Showtime's long-running series about a charming, vigilante serial killer, Dexter, had an explosive series finale that wasn't highly regarded by fans; an alternate version, however, would have killed him off for good.
Dexter premiered on October 1, 2006 and aired its series finale on September 23, 2013; its longevity produced Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, the serial killer next door, the series constantly challenged audiences to empathize - and even ire - a serial killer who strove to be a family man, a brother, and an esteemed colleague during his tenure with Miami's Homicide department, where he worked as a bloodstain pattern analyst.
Throughout the course of the show, Dexter Morgan got himself into numerous tricky situations where he had to evade other killers, the police department he worked for, and even his own sister, Debra (Jennifer Carpenter). As the series approached its final season, audiences couldn't help but wonder what would be done with Dexter: would he be imprisoned, killed, or something else entirely? Despite high viewership, the aftermath of Dexter's series finale was basically a slew of people talking about how horrible it was. In fact, it's widely regarded as one of the worst endings in television history. However, the former show runner for Dexter, Clyde Phillips, had a much different ending in mind for the titular serial killer that seemed a lot more appropriate.
Dexter Was Marked For Death In The Series Finale
In an interview with E!Online, Phillips outlined his original plans for Dexter. Phillips served as the show runner for the series through season four, which could possibly be one of the highlights of the series in of tragedy, emotional shock, and acclaim. While fans were certainly attached to Hall's Dexter, violent delights often have violent ends, and the character cheated death enough times that, in true Final Destination style, it's not always possible to run forever. That's why Phillips had decided - were he to stay with the series through its end - he would have killed Dexter.
Said Phillips, "In the very last scene of the series... Dexter wakes up. And everybody is going to think, 'Oh, it was a dream.' And then the camera pulls back and back and back and then we realize, 'No, it's not a dream.' Dexter's opening his eyes and he's on the execution table at the Florida Penitentiary. They're just starting to ister the drugs and he looks out through the window to the observation gallery." It's not the most original ending, in theory, as many fans suspected that Dexter would ultimately make a minor (or even major) slip-up that would lead to him being captured and executed; he is responsible for the deaths of well over 100 people.
However, like much of Dexter is closely linked to the killer's "dark enger" and the haunting imagery of his past, along with the various people he carries along with him - in spirit - throughout the series, the alternate ending pays homage to this in a truly profound way. Many of the faces in Dexter's gallery during his execution would have been Maria LaGuerta, Rita (his wife), Sergeant Doakes, Lila, and other major deaths throughout the series. Phillips' intent was to have Dexter reflect on his life - which is so composed of death - right before he was about to die, and bring Dexter full circle.
