10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Dexter, 18 Years Later

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Dexter.

Although Dexter remains to be considered one of the greatest thriller television series ever made, there are a few unfortunate realities that come about during a modern-day rewatch. Dexter stars Michael C. Hall as the titular protagonist who across eight seasons and 96 episodes doubles as a Forensic Specialist and Blood Splatter Analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department as a methodical vigilante serial killer. Dexter breaks the convention of traditional serial killers in that he is guided by a strict code and refuses to kill innocent people, most of the time, but ultimately is left with a tragic ending.

Several of the main characters from Dexter are set to return in the highly anticipated prequel series Dexter: Original Sin, which will feature a new actor as the legendary titular character. The Dexter prequel series has also recast Debra and Harry Morgan, two of the most significant characters and family members of Dexter, as well as series regulars Angel Batista, María LaGuerta, and Vince Masuka. Dexter: Original Sin recently cast Grey’s Anatomy alumnus Patrick Dempsey as a new character in the Dexter universe, Captain Aaron Spencer. The series will chronicle a college-aged Dexter as he embraces his “dark passenger” through the guidance and teachings of his adopted father, Harry.

10 It’s Tough Watching Debra Spiral In The Later Seasons

Debra did not deserve the tragic send-off she received

Many fans of Dexter feel as though Debra did not deserve the tragic hand that she was dealt in the later seasons of Dexter, particularly in the series finale in which Dexter takes her off life support and poetically dumps her body into the ocean on his Slice of Life boat. Debra, while often a loose cannon, was Dexter’s closest connection in his life and was the one person who loved him most, even with Rita, Hannah, Harry, and even Lila West from season 2 in mind.

Debra begins season 8 as a total wreck after she killed LaGuerta to spare her brother in the season 7 finale, a predicament that Dexter’s double life created. Debra has to sacrifice her own values in order to protect Dexter, which is something that Dexter was rarely ever willing to do for Debra. As a fan-favorite character, it’s upsetting to watch Debra’s love and faith in Dexter fail miserably.

9 Most Of Masuka’s Jokes Would Not Fly Nowadays

Masuka is not exactly the most PC character

As beloved of a character as Masuka was on the original series when it aired on Showtime from 2006 to 2013, the cultural sensibilities have certainly shifted since then, making some of his idiosyncratic and often crude jokes downright inappropriate in the modern climate. Masuka somehow was able to maintain being adorable yet creepy throughout all of Dexter’s eight seasons, acting as a perfect foil to Dexter’s cold seriousness with his out-of-left-field humor. Some of Masuka’s one-liners, particularly one in the first season where he comments on a female victim’s anatomy using language outside of his job requirements, simply wouldn’t fly nowadays. It will be interesting to see whether Dexter: Original Sin adapts Masuka’s personality or not, considering that the series takes place in 1991.

8 Doakes Should Have Had More Than 2 Seasons

Doakes was unintentionally the funniest character in Dexter’s early seasons

Before Masuka cemented himself as the series funny guy in Dexter, that title was held exclusively by Sgt. James Doakes whose aggressive demeanor and hatred of Dexter made for one of the most hilarious dynamics in the entire series. James Doakes was eventually framed by Dexter as the Bay Harbor Butcher with the help of Lila West, who ultimately killed Doakes out of passion for Dexter so that Dexter wouldn’t have to. While some could consider Doakes an antagonist and even a villain in Dexter, in reality, he is a smart and intuitive police officer at his core who got trapped in Dexter’s web. The boldface tension between Doakes and Dexter was one of the most electrifying aspects of Dexter seasons 1 and 2, which makes it a shame that the writers didn’t think to keep him on board for at least a few more seasons.

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7 Dexter’s Flashback Wig Is Hilarious But Disrupts The Immersion

It’s still funny every time but takes you out of it

It’s hard to truly hate on the hilarious Dexter season 1 flashbacks in which a 35-year-old Michael C. Hall poses as an 18-year-old version of Dexter with a laughably obvious wig, but it does take the viewer out of the immersion of the series, which is one of the main reasons why it’s so beloved. The choice to have Hall wear a wig is even more ridiculous considering they had already cast another actor to portray Dexter as a teenager, so why they couldn’t get one more twenty-something actor to portray Dexter again is puzzling. Still, it creates one of the most glaringly bad creative decisions made by the Dexter production team, although fortunately, it doesn’t really have an effect on the quality of the series whatsoever. In fact, the wig flashbacks are even more hilarious nowadays and feel more like an SNL parody of the series than the actual show.

6 Debra Being In Love With Dexter Is Still Unsettling

It’s arguably the worst creative decision in the entire series

The downfall of Debra’s character arc started in Dexter season 7, episode 8, which is aptly titled “Argentina.” Debra shockingly confesses her love for Dexter in a universal and romantic way, which is one of the most pivotal moments of their relationship in the entire series. The reveal didn’t do much for the audience outside of perplexing it, since Debra had always been a great and loyal sister to Dexter without much implication that she was ever interested in him romantically.

While Dexter and Debra are step-siblings and aren’t actually related by blood, they were just as close if not closer than your typical brother-sister dynamic, which made Debra’s confession all the more jarring and ultimately downright unnecessary. Dexter season 8 completely dropped the romantic storyline between Dexter and Debra for the better, which was a smart move but the cringy moment remains ingrained in the series.

