Okay, let's get one thing out of the way first: I absolutely LOVED this series. It had it's ups and downs as far as quality goes, but all in all Dexter was a really good show and I would watch the re-runs forever. It had it's great moments, truly epic, never before seen scenes that would move mountains and it also had, at times, some of the worst possible blunders....like this ending.
After a quite stellar 7th season, I (and I assume everyone else) expected the creators to pull out all the stops, bring out the big guns and end one of the best series in TV history with a bang. But sadly, that's not what happened. The final season was simply the worst of Dexter, choke full of gaping plot holes, forced dialogue, dreadful blunders and characters undoing 7 seasons of character development.
But let's talk about this finale. Instead of a BANG, we got a lousy whimper utterly undeserving of such a great series. I know, writing a finale to such a great series after 8 years is a horribly thankless job, and no matter how you write it, most fans would hate it, if only just because it ended their favorite show. However, ruining the entire series with a terrible schlock like this finale is simply unacceptable. A room full of howler monkeys with a typewriter could've done a better job.
Bringing back Hannah was one of the biggest mistakes. It served no purpose other than sticking a huge flashing sign on her that says "MOTIVATION". She did nothing the whole season but sit in rooms and act concerned. Some of the biggest, most blatant plot holes were all Hannah's. Her face was plastered all over the news as a dangerous fugitive, and yet she didn't even bother to change her looks? No haircut or dye, hat, shades, different clothes, nothing? She was busted by a simple hospital receptionist for gods sake, yet she passed airport security right up to the departure gates? WHAT?! Looks aside, how did she explain away the syringe full of horse tranquilizer? I assume she had it all along and it didn't just magically appear en-route to the bus terminal. Even if security was dumb, SOMEONE should've recognized her! She also stabbed a guy with a syringe on a packed bus, yet nobody bats and eye. Then she strolls through security at YET ANOTHER airport? Damn...
How about Saxon? The walking plot device, without whom there would've been no season 8. His presence is only to serve as a beating stick and a disposable plot generator. Being a total psychopath, he shows a considerable amount of emotion and utter lack of common sense when he just casually stumbles into the hospital filled with cops and media, and goes after the person that's the sole reason for them being there? After he makes his dramatic entrance by depositing a cruelly mangled victim (who's tongue he cut out in a vehicle parked on a high-traffic street in broad daylight) to the doorstep of said hospital, he just waltzes in and strolls around clearly drenched in blood without anyone noticing? Keep in mind, there is a MANHUNT after the guy, his face is plastered all over the news. *sigh* Don't even get me started on the holding cell scene. When given a weapon and cornered like an animal, fully aware he is going to be killed one way or another and he has only one shot, (Saxxon being a fully experienced, seasoned killer himself) he stabs Dexter in the shoulder. Yes, the shoulder. As in Hollywood's go-to "it's just a flesh-wound" spot. Really? REALLY?! And after Dexter quite predictably goes for the jugular, a few minutes later Batista just lets him leave for Argentina? WHAT?
All that aside, Michael C. Hall's acting (or rather, the lack thereof) was the worst, most cringe-worthy thing in the entire finale. After being handed a script this stupid, I assume nobody would've done any better, but still, he could've tried at least instead of this "why bother" attitude. Being at the deathbed of Dexter's dearly beloved sister, pulling the plug and then unceremoniously dumping her body in the ocean (right near his other victims), all he manages is a series of clearly forced, wimpy frowns? If anything, one would've assumed THIS would make Dexter flip the hell out, trash a room, scream, cry, beat himself up, ANYTHING. But no, all we get is a tired-looking, mopey, stone faced Dexter with a "meh" attitude. Pathetic.
Adding insult to injury, the totally-unnecessary-but-crammed-in-anyway- for-the-sake-of-spinoffs epilogue. After magically surviving a giant hurricane on the ocean (which wrecked his boat to splinters), we see a totally unharmed Dexter in what I assume Alaska, sporting a horrible looking fake beard and nonchalantly working as a....lumberjack? Of all the things, this is the best they could come up with? A lumberjack? The very last ending picture is this hollow shell, we once knew as Dexter, tiredly looking at the camera with a "are we done yet?" expression on his face. Why? Just...why?
I don't know what were they thinking. I assume they were just "lets get this done quickly, because I need to look for another job now". Sad. Real sad. It's particularly infuriating too, because unlike the great majority of series, they knew full well Dexter is going to end TWO YEARS beforehand. They had ample time and opportunity to write a two-season story arc to tie everything into a neat little bow. But apparently they shot their load at season 7 and the energy and drive was simply lost by the end. Shame. Now not only we have to deal with one of our favorite series ending, we have to deal with the awful taste this finale left in our mouths, that sours the entire show in our memory....
