More than ever before, modern television discourse holds firm that endings matter and that a bad ending can sour an otherwise good journey. Game of Thrones’ finale really created an opportunity for that sentiment to fester, but it was arguably Dexter who opened the door with an infamous series finale that’s widely been considered one of the worst of all time.
That said, while a bad ending is certainly damning, it doesn’t invalidate everything that came before, far from it. It’s frustrating when build-up goes nowhere, but good storytelling is good storytelling even without payoff. Dexter meanders to a pitiful conclusion, but there are seven seasons (of varying quality) with season finales that wrap up the main plot far better than “Remember the Monsters?”
8.12: Remember The Monsters?
Even just structurally, season 8 has problems– the six-month time skip, skipping the aftermath & impending investigation spurred by Laguerta’s death, and suddenly separating Dex & Deb with no build-up– but these were all plot threads at least rooted in where season 7 left off. It doesn’t take long for season 8 to introduce Elway and The Brain Surgeon, however, two of the series’ most ineffective antagonists. Underwritten and undercooked, they dominate too much of the season, leaving Dexter the character no room to develop naturally, ultimately resulting in a series finale that feels antithetical to Dexter.
What really makes “Remember the Monsters?” such a sour finale, however, is how it squanders good bones for a good story. Of course Dexter would eventually dump Deb into the ocean. Of course, he would eventually find the humanity inside him. And of course, he would hate it. But the episode is so poorly written and the conclusion to such an awful season, that there’s little to actually appreciate when all is said and done.
6.12: This Is The Way The World Ends
Were it not for season 7’s surprising return to form out of nowhere, season 6 would have marked a definitive beginning of the end for Dexter. In a way, it does, but even at its worst season 6 at least felt rooted in Dexter’s themes and arc. “This is the Way the World Ends” is a poorly paced, meandering finale that squanders all of Travis Marshall’s potential as a character.
Out of nowhere, in a true moment of surprise, Deb pulls up to the church where Dexter is killing Travis Marshall. This kind of thing’s been done plenty of times before, but this isn’t misdirection. Deb doesn’t show up after Dex has already cleaned things up. She shows up mid-kill. It’s an unforgettable ending that salvages the season 6 finale.
5.12: The Big One
Like season 6 after it, season 5 doesn’t quite pull off its landing. That said, its structure is much stronger than its successor season, and everything that happens in “The Big One” is at least both thematically and narratively appropriate. Lumen just leaving Dexter is something of an anti-climax, but an important one that forces Dexter to come to some important personal realizations about himself and his ability to feel.
“The Big One” also marks the first time that Deb catches Dexter in the act. She doesn’t know who he is at the time and ultimately lets him (and Lumen) go, but it’s an interesting bit of storytelling. Really, “The Big One”’s biggest flaw is throwing away Quinn’s investigation into Dexter instead of setting it up as Quinn’s arc for the rest of the series.
3.12: Do You Take Dexter Morgan?
Dexter killing Miguel in season 3’s penultimate episode feels more like a finale than “Do You Take Dexter Morgan?” does. It wraps up Miguel’s arc and only leaves a few loose threads that could have realistically been resolved in said episode, but that would have been rushed, and it’s important that “Do You Take Dexter Morgan?” have time to breathe.
It’s a slower episode, mainly dealing with the fallout of Miguel’s death and the conclusion of the Skinner arc, but Dexter– in spite of killing his “best friend”– comes to realize the things that matter to him: Rita, Deb, and his unborn son. It’s one of Dexter’s most uplifting finales, but that’s fitting considering the direction season 4 takes the series in.
2.12: The British Invasion
For better and for worse, “The British Invasion” is one of Dexter’s most packed episodes, resolving a whole mess of storylines in one giant finale. It does end up feeling bloated as a result– especially since Lila just isn’t as interesting as Doakes or the Bay Harbor Butcher investigation– but this is the kind of season finale that could’ve been a series finale.
“The British Invasion” parallels itself excellently with season 1’s finale, “Born Free.” Dexter comes to the harsh realization (albeit through Doakes’ death) that there is no celebration for serial killers. They are not mourned, even if they only go after other serial killers. Dexter doesn’t end the season on a high, so much as he ends it in a place of deeper personal understanding.
1.12: Born Free
For as wishy-washy as Dexter’s season finales would eventually become, “Born Free” is a fantastic closer to season 1– a near-perfect conclusion to the Ice Truck Killer story arc. Dexter finally has the chance to form a relationship with his biological brother, Brian Moser, but what Brian wants more than anything is for Dexter to be free of Harry’s code.
The episode’s climax comes when Brian prepares a kill room for Dexter. His victim: Deb. All season, Dexter has been affirming to himself and the audience that he doesn’t quite feel; that it’s all an act. He’s only really himself with Brian, the Ice Truck Killer. But at the core of Dexter is a story about a man who does feel. He always has. “Born Free” is a testament to the contradiction at the core of Dexter’s character: “You can’t be a killer and a hero.”
7.12: Surprise, Motherf***er!
In no way whatsoever does season 8 manage to carry season 7’s momentum or pay off literally any of its build-up, but that doesn’t change the fact that season 7 stands out as an incredible self-contained story that transitions into one of the best finales in the series. “Surprise, Motherf***cker!” is such a good conclusion to season 7, it could honestly be the series finale if you’re willing to accept some minor unresolved threads.
For the first time in the series, Dexter isn’t tormented by a single serial killer. He manages to outmaneuver Isaak Sirko and the Koshka Brotherhood; Deb finds out the truth and kills for him, ruining their relationship; and Hannah definitively proves to Dexter that you can’t truly love or trust a killer– giving him a taste of his own medicine. Dexter muses on whether Deb killing Laguerta is the beginning of the end, but that’s honestly a fine enough ending to Dexter. “Surprise, Motherf***er!” notably features several flashbacks with Doakes and a younger Miami Metro where Deb is still a beat cop. It gives the episode a great sense of finality, showcasing the scope of Dexter and Doakes’ relationship and tying it back into Laguerta’s investigation. If nothing else, Deb screaming “I hate you” at Dexter is also a much better end to her arc than what season 8 does to her.
4.12: The Getaway
Dexter spends all of season 4 juggling the multiple roles in his life, only finding some semblance of balance in asking the Trinity Killer for advice. Dexter’s need to blend it causes him to keep the Trinity Killer alive far longer than he should, ultimately allowing Arthur Mitchell the opportunity to strike Dexter when he’s most vulnerable.
“The Getaway” is by far the best episode in Dexter and makes an incredible alternate series finale. After over 40 episodes of trying to blend in and keeping his killings a priority, Dexter’s actions finally have very personal consequences. Rita is killed by the Trinity Killer in a tragic last-minute twist with Harrison born in blood just like his father. Despite all of Dexter’s good intentions, despite how hard he genuinely tried to have a normal family, the fact he was a serial killer caught up and deprived him of everything.
