quinn can cuff him as Deb says "I'm sorry." and lowers her gun. Angel keeps pointing his gun at Dexter's back, tears in eyes, asking "All this time Dexter... how could you? You're an animal, man. You're a cold blooded animal." Quinn could whisper "... and now you're going to be put down, you sick f__k. I knew there was something up with you. I just knew."
Have a montage sequence of him going through the courts, being sentenced to death while he monologues about Harrison being given to Deb who will finally get the love she needs from a man who won't screw her over, show Lumen giving testimony about her role in exchange for immunity, have Masuka in shock giving evidence using his bloodwork and crime scene studies as Dexter says he always underestimated him until that moment, have Astor take the stand to talk about how Dexter was always weird while Cody just cries, sitting in the gallery, have Rita's mother screaming about how "You took our daughter from us! You and your sick games!" until the bailiffs have to restrain her and her husband takes her out the court, looking at Dexter like he's scum...
The final scene would be Dexter on a table, about to be given a lethal injection, shot just like all his kill site scenes. He monologues about how he will now be the final victim of justice, a serial killer of serial killers finally facing the law he worked for but never believed in, how it is funny that it worked on him. Maybe if he'd believed in the system and not Harry's code, this could have been avoided. If he'd got help, maybe he'd have been less of a monster and more of a man. How he could have been the brother Deb needed and the father Astor, Cody and Harrison needed. How he might have been the husband Rita wanted and how she might have still been around if he'd put his life first before killing Trinity to honour Harry. How even Harry had been disgusted in the end and how he might have been responsible for his death too. But that these thoughts are probably exactly what his victims all thought too in their last moments. That maybe he wasn't ever better, just different in his own opinion. He was still different though, because he wasn't going to beg for his life. He'd taken enough and his was just one more serial killer on a table, but this time he wasn't looking down. He was looking up just like they were. A tear rolls down his cheek, like the blood that rolled down theirs.
As the plunger goes down, we see Angel, Quinn, Masuka, Lumen and Deb behind a glass window. Deb is starting to cry. Cut to Deb in a car park, walking to her car. Cut to mid shot of to Deb crying as Harrison is in her arms. Deb reaches into her pocket, pulls her hand out and curses, having seemingly cut herself in some small way, maybe on a point of her old police badge or Dexter's old laminated badge. As the scene fades to black, cut to a close up of Harrison staring at her hand, have Harrison start to smile then do the stock baby laugh as it turns to complete black.
I will re-post this from the other thread, but I do think Dexter could have redeemed itself in season 8.
Sounds good, Dexter getting found out would have been great, but I read somewhere that Showtime told the producers/ writers they weren't to kill Dexter off.
Sounds good, Dexter getting found out would have been great, but I read somewhere that Showtime told the producers/ writers they weren't to kill Dexter off.
Well unless they were planning a comeback series, I cannot make sense of that decision personally. The ending we got was a terrible cop out for me, particularly in regards to what happened with Harrison and Hannah.
i think Dexter should have got found out, it doesn't mean he still couldn't have outwitted the authorities and managed to escape to Argentina with Hannah and then started killing again down there that's how i wanted it to end
Finally finished all of Dexter and to be honest I am annoyed with the ending.
The last few episodes I got excited thinking THIS is the moment they find out Dexter is a serial killer and yet I kept getting disappointed right up to the end.
That revelation was what I had been waiting for SINCE EPISODE 1 SEASON 1!
So I felt like I just wasted my entire time watching all those episodes of Dexter now.
Hannah was a boring character. Luman was far better a character then she was.
Well unless they were planning a comeback series, I cannot make sense of that decision personally. The ending we got was a terrible cop out for me, particularly in regards to what happened with Harrison and Hannah.
I think the writers forgot that Harrison has a couple of siblings and grandparents who'd probably never rest again thinking that he was in the hands of a serial killer.
Dexter tossing Deb's body into the sea was utterly unfathomable
He loved his sister and wouldn't have denied her a proper burial
This was the moment I really didn't like in the finale. I thought the scene where he turned off her life support was done beautifully and was really true to the characters, but Dexter loved Deb and would have wanted her to have a proper police send off. He always went on about how she was good, but the sea was where he dumped 'bad people'. I know she was a murderer, but Dexter never saw her that way.
Comments
it was perfect! it was a perfect end to a perfect show that never dipped in quality. The contrast between the 2 shows is just immense. Watch BB if you haven't, it will be like a big fulfilling Argentinean steak after eating Tesco's value horse burgers.
Oh come on, we had Harrison falling off a treadmill! Edge of your seat stuff
I actually do hope they make one last Season of Dexter, a really amazing one to make up for this one, I doubt it will happen though
but is that the sign of a good show, to know when to end? The popularity of BB was on the rise, they could have eeked it out and yes... maybe...lessened the quality. No doubt the network would have got more money in advertising if they eeked it out. But they didn't, they ended it - on a high, so the viewers get an ending and the show will no doubt remain up there as 1 of the best shows ever.
Dexter could have been amazing - but it sounds like a lot was to do with the show runner leaving, that started its decline. I always stuck up for Dexter, even in the writers strike season but the last 2 seasons for me, lost it. Shoe horning in story lines and making them fit some bizarre ending. And its annoying, you stick with a show and then feel disappointed by the end and having to discuss why things happened and infer why because it wasn't clear and quite baffling -when BB - there was very little speculation and accepted as a satisfying ending, it fit, it was a conclusion that many people just said 'wow' to.
As viewers we can look at why story lines were such a way etc but its easy to forget that its about ratings and advertising for the networks. The network suits don't care about the storylines, but cash and ratings. If a show has a show runner that cares and has some power then it will work (look at the drama behind Mad Men, and its disappearance for a year whilst financials were sorted out but its lost some of its edge) Its a short term view, Showtime will be associated with Dexter and AMC with Breaking Bad - so if you had a show you wanted to produce, where would you go?
