On the overall, I found this to be an entertaining episode. We open at the airport with Debra's former boss Jacob Elway staking out the departure gate waiting to capture Hannah who is hiding in the bathroom. She calls Dexter who devises a plan that clears Elway from the immediate scene but their departure plans are scuttled when the terminal is evacuated so they remain trapped in Miami. Then Dexter receives a call from Deputy Chief Tom Matthews informing him that Debra is in the hospital being treated for the gunshot wound inflicted by Oliver Saxon in the previous episode which, until now, he was completely unaware of. Later, when Saxon attempts to finish the kill of Debra at the hospital, Detective Joey Quinn and Lt Angel Batista arrest him and haul him off to jail. Meanwhile, Dexter sends Hannah and his son Harrison ahead with plans to meet them in Argentina. A catastrophic stroke renders Debra a complete vegetable. In retaliation, Dexter creates a plot where he successfully kills Saxon in jail. Heartbroken, and in the confusion of the approaching hurricane, Dexter terminates Debra's life support system and carries her lifeless body to his boat. After her burial-at-sea, dexter is seen driving his boat into the hurricane with presumably suicidal plans. Next, we locate Hannah and Harrison enjoying a drink at an outdoor Argentine café where she reads an on-line article outlining Dexter's presumed loss at sea. In the final scene, we find Dexter, quite alive, looking totally beaten and alone in a logging camp.
I felt that this entire season was degrading to the 'Bay Harbor Butcher', especially the previous episode (eleven). To begin with, if he hadn't completely set aside his 'code', Zach Hamilton and Dr Evelyn Vogel would still be alive. And, who knows, with a greater effort backgrounding the 'Brain Surgeon' way back when, he might have even saved Cassie. Then, if this mere facsimile of the Dexter we had come to admire, had used a little imagination, he would have planted his knife solidly in the heart of Saxon while he was strapped to the chair. At that point it would have been a simple bit of murder scene creativity to make it appear that Debra took out Saxon in an attempt to arrest him. All of this done, and he certainly had the time, before calling her would have made her a hero again at the P. D. That concept would have saved the life of Deputy US Marshall Cooper as well as Debra.
It seems that the writers decided that none of the main characters in this series were to enjoy any reasonable happy ending. It started with Sgt. James Doakes who met with his demise in disgrace way back at the end of season two (although his name continued to pop up right until the end of season seven). In that season's final episode, Capt. Maria LaGuerta met eternity at the hands of Debra. This season, Jamie Batista, Dexter's nanny, is jilted by Quinn who is still in love with Debra - no happiness for her or Quinn who loses Debra anyway. Obviously Debra has gone off to meet her maker, so not much joy there. Hannah McKay is in Argentina and will never again get be with the love-of-her-life, Dexter, and must face raising his son Harrison who, unbeknownst to him, has just lost his father. The least of the unhappiness goes to Vince Masuka and Angel Batista who have only lost two friends and co-workers, although Angel had, quite some time ago, lost his marriage to LaGuerta; I don't know if that was bad or actually a good thing.
Well Dexter, as you sit in your dilapidated shack, grieving, miserable and alone, I'm here to tell you that you earned this outcome. You worked hard for it and you truly deserve it. This is what you get for making such huge changes to your life in such an abbreviated time without regard to the consequences. You get no sympathy from me!
I felt that this entire season was degrading to the 'Bay Harbor Butcher', especially the previous episode (eleven). To begin with, if he hadn't completely set aside his 'code', Zach Hamilton and Dr Evelyn Vogel would still be alive. And, who knows, with a greater effort backgrounding the 'Brain Surgeon' way back when, he might have even saved Cassie. Then, if this mere facsimile of the Dexter we had come to admire, had used a little imagination, he would have planted his knife solidly in the heart of Saxon while he was strapped to the chair. At that point it would have been a simple bit of murder scene creativity to make it appear that Debra took out Saxon in an attempt to arrest him. All of this done, and he certainly had the time, before calling her would have made her a hero again at the P. D. That concept would have saved the life of Deputy US Marshall Cooper as well as Debra.
It seems that the writers decided that none of the main characters in this series were to enjoy any reasonable happy ending. It started with Sgt. James Doakes who met with his demise in disgrace way back at the end of season two (although his name continued to pop up right until the end of season seven). In that season's final episode, Capt. Maria LaGuerta met eternity at the hands of Debra. This season, Jamie Batista, Dexter's nanny, is jilted by Quinn who is still in love with Debra - no happiness for her or Quinn who loses Debra anyway. Obviously Debra has gone off to meet her maker, so not much joy there. Hannah McKay is in Argentina and will never again get be with the love-of-her-life, Dexter, and must face raising his son Harrison who, unbeknownst to him, has just lost his father. The least of the unhappiness goes to Vince Masuka and Angel Batista who have only lost two friends and co-workers, although Angel had, quite some time ago, lost his marriage to LaGuerta; I don't know if that was bad or actually a good thing.
Well Dexter, as you sit in your dilapidated shack, grieving, miserable and alone, I'm here to tell you that you earned this outcome. You worked hard for it and you truly deserve it. This is what you get for making such huge changes to your life in such an abbreviated time without regard to the consequences. You get no sympathy from me!