TV: Dexter

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Are you kidding me? Season 6 with Collin Hanks was so freaking awesome!!!

Also, I totally called it that Dexter would give up being a serial killer and become a lumberjack... It was too obvious!

Colin Hanks might be the most overrated actor of the last few years. All because his daddy is famous. He's just awful.

 

[TP]

Just binged it for the last few weeks. It was great, but really tailed off the last couple seasons.


What a crap ending. He should have been caught and executed with Deb and all of his co-workers (and the hot nanny) as witness' all in tears and stuff.

 

[Datsyukian Deke]

Just binged it for the last few weeks. It was great, but really tailed off the last couple seasons.


What a crap ending. He should have been caught and executed with Deb and all of his co-workers (and the hot nanny) as witness' all in tears and stuff.

Agreed. Seasons 1, 2, & 4 were by far the best. Trinity & Doakes were awesome characters to watch.

 

[rbochan]

...What a crap ending...

Indeed.
It was crap enough for me to never want top watch the series again. Such lazy, godawful writing, after some really brilliant previous work.

 

[TP]

Indeed.
It was crap enough for me to never want top watch the series again. Such lazy, godawful writing, after some really brilliant previous work.

I kept trying to get my wife to watch it with me, I decided not to wait anymore and go. I told her last night not to bother.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

I still standby the show was supposed to end after S7 with Deb shooting Dexter instead of Laguerta but the show runners said no we want another season and Dexter can't die.

Which the writers have come out and said IIRC that they were told Dexter can't die.

 

[TP]

I still standby the show was supposed to end after S7 with Deb shooting Dexter instead of Laguerta but the show runners said no we want another season and Dexter can't die.

Which the writers have come out and said IIRC that they were told Dexter can't die.

How about Life in prison without the possibility of parole? Not becoming a lumberjack.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

How about Life in prison without the possibility of parole? Not becoming a lumberjack.

Which I believe the writers mailed it in after being told to produce another season as an Eff You to Showtime...

Or that's what I just choose to believe in order to rationalize that abomination.

 

[LarKing]

So I know I'm very late to the party here but I just finished the last season of Dexter last night and wanted to give my thoughts.

Season 1 - Started off a bit strange but it quickly caught my interest after that. I called the doctor being the ice truck killer but had no idea he would be Dexter's brother. I remember thinking "man how are they going to top this for 7 more seasons" at the time and boy was I right. They blew their load way too early with using the biggest villain first.

Season 2 - Another fantastic season. The divers finding Dexter's kills was a great storyline. Really wish these were the final seasons instead of the first two though. Deb and Lundy was a bit weird at first but it grew on me. Dobes was the best side character on the show for me. He and Dexter had serious acting chemistry. I enjoyed the Lila stuff as well with Dexter exploring his dark passenger. She was super hot so that was a plus.

Season 3 - This one started off very interesting with Dexter having a potential friend he can confide in but quickly went downhill for me. Miguel wasn't an intimidating villain and the war torturer guy had very little background and character other than that he was a war torturer guy. Dexter saving Miguel's brother at the end was a nice touch though.

Season 4 - A big improvement from season 3. I enjoyed all the Trinity stuff. He was a good villain that you almost feel bad for in the end. The family balance stuff was interesting to see with Dexter murdering on the side at first but was getting old by about season 4. Rita's death shocked me at first but I'm glad it happened now. I don't think I'm alone in wanting less family problems.

Season 5 - I think a lot of people disagree here but I enjoyed this season. Jordan Chase was a good villain and I enjoyed seeing Dexter put himself back together a bit. The main plot was still good but what I had issue with is this is about where all the side stories start becoming useless. Angel's girlfriend is out of the picture at the start and Angel and Laguerta just all of a sudden have a thing when there's been nothing even hinting at this before? Then the next season they just abandon it.

Season 6 - The last good season for me. I loved the religious theme. Brother Sam was a good character and so was the villain. Didn't see it being only him doing all of the sacrifices coming at all. This season had a clear theme and direction and they stuck to it. The bad seasons (3,7, and 8 for me) do a terrible job of this.

Season 7 - This one seemed to be written by different writers and then just mashed together. The kashka brotherhood was good at first, I enjoyed the gay mob boss guy. But it ultimately led to having zero impact on the story other than a bit of character development for Dexter. In season 6 or 7, Laguerta is all of a sudden a villain type character as well which was strange. I enjoyed Deb finding out about Dexter but I hated the whole her loving Dexter storyline. Completely unnecessary and just kind of gross honestly.

