‘Dexter’ season 8, episode 12 review: The series finale, and the biggest monster of all

We’ve waiting for years to find out just how “Dexter” was going to end on Showtime, and we had plenty of reasons to be doubtful that this was going to end well. The past few episodes have been at times a mess, and there was just so much going on that really needed some sort of resolution here. Was there really enough time for the series to actually turn all this around?

At the end of the day, we feel as though we are writing this of mixed mind. There were are some things that the series did extraordinarily well, and then there were things that we still don’t understand. First of all, why didn’t Hannah at least try to disguise her appearance, and why did Dexter continue to refer to her by name in public places? It’s amazing the things that people were able to really get away with in this episode just for the sake of making the story work.

But at the same time, there were moments that were touching. How could you not tear up when watching Dexter throw his own sister Deb over the Slice of Life after she died from complications of the gunshot, or cheer when he finally killed Oliver Saxon, only to later get away with it by convincing his co-workers that it was an act of self-defense? These were the moments that really felt much like the “Dexter” that we came to know and love over the years.

But, above all, we have to talk about the ending. Dexter lived! But, he faked his own death in the process. After realizing that he ruined the lives of all those around him, he decided to fake his own death by driving the boat out into the ocean; then, we had a final scene of him working somewhere as a logger sporting a thick beard, a sign that he was not willing to give up on his own life. Hannah was alive in Argentina with his child Harrison, which is probably where the spin-off rumors come from now. But it was a strange hour in a way given that Masuka, a character since the very beginning, was completely a ghost for the hour, and Jamie Batista was as well despite her feelings for Harrison as a caretaker. It felt almost like the show was rushed to get into an hour, and we did not have the closure we wanted or needed with most of the characters. Heck, it wasn’t even closure at all. We thought for a second that the last scene was going to be Hannah in Argentina, and that would have been infuriating.

This was not the ending that we had dreamed of a few seasons ago, but it’s the ending in a post-season 6 world: Disappointing and a little muddled, even though there were still moments. We did tear up once and we like the concept of Dexter still remaining a step ahead of the world in the end, but it left us wanting perhaps a little too much more. While Michael C. Hall was perhaps rather muted, the best performance of the whole hour came in Desmond Harrington, who played the pain of Quinn almost perfectly.

So goodbye, Dexter; while we wish there was something more in your final send-off, we will still miss you greatly.

Overall, what did you think about the “Dexter” series finale? Be sure to share your thoughts with a comment below! Stay tuned, as we will have more reaction soon.

Photo: Showtime