# Dexter - Season Finale (OPEN SPOILERS) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2008, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235 "2008-12-15T12:33:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/41 "2008-12-16T02:54:57Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > This is **really** dark. > > The people who’ve gotten close to Dexter deserved what happened to them, even Doakes. Rita doesn’t. HBO’s brave, but I don’t think they’re that brave. Dex hasn’t killed an innocent person yet. Camille doesn’t count, since she asked for it. > Has the series caught up with the books yet? Would HBO and Lindsay have an agreement not to write something that would have a negative impact on either the series or the books? Oh, I agree, but I’m a sick sad bastard at heart. I heart senseless tragedy. It’s more.. honest 🙂 But I really wonder what the “third time’s the charm” secret husband hook is about, and to me it sorta pointed towards Rita as Dexter’s next dance of death partner. My WAG : Dexter thinks “hey, she’s got secrets”, then he uncovers some really bad shit about that first relationship (maybe he abused her and she killed him in self defense, then hid the body ?), moves on to his usual “Wow, she’s got very dark secrets. I’ve got a very dark secret. Maybe _she_ could understand me ?”, then at first it goes well, and then it all turns to shit and someone’s gotta get Saran wrapped. Somewhat formulaic I suppose, but if it ain’t broke…😉 You heard it first on the Dope, people ! Oh, and the series has actually veered off the books if I’m not mistaken - that season was entirely original, wasn’t it ? Which is a Good Thing. The third book apparently does a whackjob U-Turn with the Dark Passenger being some kind of ancient God. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/42 "2008-12-16T03:08:47Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > You heard it first on the Dope, people ! Thread bookmarked for future reference! 🙂 It does seem odd that Rita would hide a hasty teenage marriage. But a friend of mine did. Her current husband doesn’t know that she was once married to her son’s father. Hubby thinks the kid is illegitimate. I asked her why she didn’t tell him she married the guy. She said “I don’t want him to think I was that stupid.” People are strange. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/43 "2008-12-16T05:38:16Z")
I thought the finale was very good, although like some other folks i did feel that everything got tied up a little too quickly. It was something of a surprise for me, too, because i didn’t realize that it was the finale, and was thinking that there would be another episode. I think it’s because so many other cable series nowdays go for 13 episodes (Sons of Anarchy, The Wire [s1 and s4], Damages, The Closer [s1], Rescue Me). Anyway, as a whole i really enjoyed the season, and was very happy to see that it’s coming back. I was worried that they might see Dexter’s wedding as a natural stopping point, and wrap it all up. > [@AuntiePam](#): > > Her current husband doesn’t know that she was once married to her son’s father. Hubby thinks the kid is illegitimate. If hubby living in the 1950s? Or is that you? Seriously, who describes children as “illegitimate” in the 21st century? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/44 "2008-12-16T06:54:42Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > The people who’ve gotten close to Dexter deserved what happened to them, even Doakes. What did Doakes do to deserve what happened to him? He wasn’t completely clean, using harassment and illegal searches and such on Dexter - but he thought Dexter was a bad guy and he was right. He was trying to get evidence on a suspected killer and bring him to justice. Which isn’t to say that Dexter shouldn’t have dealt with him, but even though he was an asshole he was going after the bad guy. Unless there’s something I’m forgetting. It seems like it’s been a while since season 2… I thought the final confrontation with the skinner was weak, but he wasn’t the main antagonist of the season, he was more of a plot device, so it’s not a huge deal. I would’ve liked to have seen Dexter somehow use the understanding of his psychology to end up saving himself - it seemed like they were going in that direction. Not a Kirk-style making King self-destruct, but he could’ve somehow talked his way out of it and it would’ve been more satisfying. Incidentally, does anyone think the show has steadily declined in quality, although it still remains possibly the best thing currently on TV? I was just thinking if I had to rate seasons, I’d say the first was best, followed by the second, followed by a third. I think the writing was a bit sharper and Dexter was more interesting as a character before he was more fully in touch with his soft and gooey side. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/45 "2008-12-16T07:14:10Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > What did Doakes do to deserve what happened to him? He wasn’t completely clean, using harassment and illegal searches and such on Dexter - but he thought Dexter was a bad guy and he was right. He was trying to get evidence on a suspected killer and bring him to justice. > > Which isn’t to say that Dexter shouldn’t have dealt with him, but even though he was an asshole he was going after the bad guy. > > Unless there’s something I’m forgetting. It seems like it’s been a while since season 2… Yep, you’re forgetting that Lila killed him, not Dexter. Dexter had the chance to kill him, but didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/46 "2008-12-16T07:17:01Z")
That’s true. But still, what did he do to deserve it? That reminds me of the rather awesome scene when Lila discovers him. He’s caged, completely relieved that someone has found him… Lila says “poor thing, all alone…”, Doakes replies “I’m alright…” and she says “Not you, Dexter”… awesomely acted by the guy who played Doakes. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/47 "2008-12-16T09:18:21Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Incidentally, does anyone think the show has steadily declined in quality, although it still remains possibly the best thing currently on TV? I was just thinking if I had to rate seasons, I’d say the first was best, followed by the second, followed by a third. I think the writing was a bit sharper and Dexter was more interesting as a character before he was more fully in touch with his soft and gooey side. I think it just might be the natural decline in the sense of novelty that every new series seems to have. You come up with an interesting premise and characters, and you spend a season getting to know them, and you’re stuck with the sophomore jinx; if you repeat what happened before, you get accused of not having any original thoughts, if you try something new, you get accused of being inconsistent. Finding the right mix of consistency and innovation is really tough for writers, IMO, and I think that so far the creative team for Dexter has done pretty damn well compared to some other shows out there. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/48 "2008-12-16T09:42:12Z")