After a quite stellar 7th season, I (and I assume everyone else) expected the creators to pull out all the stops, bring out the big guns and end one of the best series in TV history with a bang. But sadly, that's not what happened. The final season was simply the worst of Dexter, choke full of gaping plot holes, forced dialogue, dreadful blunders and characters undoing 7 seasons of character development.
But let's talk about this finale. Instead of a BANG, we got a lousy whimper utterly undeserving of such a great series. I know, writing a finale to such a great series after 8 years is a horribly thankless job, and no matter how you write it, most fans would hate it, if only just because it ended their favorite show. However, ruining the entire series with a terrible schlock like this finale is simply unacceptable. A room full of howler monkeys with a typewriter could've done a better job.
Bringing back Hannah was one of the biggest mistakes. It served no purpose other than sticking a huge flashing sign on her that says "MOTIVATION". She did nothing the whole season but sit in rooms and act concerned. Some of the biggest, most blatant plot holes were all Hannah's. Her face was plastered all over the news as a dangerous fugitive, and yet she didn't even bother to change her looks? No haircut or dye, hat, shades, different clothes, nothing? She was busted by a simple hospital receptionist for gods sake, yet she passed airport security right up to the departure gates? WHAT?! Looks aside, how did she explain away the syringe full of horse tranquilizer? I assume she had it all along and it didn't just magically appear en-route to the bus terminal. Even if security was dumb, SOMEONE should've recognized her! She also stabbed a guy with a syringe on a packed bus, yet nobody bats and eye. Then she strolls through security at YET ANOTHER airport? Damn...
How about Saxon? The walking plot device, without whom there would've been no season 8. His presence is only to serve as a beating stick and a disposable plot generator. Being a total psychopath, he shows a considerable amount of emotion and utter lack of common sense when he just casually stumbles into the hospital filled with cops and media, and goes after the person that's the sole reason for them being there? After he makes his dramatic entrance by depositing a cruelly mangled victim (who's tongue he cut out in a vehicle parked on a high-traffic street in broad daylight) to the doorstep of said hospital, he just waltzes in and strolls around clearly drenched in blood without anyone noticing? Keep in mind, there is a MANHUNT after the guy, his face is plastered all over the news. *sigh* Don't even get me started on the holding cell scene. When given a weapon and cornered like an animal, fully aware he is going to be killed one way or another and he has only one shot, (Saxxon being a fully experienced, seasoned killer himself) he stabs Dexter in the shoulder. Yes, the shoulder. As in Hollywood's go-to "it's just a flesh-wound" spot. Really? REALLY?! And after Dexter quite predictably goes for the jugular, a few minutes later Batista just lets him leave for Argentina? WHAT?
All that aside, Michael C. Hall's acting (or rather, the lack thereof) was the worst, most cringe-worthy thing in the entire finale. After being handed a script this stupid, I assume nobody would've done any better, but still, he could've tried at least instead of this "why bother" attitude. Being at the deathbed of Dexter's dearly beloved sister, pulling the plug and then unceremoniously dumping her body in the ocean (right near his other victims), all he manages is a series of clearly forced, wimpy frowns? If anything, one would've assumed THIS would make Dexter flip the hell out, trash a room, scream, cry, beat himself up, ANYTHING. But no, all we get is a tired-looking, mopey, stone faced Dexter with a "meh" attitude. Pathetic.
Adding insult to injury, the totally-unnecessary-but-crammed-in-anyway- for-the-sake-of-spinoffs epilogue. After magically surviving a giant hurricane on the ocean (which wrecked his boat to splinters), we see a totally unharmed Dexter in what I assume Alaska, sporting a horrible looking fake beard and nonchalantly working as a....lumberjack? Of all the things, this is the best they could come up with? A lumberjack? The very last ending picture is this hollow shell, we once knew as Dexter, tiredly looking at the camera with a "are we done yet?" expression on his face. Why? Just...why?
I don't know what were they thinking. I assume they were just "lets get this done quickly, because I need to look for another job now". Sad. Real sad. It's particularly infuriating too, because unlike the great majority of series, they knew full well Dexter is going to end TWO YEARS beforehand. They had ample time and opportunity to write a two-season story arc to tie everything into a neat little bow. But apparently they shot their load at season 7 and the energy and drive was simply lost by the end. Shame. Now not only we have to deal with one of our favorite series ending, we have to deal with the awful taste this finale left in our mouths, that sours the entire show in our memory....