Some shows know when to end it, others don't. Dexter would be in the latter group, Breaking Bad would be in the former.
Very true. BB had a great story told at a considered pace, whereas Dexter had done everything it would need to in four seasons. After that, the writers and producers of Dexter took their viewers for idiots.
Breaking Bad is now in TV's hierarchy, recognised as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, whereas Dexter will be always be remembered as a show that went rapidly downhill and stayed there for half of its entire run.
Nothing really happened at the end of Dexter, bit of waiting around at an airport and his showdown with Saxon was such a non event.
And the less said about the ploughman's lunch ending the better.
Names of any of the cities or places? Its all Argentina.
A clear plan of what to do when you get there, including a place to stay, a job, somewhere for your child to go to school? Nevermind. Its Argentina.
Information about the place I did glean from the show though, which they kept till the very last episode:
The capital is Buenos Aires.
They have penguins.
They have cowboys.
the first few seasons up to 4 were superb (3 less so), but it trailed off, trying to evolve it focused less on the kills, and more on other stuff going on all around.
The kills used to be central to the show, it was why we watched, dont know what was going on behind the scenes, but something sure was.
Debs shouldnt have been Lt,Angel and morgan getting married?...serously?, laguerta seemed to be scripted to be 3 different characters depending on what was required for the plot that episode.
Doakes should have made Lt, and really came after dexter.
Season 4 ending, WOW....amazing. greatest moment in all seasons.
The whole final series was poor, it seemed the writers didnt know what they wanted, bringing hannah into it, she was an annoyance the first time round, but i spose the writers seen her as a vehicle to get the drama ramped up.
The ending, well, very poorly done IMO, Pointless things were happening all over, why on earth would they kill debs?, so now harrison in now with a serial killer in another country.
It was all unrealistic and contrived.
The acting was good, cant fault the actors, the guy who plays quinn did a great job.
1 of two things needed to happen.
either....
Dexter got caught, and we cut forward to where he is executed. and he gets executed in front of debs, and all his colleagues from work.
or....
Dexter gets caught, arrested, then escapes, Debs has harrison, so dexter rides his boat off into the storm......the next scene is dexter maybe 6 months later standing at a beach bar in some exotic country looking very happy, as the show ends we see dexter is stalking someone, and we see him take a needle from his pocket, he turns to the camera, gives a cheeky nod to us, the end.
That then sets us up for any future spin offs, we know dexter is back on form, debs is happy, and so is harrison.
Instead what we got was debs brain damaged, harrison with a serial killer he barely knows, and his sister and brother think he is dead.
IF, (and it is a HUGE if), they manage to get a spin off green lit, or even some sort of continuation, they could still have debs in it, taking on the role that harry played as dexters Conscience.
It is really annoying that not only did they mess up the finale, but having killed debs off, they screwed any chance of being able to do another finale for the characters, its done now, debs is dead.
Ah well, heres hoping if it does come back in some form, that at least dexter himself can get the finale he deserves, just a shame debs will never get that chance.
I agree with others when all he did in this last season was for Harrison and Hannah and to leave them like that at the end was just stupid. So not the greatest of endings but i did really enjoy the whole Dexter experience.
I know the final season was disapointing for many, but I didn't mind it. Maybe because I haven't spent years watching Dexter and watched it all pretty close together, but I felt the development of his character seemed right for the part.
The finale episode had a lot I enjoyed, and a lot I would have liked changed. I would probably have been more satisfied had they left it without the final scene of Dexter, or if that scene had indicated he was still killing - some hint of his knives or walking into a kill room, holding a needle or something.
I was hoping he would be revealed in some way as the Bay Harbour Butcher. I was disappointed that he put Deb in the water, she deserved a police send off, the whole series focused on the fact she was a good person who got caught up in Dexter's world. I wish he'd unplugged the life support and left her in the hospital for Quinn to find and arrange a proper send off for her, that way we would still have had his emotional goodbye to her, but he wouldn't have treated her like his 'bad' victims. He could have left her along with a note saying he was the Bay Harbour Butcher, then he would head off into the storm. We could've had a reaction from Angel, Quinn, Masuka etc after finding the note.
Overall I have loved the series as a whole, just a few things I would have changed, but I did think they developed the characters well and the acting from Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C Hall was super throughout.
Sounds good, Dexter getting found out would have been great, but I read somewhere that Showtime told the producers/ writers they weren't to kill Dexter off.
Well unless they were planning a comeback series, I cannot make sense of that decision personally. The ending we got was a terrible cop out for me, particularly in regards to what happened with Harrison and Hannah.
The last few episodes I got excited thinking THIS is the moment they find out Dexter is a serial killer and yet I kept getting disappointed right up to the end.
That revelation was what I had been waiting for SINCE EPISODE 1 SEASON 1!
So I felt like I just wasted my entire time watching all those episodes of Dexter now.
Hannah was a boring character. Luman was far better a character then she was.
I'm annoyed. So very annoyed.
He loved his sister and wouldn't have denied her a proper burial
I think the writers forgot that Harrison has a couple of siblings and grandparents who'd probably never rest again thinking that he was in the hands of a serial killer.
I thought that was odd too. He disposes of his kills that way so it seemed a pretty crappy thing to do to his sister
This was the moment I really didn't like in the finale. I thought the scene where he turned off her life support was done beautifully and was really true to the characters, but Dexter loved Deb and would have wanted her to have a proper police send off. He always went on about how she was good, but the sea was where he dumped 'bad people'. I know she was a murderer, but Dexter never saw her that way.