Season 8 - Mostly a chore for me to get through. I liked the Vogel stuff at first but it quickly got old for me. I was thinking she was the one pulling the strings which would've made for a good final villain. I liked the final kill scene with Oliver but everything after was pretty bad. Deb dying hit me hard. I think Dexter riding into the hurricane with a long monologue would've been a much better ending. There was zero point to showing him alive as a lumberjack but I didn't hate the ending as most seem to.

Overall, a very good show that went downhill after season 4 or so but I still found seasons 5 and 6 to be very good. I don't hate the ending as much as most do but I'm definitely not going to pretend like I loved it. I liked Deb's character a lot but the last few seasons got a bit old with how much they centered the story on those two's relationship.

I think the show really suffers from the side plots/characters no longer having meaning/being interesting after season 3 or 4. I think this show would've really benefited from waiting to use Dobes death, Dexter's brother, and the bay harbor butcher storyline until the last few seasons. These were the best parts for me and to use them all in the first two seasons was too quick.

Seasons ranked: 1, 2, 4, 6, 5, 3, 7, 8 with 1 and 2 being more or less interchangeable

 

[Bruins4Lifer]

It's been a while since the show ended and I last watched it, but from what I remember, my feelings on the show and seasons were the same as you've ranked them. If I was to revisit it again, I'd probably stop watching after season 2. Not that it wasn't the right time to end him and that storyline, but once Doakes was out of the picture, it went downhill from there. The writers couldn't replicate that thrilling storyline that season 2 invoked again.

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

I was an extra in a show with the actress who played LaGuerta, Lauren Valez, and she let me bend her ear for a bit on the show. She said that the crew was so proud of all of the work they'd done, but as the final seasons came around they would get the scripts and really just have no idea what was going on. Even they were puzzled.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

So I know I'm very late to the party here but I just finished the last season of Dexter last night and wanted to give my thoughts.

Season 1 - Started off a bit strange but it quickly caught my interest after that. I called the doctor being the ice truck killer but had no idea he would be Dexter's brother. I remember thinking "man how are they going to top this for 7 more seasons" at the time and boy was I right. They blew their load way too early with using the biggest villain first.

Season 2 - Another fantastic season. The divers finding Dexter's kills was a great storyline. Really wish these were the final seasons instead of the first two though. Deb and Lundy was a bit weird at first but it grew on me. Dobes was the best side character on the show for me. He and Dexter had serious acting chemistry. I enjoyed the Lila stuff as well with Dexter exploring his dark passenger. She was super hot so that was a plus.

Season 3 - This one started off very interesting with Dexter having a potential friend he can confide in but quickly went downhill for me. Miguel wasn't an intimidating villain and the war torturer guy had very little background and character other than that he was a war torturer guy. Dexter saving Miguel's brother at the end was a nice touch though.

Season 4 - A big improvement from season 3. I enjoyed all the Trinity stuff. He was a good villain that you almost feel bad for in the end. The family balance stuff was interesting to see with Dexter murdering on the side at first but was getting old by about season 4. Rita's death shocked me at first but I'm glad it happened now. I don't think I'm alone in wanting less family problems.

Season 5 - I think a lot of people disagree here but I enjoyed this season. Jordan Chase was a good villain and I enjoyed seeing Dexter put himself back together a bit. The main plot was still good but what I had issue with is this is about where all the side stories start becoming useless. Angel's girlfriend is out of the picture at the start and Angel and Laguerta just all of a sudden have a thing when there's been nothing even hinting at this before? Then the next season they just abandon it.

Season 6 - The last good season for me. I loved the religious theme. Brother Sam was a good character and so was the villain. Didn't see it being only him doing all of the sacrifices coming at all. This season had a clear theme and direction and they stuck to it. The bad seasons (3,7, and 8 for me) do a terrible job of this.

Season 7 - This one seemed to be written by different writers and then just mashed together. The kashka brotherhood was good at first, I enjoyed the gay mob boss guy. But it ultimately led to having zero impact on the story other than a bit of character development for Dexter. In season 6 or 7, Laguerta is all of a sudden a villain type character as well which was strange. I enjoyed Deb finding out about Dexter but I hated the whole her loving Dexter storyline. Completely unnecessary and just kind of gross honestly.