Maybe it’d be considered natural character development, but I preferred the Dexter who was gleeful at the chance to play with the ice truck killer in S1, who did his best to try to act like he had real feelings, who had a girlfriend just for the cover of being normal, than the current much more in touch with his feelings but mundane Dexter. Although part of it is an interesting story with an unreliable narrator. Dexter isn’t the unfeeling sociopath that his father essentially taught him he was, and who he thinks he is. But they might’ve taken it too far into the other direction and made him too normal and sympathetic. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/49 "2008-12-16T14:25:14Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Is hubby living in the 1950s? Or is that you? > Seriously, who describes children as “illegitimate” in the 21st century? Sorry. She’d rather her husband think the kid is a bastard. Is that better? > [@](#): > > What did Doakes do to deserve what happened to him? **SenorBeef** , I’m thinking of that guy Doakes killed under the bridge. I could be misremembering, but wasn’t the guy unarmed? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/50 "2008-12-16T14:34:37Z")
I misinterpreted **mhendo** ’s comment and missed the edit window. My friend’s child was indeed born in the 1950’s, when single parenthood wasn’t so commonplace, and illegitimacy was a stigma. Her husband is almost 80 years old and very old-fashioned. That’s what makes it puzzling that she’d lie about being married. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/51 "2008-12-16T16:19:02Z")
Still a really enjoyable series, but this ending was a little too pat. And when are they going to reveal that Dexter killed Nate? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/52 "2008-12-16T17:44:26Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Sorry. She’d rather her husband think the kid is a bastard. Is that better? > > **SenorBeef** , I’m thinking of that guy Doakes killed under the bridge. I could be misremembering, but wasn’t the guy unarmed? The dude under the bridge was a ‘very bad guy’ that ran death squads in, IIRC, some south american country - it was a person that Doakes had been hunting for a long time (part of Doake’s military history) - Dexter would have approved had he been given the details. [QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] Still a really enjoyable series, but this ending was a little too pat. And when are they going to reveal that Dexter killed Nate? [/QUOTE] Nate? Was that the pedophile? If so, I doubt they ever will - it was just another victim of Dexter’s… ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/53 "2008-12-16T18:55:22Z")
No, you know, Nate. His brother. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/54 "2008-12-16T19:31:21Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > No, you know, Nate. His brother. Dexter’s Brother (the Ice Truck Killer) was ‘Rudy’ - and who would they reveal that too? Cops have that as a suicide, Dexter was at the scene. Sorry if I’m being dense, I dont remember ‘Nate’ - ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/55 "2008-12-16T19:38:54Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Sorry if I’m being dense, I dont remember ‘Nate’ - Nate was Michael C. Hall’s brother on Six Feet Under. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_Lurker)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/56 "2008-12-16T19:40:21Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > No, you know, Nate. His brother. Was that a Six Feet Under thing? I was a little bothered by how Dex wrapped up both of his loose ends this season. With Miguel, he attempted a copycat killing – and yet apparently removed Miguel’s skin postmortem. I would think that would easily be detected forensically. Same thing with the skinner. Broken neck, then tossed in front of the car. Maybe I watch too much CSI, but I would think they would be able to tell the death was not car inflicted. Once the cause of death was suspect, any investigation in the warehouse would likely reveal Dexter’s presence (blood, hair, skin cells on the rope, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/57 "2008-12-16T19:41:17Z")
> [@Smokinjbc](#): > > Not only that, but LaGuerta ruined last season’s Esme by sleeping with her fiancee. I think it would have been better writing for LaGuerta to still give Deborah her shield, but present it in such a way that let Deborah know that LaGuerta had a hold over her, at least enough to make her squirm. Sharing cupcakes was just not what I would imagine LaGuerta doing, those two characters should remain in conflict like they were at the beginning of the series. I don’t like that they made LaGuerta a completely sympathetic character. She was a total bitch in the 1st season IIRC, in season 2 she destroyed her predecessor by sleeping with her man and making her a paranoid wreck, but this season she didn’t do anything cruel or awful. She should have _at least_ done what you suggested. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/58 "2008-12-16T20:07:39Z")
**Long Time Lurker** , good points. Plus, Miguel was an unlikely target for The Skinner. I still haven’t rewatched. How did Dex manage to shove The Skinner in front of the car and get away so quickly? It almost looked like the body fell from above, but that can’t be right. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/59 "2008-12-16T20:31:11Z")
**AuntiePam** , that’s how I saw it as well. I think they were on a partial balcony or second level. When Dexter is fleeing the scene, he hangs off the window sill and drops, making me thing he’s on the second floor, at a minimum. I’ll agree it wasn’t shown too clearly, with the inter-spaced changes in point-of-view between Dex and the cops. **Long Time Lurker** , I’d think that getting hit by a rapidly moving car and then being dragged under the front bumper would quite possibly cause a broken neck. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_Lurker)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235/60 "2008-12-16T21:34:07Z")
> [@ryan](#): > > **Long Time Lurker** , I’d think that getting hit by a rapidly moving car and then being dragged under the front bumper would quite possibly cause a broken neck. I don’t disagree at all. But wouldn’t there be additional marks on the neck consistent with essentially strangulation (he was being held in a choke hold before snapping the neck)? Broken neck by car and broken neck by lift/twist could result in very different breaks. Again, maybe too much CSI. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dexter-season-finale-open-spoilers/477235.md?page=4)