195 replies to this topic

[TWoP Tennison]

Dexter must protect himself when LaGuerta closes in on his secret.

Please don't post till after the episode. Thanks.

[Tandemonium]

Whew! Angel survived the season!

[CallSaulololol]

Silly ending...

[Myndela]

Poor Deb. I am pleasantly surprised with this season finally, though I would have preferred a Zombie Doakes instead of Flashback Doakes.

[HollaMcDollar]

Wow, what a letdown. HORRIBLE ENDING! How do they plan on cleaning that up next season?

[marioninnyc]

This left me uncomfortable. I'm not sure why after all these seasons, they went this dark. Also I don't think I buy it for the character. That little afterwards implied this was a choice (for the writers). There are many ways they could have wound the season up.

It kind of reminds me of old movies where the bad girl heroine would have to die at the end because the waging of sin, etc. We've been set up with a likeable serial killer/superhero but they've decided in the penultimate season to make him another bad guy (like Tony Sorprano) who will do anything to survive and corrupts or destroys anyone he comes in contact with.

[LIamsmom617]

My heart broke for Deb. And that wasn't scripted?! Jennifer Carpenter is amazing.

[DeeperSymphony]

Dafuq did I just see?

[nydude]

Not a great finale but Best Use Of Title Ever!!

[GirlInAVolvo]

I am not a fan of this ending. LaGuerta shouldn't have had to die. They have killed too many people for "knowing" about Dex already -- really good characters, like Doakes and Isaak. But we're apparently stuck with the black-bra'ed ho-bag next season. Horrible choices. I'm not at all excited about the final season. Too many holes to dig out of that shouldn't be there at all.

[Myndela]

We've been set up with a likeable serial killer/superhero but they've decided in the penultimate season to make him another bad guy (like Tony Sorprano) who will do anything to survive and corrupts or destroys anyone he comes in contact with.

I disagree, only in that I never thought Dexter was likable. I always found him to be a douche, and the only reason I didn't want him to get caught was because of the shitstorm it would cause with all of the closed cases he had been involved in as a blood spatter expert. Tony Soprano got darker as the series went on, but he was a murdering, thieving scumbag from the start. (He was just a funny one. He was OUR murdering, thieving scumbag.) The only character who really has been changed was Deb, and this episode made me feel worse for her than anything. Dex is the only family she has left, and Laguerta was about to take that away, and likely send her to prison too. Girl's going to be taking one hell of a lot more Xanax now, probably with some mood stabilizers thrown in as well.

[speedroc]

I couldn't stand Laguerta and wanted her gone years ago, but that made me nervous. Great comeback season for the show after the shit fest that was season six. Other than The Walking Dead this show has made the most strides from one season to the next in terms of quality.

Great to see Doakes back even if only in flashbacks. I missed his "Motherfuckers" dearly since the way he treated Dexter was the original thing that drew me into the show during the first season.

[Nightmare Logic]

Holy Motherfucker....that was so.....cool!

First off Hello Doakes. Even if he was seen only in flashbacks it was nice to see him again.

And goodbye Batista you haven't had a good storyline in awhile so maybe its good that you are leaving now that the show is closing up.

Oh also liked the scene between Hanna and Debra when Hanna basically said that yes she was a murderer but at least she wasn't a Hypocrite.

I called Deb killing someone probably LaGuerta awhile back but all the right emotions were still there watching it actually happening. Oh and show I now officially forgive you for the Deb falling in love with Dexter Debacle as long as they don't have sex because that would be icky. Love that last scene of Dexter and Deb walking into the party with the haunted looks on thier faces and Dexter wondering what kind of person Deb was now. I'm wondering the same thing. There is one more season and now that Deb has killed in cold blood what will happen to her now that Dexter has taken her down with him. I don;t know about everyone one else but i love it when the show gets dark.

I never really like LaGuerta but I am gonna miss her now that she is dead. Hey you think she's gonna haunt Deb next season? I loved watching her get all obsessive this season about Dexter being the Bay harbor Butcher. Giving her an actual storyline that is relevant to the plot makes her interesting. Who'd have thunk it?

All in all this was a nicely done season finale. It was tense and most of the scenes hit the right marks. I liked it alot.




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Edited by Nightmare Logic, Dec 16, 2012 @ 10:14 PM.

[StinkPill]

Those weren't actual flashbacks from the show. Erik King (Doakes) came back to film the finale, so the guy did get some work in. I'm still processing everything else right now.

