241 replies to this topic

[TWoP Dietrich]

TV Guide sez:

Special Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine) and the task force believe they've solved the case of the Bay Harbor Butcher, but Dexter might not yet be out of the woods as Lila discovers his "enormous secret" and tries to use it against him.

[Dagamuffin]

Bye Lila!

Excellent episode - I was afraid we'd see her next season.

Bye Lila!

Edited by Dagamuffin, Dec 16, 2007 @ 10:00 PM.

[Femvamp]

ahhh doakes....the Ellen Tigh of the Dexter world. You don't like him until he's gone

Bye Lila!

Excellent episode - I was afraid we'd see her next season.

Bye Lila!

I actually liked Lila this episode. She had her crazy going full force. I like that in my woman.

Edited by Femvamp, Dec 16, 2007 @ 10:03 PM.

[Tox]

Well, that was... underwhelming. Last season's finale was also a bit of a letdown after everything prior but this was worse. Every week so far, I've felt like I was on a roller coaster that, especially with the last 3 or 4 episodes, was speeding upward with no end in sight. Well, we got to the tip top within the first 5 minutes tonight, and then -- instead of zooming downward -- the ground kind of evened out and we came to a slow and steady stop. You get off and think, "Wait, that was it? After all that?" At least that was my take.

There's been some crappy deaths on television but Doakes ranks up there with the crappiest of them all. Man, I felt bad for the guy, especially at the end with his memorial service. I'm a person who doesn't like change, be it good or bad. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And though I spent a season and a half of the show bordering on hatred for Doakes, he was part of a team (in show) and cast that worked... and now that's thrown off balance and I'm scared of where the series will go from here.

Basically, it was too clean. I was expecting a messy ending all season, because the way they were moving the plot along, it seemed impossible to resolve everything in an hour. Yet, here we are. The Doakes issue? Check. Dexter's real identity still secret? Check. Him and Rita back together? Check. The Lilah problem? Check. Hell, I was one of the folks rooting for her death every step of the way, and tonight I hated how it was done. I mean, Dexter flying all the way to fucking France? Ugh. I really wish they'd let her go and had her return down the line for shock effect.

Also, a lot of fan opinions regarding Dexter will now shift, and I dread that most of all. He was always written as someone you could root for, and I think tonight's episode will leave a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths. I still love the character, and - as I said last week - I still want him to get away with everything, even at the end. That's how I am with TV, I follow my favorites through all the shit the writers drag them through. But that doesn't mean I like it.

Lastly, it's now two season finales in a row that the big bad serial killer of the moment has offed himself (in the public eye) before getting caught. Hopefully they shake things up next year. Guess I'll see ya guys then! :(

PS: One good thing to come out of this all, I love Deb now more than ever. "Have a nice flight. Don't forget your broom." = Me pausing the TV to laugh.

[rhys7]

I thought we might see Lila next season, also. How did Dex find her?

[yogicupcake]

I am going to miss Doakes. I was so glad to see that he was able to squeeze in one last (mouthed) "muthafucka". That lessened the blow. For me. Wow, that was a bad pun.

[lbenchley]

I liked it. What will Dexter's new code be? I was ready for the Doakes SL to be done. Glad I don't have to look at Lila's strange face anymore. All in all I like it.

[kufflinks]

I too will miss the chemistry between Doakes and Dex. I will also miss Lila. But that was a mother of a killer finlae. I just loved it. Too bad we have to wait 9 months for S3.

[gacggc]

In an otherwise fantastic season the ending was way too pat.

The writers obviously were aware of this, because they had Dexter twice referencing how miraculous everything was.

We didn't even get to see how the hell Dexter figured out where Lila was in Paris. Was she too stupid to adopt a new alias?

[mattoz85]

I am going to miss Doakes. I was so glad to see that he was able to squeeze in one last (mouthed) "muthafucka".

Ha, I noticed that too. It made me smile.

I agree with Tox - I was underwhelmed too. At the end of the episode, I said "that was it?" I mean, a lot of stuff happened, but it was wrapped up so neatly.

Oh, and isn't Astor old enough to know NOT TO GET INTO CARS WITH STRANGERS? Especially foreign strangers?

[marko52]

Add me to the list of those who liked the finale.

Doakes knew too much, and had to die. I'm glad his blood was not (directly) on Dexter's hands.

I thought Lila's death was both dramatically and emotionally satisfying. She was different from every past victim Dexter ever had, and she deserved to die differently -- conscious with an epidural instead of being knocked out, and frankly killed instead of dismembered.

Question: if the Code of Harry really is dead for all time, what will Dexter substitute for it?

[the fresh maker]

The season finale was only 50 minutes long. BOOOOOOO!

