Season 8's finale showed Dexter mercy-killing his sister Deb in a hospital, dropping her body in the ocean during a hurricane, and abandoning his son, Harrison. Dexter then went to live out his days as a lumberjack in Oregon. Lead actor Michael C. Hall cited frequent turnover in the writer's room for Dexter "lacking a cohesive narrative". Dexter producers later blamed Showtime for not letting them kill Dexter at the end of the series (via CBR), as the writers originally intended. In the eyes of many longtime viewers though, Dexter really began losing its way several seasons earlier.

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When Did Dexter Start To Drop In Quality?

Season 5 & 6 Featured Several Questionable Moments

Dexter Season 5 was ultimately the beginning of the drop in quality for the rest of the series compared to the show's first four seasons. Narrative issues like the dropping of Quinn's investigation and Lumen's abrupt departure mark a lack of direction and thoughtfulness in the storytelling. Season 6 featured narrative problems, including the handling of Travis Marshall's potential as a compelling character. The show still had a strong viewership, although Dexter season 6 featured a drop-off after the disappointing fifth season.

There was a lot wrong with Dexter season 6 that caused it to feel disconnected from the rest of the series. There was a huge religious theme that flowed through the season that had a disconnect from the Dark enger wanting to kill bad people to help others. Having religion added to the mix seemed to throw a wrench into his motivations. This addition was only to reveal who the Doomsday Killer was, which was anticlimactic when it happened.

There were also story problems, such as Dexter making bad decisions that he had never made before. Deb becoming the lieutenant of Miami Metro Homicide also made little sense and was a stretch that most viewers couldn't accept. The Travis Marshall (Colin Hanks) twist was telegraphed and disappointing. Finally, the entire idea of Deb and Dexter falling in love was one of the most polarizing decisions of the entire series.

However, the finale of season 6, "This is the Way the World Ends," finishes strongly with Deb walking in on Dexter mid-kill. The huge twist that ended season 6 is likely why the seventh season rebounded so strongly in both viewership numbers and better critical acclaim.

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Dexter Season 7 Was A Step In The Right Direction

The Seventh Season Fixed A Lot Of Problems From 5 & 6

Not only was Dexter season 7 a return to form for the series, but it was one of the best seasons of the entire franchise. By eschewing the religious storylines, the telegraphed twists, and the hard-to-get-used-to romantic relationship between Deb and Dexter, the season did a lot right. However, the biggest thing that the season did was show Deb's downfall.

It seemed that, throughout the series, Debra was Dexter's match. She was there when he needed to be reined in, and it seemed like she would be the one to confront him about his sins. However, the series did an impressive thing in season 7 when it had her become less of a foil to Dexter but instead, she turned into Dexter. For example, she asks Dexter to kill Hannah McKay, a serial poisoner who got away with his crimes. Then, when she killed LaGuerta, the final nail was in place and Deb couldn't turn back.

The entire plot of LaGuerta closing in on Dexter was also great. For six seasons, fans had gotten to love Dexter, a killer, and LaGuerta, a no-nonsense cop. When it came down to it, audiences had to pick a side, which made this cat-and-mouse game so exciting. It was better than yet another serial killer-of-the-season storyline, as Dexter was the serial killer this time, and Deb ended the threat for him. Few people saw this moment coming, making it a pleasing twist.

Dexter Season 7 Marked A Return To Form But Couldn't Save The Show

It Was The Last Time The Show Was Great

Dexter picked up in quality again after seasons 5 and 6. Deb's discovery leads to a large improvement in quality for season 7, which features the destruction of her and Dexter's relationship, with Deb killing Laguerta and screaming, "I hate you!" at Dexter. The show would have recovered from seasons 5 and 6 if the show had wrapped up after season 7's excellent finale, "Surprise, Motherf***er!" Instead, the show pivoted into season 8, which features lesser antagonists in Elway and The Brain Surgeon, and an abrupt cutoff between Dexter and Deb after an awkward six-month time-jump.

Season 8 fails to tie together the story elements the show has been building through its eight-season run, leaving viewers with a disappointing finale that doesn't feel like Dexter. The downward trend in quality starting in Dexter's season 5 allowed the series finale to fall flat, despite the show's hopeful resurgence in season 7. Luckily, Dexter got a chance to improve on the original ending with Dexter: New Blood. This allowed the writers to finally kill Dexter as they originally planned, while leaving things open for a Dexter spin-off, and a much better ending to the main story.

Dexter

TV-MA

Crime

Drama

Mystery

8/10

184

8.9/10

Release Date

2006 - 2013-00-00

8/10

184

8.9/10

Dexter is a television series following Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for Miami Metro Police who secretly leads a dual life as a vigilante serial killer. Released in 2006, the show focuses on Dexter's internal conflict as he hunts down criminals who elude justice within the legal system.

Network

Showtime

Cast

Yvonne Strahovski

Showrunner

Clyde Phillips

Directors

John Dahl, Steve Shill, Keith Gordon, Marcos Siega, Michael Cuesta, Romeo Tirone, Ernest R. Dickerson, Tony Goldwyn, Nick Gomez, Rob Lieberman, Tim Hunter, Adam Davidson, Alik Sakharov, Brian Kirk, Holly Dale, Jeremy Podeswa, Michael Lehmann, Milan Cheylov, Seith Mann

Writers

Scott Reynolds, Jace Richdale, James Manos, Jr., Drew Z. Greenberg, Jim Leonard, Karen Campbell

Seasons

8

Streaming Service(s)

Amazon Prime Video

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