[Linds09]

If Jennifer Carpenter doesn't get an Emmy, we riot. Seriously, girl broke my cold little heart. I didn't realize how much I missed Doakes either till I saw the flashbacks. It's always the dead detectives who do the best police work at Miami Metro. Also, I'm pretty sure that the plant Hannah left is poison, so the Morgans should give that to Quinn so he doesn't contaminate the Nanny. She's raising Harrison, and he does not need his only family taken away by that douche.

[DeeperSymphony]

I really don't care that LaGuerta died. But something felt so... off about this episode. It just somehow felt like there were 2 episodes missing before it and it was pretty much unrelated to the rest of the season. I felt like too much of the plot of the season vanished before the finale.

-Isaak died 2 episodes ago without the slightest hint at the dramatic showdown he deserved.
-Creepo arsonist was a random 2 episode arc that evaporated.
-Nadia just popped over to Vegas and Quin just said "Okay... Herpa derp derp derp."
-Louis was killed in episode 2? or 3? of the season with literally no mention past episode 5 maybe? Come on. He worked there. No one ever mentions him again? Jaime doesn't mention him again? Angel? Masuka?

So finally, we have a full episode devoted to the walls closing in on Dexter and Deb... and it just gets to be resolved with Deb's bullet, regardless of the blood and ballistic evidence that will be in the shipping container ("Yeah guys, it's a total coincidence that this is the same shipping container where Dexter's mom was killed. Also the same container a bunch of cops were called to a few days ago for the attempted murder of a man later found dead there.")

Despite the shitty writing and story arcing, Jennifer Carpenter has put in some fantastic acting this season. That last scene was gut-wrenching.

[no22]

I am not really a fan of those flashbacks. They are kind of like fillers to me and contribute nothing.

Killing the innocent to keep Dex out of the bar is too convenient. I guess I expected too much from writers.

[GirlInAVolvo]

I am not really a fan of those flashbacks. They are kind of like fillers to me and contribute nothing.

That's probably true, now that I think about it. It was just so nice to see Doakes again. What a great character. But as we've learned, no one competent makes it out of Miami Metro alive.

[Blue32]

"My God Dexter, how did we end up here?" Well, gee, I dunno, Harry, but deliberately training your son to be a serial killer might have something to do with it.

It was gratifying to see the Chekhov's gun of Deb fetching gasoline fired in this episode.

I figured the season might be building towards Deb killing Laguerta, as many speculated, but actually seeing it play out was quite shocking and heartwrenching.

Edited by Blue32, Dec 16, 2012 @ 10:22 PM.

[Sister Magpie]

Oh also liked the scene between Hanna and Debra when Hanna basically said that yes she was a murderer but at least she wasn't a Hypocrite.

Of course, she totally is a hypocrite anyway. How many times did she get tearfully indignant about people not trusting her while reserving the right to kill them if they got in her way?

Funniest line was Harrison allegedly asking for Hannah so they can feel uncomfortable. First because the kid never speaks and second because he barely sees his father, much less his father's girlfriend of a few months. The only consistent person in his life is the nanny.

Deb should have learned her lesson not to go running off to find Dexter. Also--did Dexter tell Hannah Deb knew about her? Because any other season Deb wouldn't have known what he was up to and the killer friend would be taunting Dexter about Deb finding out.

[Gironbachs]

Is Hannah gone for good? Surely not - I betcha they'll drag her right back into the final season. That whole fake seizure and escape? Pffft. Where was that Hospital, Implausibleville?

Man, I felt certain Deb and Dex were gonna kiss at midnight.

Quinn's storyline actually did go nowhere this season, unless 10 seconds of flirty banter with Jamie was the payoff.

I didn't understand why Laguerta was pushing Debra to shoot (and kill) Dexter. Why didnt she tell her to just arrest him? I guess while it did actually raise the stakes, it did so in a completely unbelievable way.

Can a bullet wound really erase all forensic evidence of a fatal stab wound?

What is the point of the Angel character? Masuka? Quinn? Now that Maria is dead, will Angel the restauranteur be the token "It's my turn to be suspicious of Dexter" guy next season? Or will it be Quinn, who will obviously be fucking the Nanny.

Why hasn't anyone come around looking for Louis? Did he have zero family and friends? No one that would come looking for him if he just completely vanished one day?