I’m still mad about the Frame Doakes storyline. I could see the Lila ex machine coming, and I think the writers took the easy way out. Dexter should have been forced to kill an innocent man. I guess you could say that Lila killing Doakes gave Dexter his excuse to go after her, but Lila still could have kidnapped the kids and tried to kill them after Dexter went back to Rita. That should have been all he needed to go after her with his new code. Along with all of Dexter’s character development this season, having him do something that was against the Code of Harry (besides “Don’t Get Caught”) could have gone a long way and helping the new code evolved.

And I’m still annoyed that a meticulous serial killer left the GPS to the cocaine cum death shack in the van he loaned to his girlfriend. Enough on that storyline.

What the heck is Rita teaching her kids? A stranger takes Cody and Astor, and they’re just chilling up in her loft. I’m sure Lila sweet talked them, and I want to know what she said to make them so compliant. Otherwise, I left to wonder about Rita’s parenting skills and what she’s taught them about strangers. Rita, especially after a life with Paul, strikes me as the type who would have gone overboard to teach her kids how to be safe.

And why didn’t we get to find out how Dexter found Lila? It’s not like the episode was running too long. I’d really like to know.

It sounds like I really hated this episode, but I didn’t. There were things that really bothered me about it, but there were some interesting developments too:

Debra’s newfound independence. I found it surprising that Debra was about to leave Miami without even letting her brother know. She was ready to leave her life behind. Plus, she ended up taking care of Dexter. There were also some moments when Debra came into contact with the Dark Passenger. It’ll be interesting to see if this instances pile up and if she can put 2 and 2 together.

I’m not sure how convinced Lundy is that Doakes was the BHB. It seemed to me, even with the bodies at the shack, that everything was too neatly packaged and wrapped up. I suppose that could be noted in his official report, even though he will ultimately say Doakes is the BHB. When the hunt is on for Dexter again (and it will have to be at some point), his suspicions could be raised again.

LaGuerta is choosing to live in denial. Perhaps that will lead her to discover something about Doakes’s innocence down the line. She probably won’t actively search for now, but I expect that to change.

Dexter’s new “perhaps there’s a supernatural force looking out for me/supporting me.” The writers are going to have to be careful with this one. If Dexter sees himself as an instrument of justice instead of someone who fulfills his own need to kill by offing bad guys, he could come across as an officious assmunch. This would turn him into Death Note’s Light Yagami, who I loathe passionately, and I’m actively rooting for him to be brought down. I want the series to last longer, so I don’t want Dexter caught…yet. That will change if Dexter’s persona changes too much.

Deb was a lot more into Lundy than Lundy was into her.

It would be hilarious is Masuka got his movie made.

Edited by the fresh maker, Dec 16, 2007 @ 10:20 PM.

[tharthh]

Yet, here we are. The Doakes issue? Check. Dexter's real identity still secret? Check. Him and Rita back together? Check. The Lilah problem? Check.

Tox: Exactly! Don't forget to add: Resolution of Lundy/Deb relationship? Check.

Now all my ire at ending the best character aside (Doakes), this season finale was equal to that of a Fox network show. Bring back the old Dexter character and story that was true to the books.

[Pugposse]

So far this show has not played around with the chronology of events, but the ending tonight was off (mr. pposse noticed). When Dexter found Lilah in Paris, she'd apparently been there long enough to start getting mail at wherever she was living -- so one would assume at least some time has elapsed. However, the sparsely attended Doakes memorial service (looked like a shout out to Six Feet Under with Dexter/David in a suit sitting in the back) occurred after the Lilah kill which didn't make much sense.

I'm still processing the episode, and I'm not happy that Doakes had to die although that was necessary, I suppose, to get the FBI and PD off the BHB case. Hope this is not the last we see of Lundy.

[rhys7]

Did Doakes own a boat or have easy access to one? Just wondering how the body dumping will be explained.

[question fear]

Re: Cody and Astor hopping in the car with Lila, I fanwanked that Lila sweet talked them with details about Dexter. She certainly knew enough about the kids and Dex to tell them, "Oh, babysitter sick, called Dexter, he said blee blah bloo, come with me" and any suspicions they had would be dispersed because she seemed like she knew someone they trusted.

[the fresh maker]

Did Doakes own a boat or have easy access to one? Just wondering how the body dumping will be explained.

Thanks for reminding me of that crucial plot point that was dropped. We were never told if Doakes had a boat. They made such a big deal about the marina algae, and then...nuthin.

The fact that Dexter was at Doakes's funeral pissed me off (and mirrored Paul's funeral, too). I don't think Dexter was gloating, but it felt that way.

That babysitter was absolutely gorgeous. Hope she doesn't get fired because of the English Titty Vampire.

Edited by the fresh maker, Dec 16, 2007 @ 10:19 PM.

[Puds38]

I liked this ending. The only thing I would have changed is if Doakes could somehow have lived. I also thought it was kinda cute that we got to see Dex's morning routine like in the opening credits.
But, Lila's dead & that's all that really matters.

[tinybubs]

Ugh. I really wish they'd let her go and had her return down the line for shock effect.