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5 Dexter’s Pride & Overconfidence Often Led To His Downfall

As meticulous and intelligent as Dexter is, his confidence borders on arrogance

The greatest tragedies that Dexter faces in the series, which typically cost other people their lives such as Rita and Debra, are mostly a result of his miscalculation or negligence. He had the perfect opportunity to kill both Trinity in season 4 and Oliver Saxon in season 8 but ultimately didn’t, thinking that he had a better plan in mind in both cases. Dexter somehow wasn’t able to learn throughout the course of the series that sometimes he was not the one fully in control and that oftentimes his pride and overconfidence, combined with his unfaltering allegiance to Harry’s code, got in the way of his best judgment. This is ultimately because Dexter is self-serving and methodical, wanting to do things exactly his way without putting the interest of his loved ones, like Rita, Debra, and even Harrison, first.

4 It’s Stunning That Angel, Quinn, & Matthews Never Caught On To Dexter

A better season 8 might have had Angel catch on to Dexter’s true identity

The series obviously could not work if Dexter was working with the best detectives in the country, or at least Florida for that matter, since they would have instantly caught onto him, as Doakes had. However, considering the premise of the series nearly 20 years later, it is somewhat unbelievable that Angel, who was promoted to Lieutenant by season 8, and Captain Matthews, who was a friend of Harry’s, remained completely oblivious of Dexter’s true identity throughout the entire series. Quinn was also close but was blinded by his love for Deb.

While Matthews is focused on appearances, which is why he told Quinn to back off of Zach Hamilton in season 8, and Angel leads his life with a blind faith that searches for the good in others, it’s somewhat of an insult to their characters that they never caught on to Dexter whatsoever, especially after LaGuerta’s death. A better Dexter season 8 might have seen Angel, who is extremely capable and wise in other instances, become Dexter’s final foe, which would have potentially resulted in a tragic showdown between the two characters.

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3 Dr. Vogel Proved Harry’s Code Was Never His To Begin With

Harry’s code was created by Vogel, who’s own son was the psychopath who shot Debra

It was certainly an intriguing element to have Vogel be the one who crafted Harry’s code, although in the grand scheme of things it does feel like a bit of an afterthought since she wasn’t mentioned at all in the seven seasons before her appearance. Nevertheless, Vogel placed Dexter under a microscope like few other characters in the series have been able to do, which made her one of the best characters of Dexter’s final season.

It can be argued that the revelation that Oliver Saxon was her son didn’t make for the strongest antagonist to close out Dexter’s final season, especially since he wasn’t even exposed until the last couple of episodes of the series. Still, her relationship with Harry makes her a prime candidate to appear in Dexter: Original Sin, as she was one of the last people who spoke to him before his death.

2 Abandoning Harrison Was The Worst Thing Dexter Ever Did

Dexter leaving Harrison behind was an unforgivable act

Dexter has done many terrible albeit justifiable things throughout the original series. However, his sense of vigilantism has always been his backbone and the way that the audience has been able to rally behind him for eight seasons and nearly 100 episodes. Dexter’s choice to abandon his son Harrison, and force Hannah to become his single mother without any prior notice, was the worst thing that he did in the series, apart from completely ruining Debra’s life.

Even though he failed to protect Debra in the end, it wasn’t completely his fault that Saxon got away and shot her. It wasn’t even entirely his fault that Debra ended up in a coma. It was, however, 100% on him that he walked away from being a father to Harrison. He could have still been there for him rather than attach himself to the idea that he would only end up hurting him. This is the strongest point that makes Dexter unlikable in the finale.

1 Rewatching Dexter Is Slightly Diminished By Its Ending

Dexter’s seasons are so good that it’s shocking the finale flopped so hardly

In retrospect, the series finale of Dexter is arguably not as disappointing as it was when it was released. The finale still leaves a sour taste in the mouths of some fans after all these years who wanted Dexter to have a more meaningful conclusion than fading into obscurity as a loner lumberjack. Ultimately, Dexter only had a few options when it came to the finale. Sure, he could have lived happily ever after with Hannah and Harrison in Argentina, but it makes sense thematically that Dexter’s life would come crashing down in the final hour, considering all that he had gotten away with. Dexter, in the end, is still a monster, even if he is an evolved and self-regulated type of killer. Dexter’s ending makes sense but it might not be the most ingenious or satisfying outcome, especially with the disappointing fate of Debra.

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Dexter

Based on the character created by author Jeff Lindsay, Showtime’s Dexter follows Miami Metro Police Department’s most skilled blood spatter analyst, Dexter Morgan, as he attempts to satisfy his Dark Passenger’s need to kill by hunting down criminals who have escaped justice. However, using the rules his adoptive father taught him to remain undiscovered, Dexter must walk the fine line of seemingly blending into society while continuously feeding his dark urges. Dexter faces several serial killers as his facade slowly crumbles around him; with every problem solved by his Dark Passenger, another one arises for his suburban fatherly life. When Dexter takes things personally or feels that the law is failing, he takes matters into his own hands and even compromises the investigations of his co-workers. Dexter aired on Showtime for eight seasons before receiving a mini-sequel series called Dexter: New Blood, which picked up ten years after the show’s events. You can buy each season for just $9.99 for Prime Day. 

Cast

David Zayas , Michael C. Hall , Lauren Velez , C. S. Lee , James Remar , Jennifer Carpenter , Desmond Harrington , Julie Benz

Release Date

October 31, 2010

Seasons

8

Writers

Jeff Lindsay , Scott Buck , Scott Reynolds , Tim Schlattmann , Karen Campbell , Melissa Rosenberg , Kevin Maynard , Wendy West , Manny Coto , Daniel Cerone , Jace Richdale , Drew Z. Greenberg , Chip Johannessen , Adam Fierro , Jim Leonard

Directors

Clyde Phillips

Showrunner

Clyde Phillips

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