[paigow]

What in the name of David Caruso is going on? This must be a dream ending because they could not sterilize the container, dump the bodies and get to Angel's by midnight. Never imagined that Hannah would become the new Doakes. Nothing says "Surprise, Motherfucker!" like an orchid outside your door.

[drtina1]

RIP LaGuerta....You were an ambitious, conniving, manipulative, power hungry person, but you played the game well and you were impressive in your attempts to outmaneuver Dexter. Plus, I will really miss your scenes with Matthews!

Speaking of which, Matthews is such a jerk, but I really enjoy his one-liners. I also wonder if he won't follow up on Maria's death. I'd like to see more of him next season.

I loved the title and having Doakes back (sort of) for one episode. It was cool to see the flashbacks, though there's always been a part of me that secretly hoped he somehow got out of that cabin.

I feel horrible for Deb, but they (Deb and Dex) are so screwed now. There are so many ways their movements could be tracked, and the evidence will probably not match the crime scene. There's going to be a lot of stuff to clean up, so that it isn't obvious that LaGuerta was onto them. I think it'll be a lot of suspension of belief because there are a lot of holes. Deb will also be recorded by dispatch as having been trying to track LaGuerta down. It's a bit cluster...you know...

So, is it just me or did it seem like NOBODY from Miami Metro knew that Hannah had escaped? Also, I'm concerned about the plant she left at Dexter's apartment, and if it may poison Dexter, Jaime, or Harrison.

Masuka didn't get a lot of love this season. I hope there's more of him next season.

[Blue32]

One neat touch I liked: Dexter echoing Hannah's "Do what you gotta (have to?) do," but saying it to Deb.

Jamie flirting with Quinn grossed me out to no end.

RIP Laguerta...although I question the wisdom of you insisting that Deb shoot her own brother rather than arrest him.

Edited by Blue32, Dec 16, 2012 @ 10:36 PM.

[oakville1969]

Wow! What a season finale!

Deb has joined Dexter as a killer.

Happy to see Bautista survive.

What happens to the Judge's warrant for Dexter's phone records the night he killed Travis Marshall?

Won't the police trace Deb's GPS auto records on the night she kiled La Guerta like they did for La Guerta when Deb called the dispatcher?

Is season 8, Deb & Dex on the run?

[TheRabbi]

I guess it's the journey and not the destination. I thought this season was a marked improvement over last season's trainwreck, but man did that leave a bitter taste. I disagree that that we needed to see Dexter go off the rails and kill someone completely innocent. Granted it wasn't him that did the final deed, but he would have. Once again, it seems the writers have no idea how to handle someone learning Dexter's secret other than killing them off. I don't buy Debra's turn either. It's one thing to look the other way when you find out his secret, but to actually kill Laguerta, who you've had a personal relationship with for years, is just wrong on so many levels for her character IMO. And obviously this will be debated for the next 9 months until the show comes back.

Looking back, this season was kind of a creative mess, despite the aforementioned comment on how much of an improvement it was. I think the season should have skipped Hannah entirely, have the Ukraine guys be the main season-long bad guys, with the B plot of Laguerta closing in on Dexter. And keep Louis around as well instead of offing him early. Instead, the Ukrainians and Hannah were primarily both A plots for the first 9 episodes, with an occasional sprinkle of Laguerta, and then having the BHB plot heat up toward the end. And that stupid arsonist plot that took up way too much screentime for 2 episodes was ridiculous.

LOVED seeing Doakes again, and still love Matthews. I hope Matthews is back to a regular next season. I was SOOOOO hoping for Zombie!Doakes to show up, I would have embraced it. I was fully expecting it after seeing the episode title.

Overall, it all felt a bit rushed towards the end though, and I feel like they needed another episode to fully have this wrapped up. Which makes me pissed off about how the plot meandered so much this year as well, as they could have gotten to this earlier.

I will certainly be back again next season, but I'm kind of dreading how they deal with this Laguerta plot. It was Deb's gun that killed her; surely that must be traceable. I can only imagine how they get the Morgans out of this one. And since this season kind of lacked a big bad serial killer, I'm sure we'll have another one for Dex to get to know next year.

[LSU1974]

RIP Laguerta...although I question the wisdom of you insisting that Deb shoot her own brother rather than arrest him.

Yeah, that situation definitely called for a more soothing tone and something along the lines of "We can work this out, Deb. We're going to do all we can for Dexter, I promise" as opposed to screeching "PUT HIM DOWN!!"