I agree. I thought that would add an extra dimension to next year's episodes. They would have someone out there who knew his secret but was so bat-shit crazy that you would never know if she would ever appear again or what she would do with the information. It would have cast a shadow over the show until it was resolved. It almost seemed that the scene in Paris was added as an afterthought, it didn't seem to flow with the rest of the episode.

[marko52]

Joint kudos to Jaime Murray and the writers for creating a character that everyone despised. In a drama about a sympathetic serial killer, you gotta have victims for whose death everyone will cheer in unison. Lila was all that. She earned every inch of the cold steel that snuffed her out in the end ... and died looking into the eyes of the man who killed her, a man that she (as much as a crazy woman can) loved. That's as close to having everything taken away from you as you can get.

At the same time, in her defense, Lila helped Dexter open some real introspection doors this year -- doors that led him to (as he said in the last scene) discard the Code of Harry and become his own (monster) man.

I can't wait to see where this takes Dexter next year.

[vanityflair]

I am still hoping that Doakes returns next season a la Harry, but different, as a conscience or counterpoint to Dexter. It could happen!

[ovrdedge]

ahhh doakes....the Ellen Tigh of the Dexter world. You don't like him until he's gone

Doakes is more like Kat to me. Never liked them, don't/won't miss them when they're gone.

And why didn’t we get to find out how Dexter found Lila? It’s not like the episode was running too long. I’d really like to know.

I'd like to know that too, because that's pretty good detecting there. But they might have intentionally not shown Dexter researching her whereabouts to not make it so obvious that she was going to die. The thought did cross my mind that maybe, she did get away, and become a sort of Dexter in Paris.

[msfluffertouch]

The kids would have remembered Lila from the night she had dinner at their home with Dexter. Seems I recall them being there, along with mommy dearest.

Great finale! Glad the pale witch is dead.

[prophetreturns]

I already knew the outcome because of internet spoilers. Still the episode was very well done. Kudos to all involved.

That being said if there's any "justice" (in other words if the writers have any balls) then whe this series comes to an end I hope Dex is found out and Deb will have to suffer twice the amount of emotional pain that Laguerta (and Doakes' family) are unnecessarily suffering now. I doubt the writers woud kill off Dex and even if they did their "hero" would get a better representation at the funeral than Doakes did. But I would be satisfied enough that all of Dexter's buddies will have to live with the shock that their good-natured friend was the real serial killer and that he intentionally placed the blame on an innocent (albeit flawed) man just to keep himself in the clear.


Good season overall though not as satisfying as season #1. However I'm not sure if I will tune in for season #3.

[luvdave]

The after-finale video on sho.com was a big ol' letdown. Mostly the 3 showrunners (John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton and Clyde Phillips) being self-congratulatory and "we had no other choice" about the Doakes storyline (I beg to differ. I can think of a couple of options without really trying). Hardly any MCH, and he was saying the stuff about being the audience being allowed to root for Dexter that he's said in previous podcasts, Erik King talking about how he was persuaded to look at being in a cage in different way than the obvious offensive imagery, and C.S. Lee reacting to losing Erik from the cast. Also a bit on why Lila was killed differently than the rest - because she helped Dexter be himself before she went off the rails, ever helpful of her.

I flashed back to some of those Grey's Anatomy podcasts from Shonda Rhimes et al, in which they basically pat themselves on the back and justify the decisions they made. I assume the Dexter showrunners anticipated some fallout. If they have any idea what they're doing next season, they didn't give out a bit of information in any direction.

prophetreturns: ITA with your wish for Dexter to have some karma rained down on him, but I found it kind of unsettling when John Goldwyn dropped the "noble" and "hero" adjectives on Dexter despite his proclivities. I fear they may actually let him ride off into the sunset scot-free when all is said and done. And if we can expect them to tie it up in a little bow at the end of every season, where's the intrigue in that?

Edited by luvdave, Dec 16, 2007 @ 10:44 PM.

[Radiohead]

I am glad to see Lilah dead - but I loathed her so much that I wanted her death to be more drawn out. I wanted to see her wake up in Dexter's kill room surrounded by plastic.
Hmmmm that's disturbing. Right?

Edited by Radiohead, Dec 16, 2007 @ 10:49 PM.

[tomsmom]

Well, I too was underwhelmed but one thing I did love was how they mimicked the opening credits the morning after he was in the clear!

[jennui]

Heh, my favorite part is Dexter bringing donuts to work the next day. At least Masuka didn't find them tacky. ;)

[Puds38]

Was she too stupid to adopt a new alias?

she wasn't very original in choosing her US alias so I could see her being just as sloppy in Paris.
The biggest error is the mail in Paris. I can fanwank an excuse for everything except how she was able to established so quickly that she was getting mail BEFORE Doakes was buried.

[Last Time Lord]

Well done, Doakes!

(Too soon?)

I would have liked if Lila had survived, just to be a pain in the ass further on down the line, but all in all, I liked this much more than last year's finale.

Edited by Last Time Lord, Dec 16, 2007 @ 11:02 PM.