Dexter Finale

So finally a Dexter post. The season's only been over for half a year. Michael C. Hall and John Lithgow have already won Golden Globes. Anyway, this year's Dexter finale was intriguing. It wasn't has anticipated as the Season Two ending, but I was interested how they would tie everything together. There are a couple codes the show lives by: Whoever finds out who Dexter truly is killed (his brother, Lila, Doakes, Jimmy Smits) and Dexter always why he should follow Harry's code and pays the price for straying. It was clear in the finale that the Trinity killer (John Lithgow) was going to be killed. I thought that Deb would find out as well. What was unclear to me was how was Dexter going to pay the price for straying from Harry's code. Throughout the season, Dexter had grown to accept his role in his new family. It almost seemed as if he had outgrown the code. Gone from the latter half of this season was the incessant urge to kill. Could Dexter truly outgrow his nature? Spoiler alert.

Of course he couldn't. The writers definitely delivered in the finale. They took care of the obligatory killing of the Trinity Killer. As I was watching, I was thinking this is a very average and mundane ended for Dexter. It seemed like it could have been the ending to any episode. Then I looked at the time. There seemed too much time left and that's were the excitement really kicked in. What could happen in a few minutes? Is it going to fit in with the plot? Is it going to be out of the blue? Is Deb going to confront him? Then the reveal that Rita was killed, presumably by the Trinity killer, truly shocked me. At first, I didn't like it. I thought this is horrible how could they just unexpectedly kill her.

The more I thought about it the greater I thought the ending was. The whole season was how Dexter was growing into this suburban role of father. A role he first idealized in the Trinity killer. Throughout the season, he grew less attached to Dexter the killer and more to the family man. There was a light at the end of the tunnel. By killing Rita, it completely dashes all of that. The season was building him up just to destroy all he had built.

Now the speculation about the next season begins. First of all, I think the writers, looking back at it, had to kill his suburban life. I don't think we could have gone through another season trapped in suburbia with a happy Dexter. Second, this gives the writers a great opportunity to go back to a dark Dexter who nexts to control his urges. As Michael C. Hall alluded to after the finale, Dexter might be even darker than past seasons, seeking revenge instead of justice. There is the additional question of what happens to the rest of the family and his son. Additionally, I think there is the opportunity to start the next season right were the last one left off. I can see them investigating Dexter for Rita's murder. Dexter has no alibi for when she was killed (he was killing Trinity). She was killed is a specific manner, which Dexter the blood analyst knew about. Masuka saw Rita cheat on Dexter. Quinn saw Dexter clearly upset. I don't know if they go this route, but I can see a clearly frustrated Dexter early next season. He feels the urge to kill because of Rita, but can't because of the eyes watching him because of Rita's death. I just hope my expectations aren't too high.