Season 8 - Mostly a chore for me to get through. I liked the Vogel stuff at first but it quickly got old for me. I was thinking she was the one pulling the strings which would've made for a good final villain. I liked the final kill scene with Oliver but everything after was pretty bad. Deb dying hit me hard. I think Dexter riding into the hurricane with a long monologue would've been a much better ending. There was zero point to showing him alive as a lumberjack but I didn't hate the ending as most seem to.

Overall, a very good show that went downhill after season 4 or so but I still found seasons 5 and 6 to be very good. I don't hate the ending as much as most do but I'm definitely not going to pretend like I loved it. I liked Deb's character a lot but the last few seasons got a bit old with how much they centered the story on those two's relationship.

I think the show really suffers from the side plots/characters no longer having meaning/being interesting after season 3 or 4. I think this show would've really benefited from waiting to use Dobes death, Dexter's brother, and the bay harbor butcher storyline until the last few seasons. These were the best parts for me and to use them all in the first two seasons was too quick.

Seasons ranked: 1, 2, 4, 6, 5, 3, 7, 8 with 1 and 2 being more or less interchangeable

How much did you know before you watched? As in the decline and ending

 

[LarKing]

How much did you know before you watched? As in the decline and ending

For the plot? Nothing at all.

Expectations I was exposed to quite a bit a lot of friends/forums mention how bad the last seasons of Dexter are. So I went in with lower expectations and maybe that helped me dislike it less.

 

[LarKing]

I was an extra in a show with the actress who played LaGuerta, Lauren Valez, and she let me bend her ear for a bit on the show. She said that the crew was so proud of all of the work they'd done, but as the final seasons came around they would get the scripts and really just have no idea what was going on. Even they were puzzled.

Makes a lot of sense.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

For the plot? Nothing at all.

Expectations I was exposed to quite a bit a lot of friends/forums mention how bad the last seasons of Dexter are. So I went in with lower expectations and maybe that helped me dislike it less.

Thats what I was asking. If you knew how much hate the ending got, it wouldn't be as bad as if you had no idea like when it originally aired

 

[Metroid]

Was just actually thinking of doing another watch thru of this. Should be fun, until the not so good seasons haha

 

[Mickey Marner]

I was thinking about re-watching Dexter -or at least the first 4 seasons- but it's still a ways down my quarantine queue.

 

[LarKing]

Thats what I was asking. If you knew how much hate the ending got, it wouldn't be as bad as if you had no idea like when it originally aired

Yep I went in with lower expectations for sure. Definitely helped me out. Like much of television, the shows that start off good or even great keep going on with little direction and eventually become pretty bad or awful.

 

[TheShape]

I was thinking about re-watching Dexter -or at least the first 4 seasons- but it's still a ways down my quarantine queue.

Haha same, there's nothing worth watching after the Trinity story line. 5 is a rehash of 3, 6 has some good moments I'll admit, but I called that Gellar being in Travis' head which ruined the twist for me. I don't even recall anything from 7 and 8 so that tells you how forgettable it was.

Series went off the rails big time after season 4, a real letdown.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Show f***in rules!

thats all

 

[JianYang]

I think the general consensus is that the show peaked in season 4 with lithgow.

I think this is also the time they lost a key writer to another show.

It seems the network also meddled into the series to keep dexter alive. I was convinced this meant that we will see this show again whether in movie form or otherwise, but 7 years later, there's nothing.

If they ever revive this, I think they definitely need michael c hall, and it sounded like he was really done with the character at the time. Maybe that feeling hasn't changed.

 

[Tawnos]

Haha same, there's nothing worth watching after the Trinity story line. 5 is a rehash of 3, 6 has some good moments I'll admit, but I called that Gellar being in Travis' head which ruined the twist for me. I don't even recall anything from 7 and 8 so that tells you how forgettable it was.

Series went off the rails big time after season 4, a real letdown.

It's funny, that's literally the only twist the show pulled in the entire run that I didn't figure out ahead of time.

I haven't watched the show in a while now, but recently I had a dream where I was being held hostage and the hostage taker was shot by my sister... who was Deborah Morgan. Weird.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

It's funny, that's literally the only twist the show pulled in the entire run that I didn't figure out ahead of time.

I haven't watched the show in a while now, but recently I had a dream where I was being held hostage and the hostage taker was shot by my sister... who was Deborah Morgan. Weird.