I liked the season much better than the last one, especially with Isaak around but it did have a very choppy feel, almost like it was being written on the fly. Doesn't this show have producers and/or writers that 24 had? If so, that show had the same vibe most of the time. I'm wondering if Isaak and the Ukraines were meant to be more temporary but once they saw the chemistry that Ray Stevenson had with MCH and the rest of the cast that he interacted with, they expanded that plotline.

I'm speculating that Angel's retirement is on hold once he finds out about LaGuerta and, unless he really is that dense, now HE'S going to be suspicious of the siblings Morgan. Guess he has to go, which will set off Quinn's radar and after he's framed, then it's Masuka's turn, then the black female detective's turn, until Matthews is Mayor of Miami and Deb/Dexter are co-chiefs of police. The last line of the series can be Matthews telling Deb and Dexter "I guess now with you two in charge, crimes will definitely be getting solved around here, one way or another" as he winks into the camera so we can speculate for the rest of eternity whether or not he really knew.

I didn't mind Hannah overall but I don't really see how her plot can expand into the next season. But then again, after being "burned" by Louis, I wouldn't be shocked if in the first five minutes of the first episode, somebody makes an offhand remark that "Oh yeah...we found Hannah McKay. She hung herself in Dexter's bedroom and taped a note to her chest saying that Dexter was a serial killer. Why in the hell would she do that? Oh well, crazy people...let's go get a beer!"

Edited by LSU1974, Dec 16, 2012 @ 11:02 PM.

[Nightmare Logic]

I don't buy Debra's turn either

Deb's turn is the one turn I DO buy. Its being coming for awhile. A long while. From the beginning the show has been almost as much her story as Dexters. What makes Deb Tick and yes the her whole falling in love with Dexter last season seemed to come out of nowhere but really it didn't. Maybe it made everyone (including me) uncomfortable but Dexter has been the only stable person in her life as far as she knew and emotions do occasionally get confused and confusing; and this season in general has been as much her downward spiral as Dexter's. Debra has a conscience but it got overwritten by her need to protect Dexter. How much can you ignore you conscience before it stops talking to you altogether? Deb had already knocked down too many dominoes killing LaGuerta was just the last one to fall. It didn't come out of nowhere. . This was actually a steady progressions of very bad things she has done to protect her brother.....and herself.

Edited by Nightmare Logic, Dec 16, 2012 @ 11:11 PM.

[Atomic Clock]

Mediocre finale with a twist ending that really wasn't. Of course, the tension between Dex and Deb was what made the early part of the season so great. Deb was a righteous cop. Dexter is a serial killer. Now, Deb is a killer and can no longer judge Dex.

I believe that the writers are cowards who have never been able to fully live up to facing the monster that Dex really is. This finale proves it. Dex should've been the one to kill LaGuerta, but having Deb do it was just another Hale Mary pass to let Dexter off the hook. Ironic that Doakes was in this episode, because tptb did the same thing when it came time to off him. They used Lila to allow Dex not to have to make the tough choice of breaking his code to save himself. Tonight, they did it again. Old hat.

Yes yes. The writers want us to believe that Deb killing LaGuerta will be a punishment worse than Dex wielding the knife. I get it. Deb killing LaGuerta will ultimatley come back to bite Dex in the ass because she won't be able to live with it. Season 8 will focus on the implosion of the Dex/Deb relationship because she won't be able to live with the guilt. *yawn*

And as was the case with the S5 finale, the writers pulled this so-called twist out of their asses without laying the proper groundwork for it. I believe that Deb would do a lot to cover for her brother, but they've never once shown that Deb would be capable of killing for him. I'm glad I was prepared for this so the letdown wasn't a big one.

Oh also liked the scene between Hanna and Debra when Hanna basically said that yes she was a murderer but at least she wasn't a Hypocrite.

Only in the 21st century where truth and morality are relative could people take a line like that seriously. "Well...I'm not a murderer, but at least I'm not a hypocrite." Sheesh!

Overall, this season was better than the last, but Dexter isn't appointment viewing anymore. Really, it hasn't been since S4. I'll be back next year, but with no sense of urgency or concern for this story.

[easydoesit]

I don't understand why so many are applauding the show this year??!! Ok, last season was crap but this season was not any better. In fact it was pretty awful and I am so glad it's over. I thought Deb finding out about Dexter could be interesting but alas it was the opposite and I hated that ending! She should have put a bullet in her brother as well and put us all out of our misery!