Well, we’re heading into the final episode of Dexter, and we don’t seem to be anywhere near a satisfying conclusion. Yes, Saxon’s on the loose and Deb’s been shot, but it doesn’t feel as if we’re nearing an ending. First of all, Saxon hasn’t been an interesting character since he’s been a character, and the writers haven’t been able to milk any tension at all out of his relationship with Dexter. There are just so many plot inconsistencies and so much subpar acting that any interest I had originally is gone.
That’s not to say I don’t like the idea. There are many ideas I like, but the show’s problem is that it doesn’t fully expand on them. Oliver-Dexter COULD be a fantastic dynamic to explore. Deb getting shot COULD have felt like more of a significant event. The show COULD have been better. It just isn’t.
In this episode, we have Dexter saying his goodbyes around Miami Metro. Hall does what he can, and his reaction to the realization that he’ll miss everyone is fantastic. The only person truly conveying a sense of finality in the episode is Dexter, and I can only wish we had seen more exploration of his character. His decreased compulsion to kill could’ve been interesting, but instead, we’re hit over the head with constant reminders of how Dexter has changed. In fact, he’s changed so much that Ghost Harry’s gone! It seems as if this show’s idea of character development is telling us that they’ve developed.
Anyway, his character still remains frustratingly stubborn, especially with the notion that he has to kill Saxon. What’s wrong with just walking away? Why not? He doesn’t even end up killing Saxon, anyway. Dexter’s a guy that has to choose between two lives right now, and he says himself that Hannah’s more important to him. Get out of Miami, man! Still, I’ll reiterate the fact that the show shouldn’t be just exploring the “two worlds” concept; they should be exploring his motivations as a killer. The only thing now that could possibly do this is Deb’s death, and it’s certainly a possibility given the fact that she ends the episode shot in the stomach. It’s obviously meant to make Dexter feel guilty, but it just doesn’t have the weight it should. It feels tacked on, and it shouldn’t. Everything shouldn’t revolve around Dexter; Dexter should revolve around everything.
GRADE: C
Other thoughts:
-Dexter probably won’t get caught. It’s a shame, because that was one thing I was looking forward to this season.
-Masuka and his daughter are there still. Elway’s snooping around. Harrison eats donuts.
-Wow, Lem (still sticking with this name). U.S. Marshals don’t watch the news? Untying Saxon, that wanted man on the TV, is kind of stupid.
-The callbacks they attempt come across as lame and unnecessary. Prado’s sister returns for some reason, Dexter name drops Astor and Cody all over the place, and everyone’s reminiscing about the past. That doesn’t sound like a penultimate episode of a show, does it?
-That last voiceover…jeez. The light metaphor just goes on and on and on, and that last shot seems like a reference to the opening credits or something.
-Deb and Hannah looooove Dexter. Cool. If Hannah wasn’t here, imagine how much more time Deb and Dexter could have together. It’d be a much different show.
-Quinn has a ring. I care because…?
-Next week, the storm blows everyone away and destroys Argentina.
Credit to Showtime and Dexter for all pictures. I own nothing.
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