There exists a hypothesis that Dexter isn't a sociopath at all; he was just a kid that saw some fucked-up shit. Harry, on the other hand, misinterpreted young Dexter's disturbing ideas as those of a budding sociopath. Knowing firsthand that this path would most likely lead his adopted son to ruin, he attempted to teach Dexter how to kill and, more importantly, how to avoid getting caught. This male bonding caused Dexter to form connections between fatherly love and his "killing lessons", explaining why he sees Harry when he thinks about murdering someone. It also explains why he would feel muted emotions. If Dexter were truly a sociopath, none of Harry's lessons and rules would have worked at all. If it wasn't for Harry's lessons and rules, Dexter would have grown up as a normal (if maybe a little messed up) individual. tl;dr It's Harry's fault Dexter is a murderer.

So the Code? The thing that was supposed to channel Dexter's dark impulses into doing something productive? The one whose first rule, weirdly, is Don't Get Caught? The thing Harry devised (with help, I guess) after seeing too many criminals get away with it, and after his partner was killed?

The last person Dexter kills is an innocent cop.

Great job, Harry!

I'm having my first watch of the show and am on S6E10. It's not a specific plot of the episode, but I have come to the conclusion that... Harry Morgan was the worst.

I'm not sure if this is something others speak about, but I genuinely think Harry was a awful awful man. In the long run he ruined Dexter's life.

If you have a child who is clearly suffering from some lack of empathy disorder to the point they are slaughtering animals, they need psychological help from a professional. Harry's alternate solution is to pretty much program the child to become a vigilante serial killer. And that ultimately, is Dexter's tragedy. He either goes into his life as a bloodthirsty killer who has grown up with his sick qualities being endorsed and provided for by his father figure, or he gets caught and his life is wasted and ruined in prison.

To add insult to injury, Harry pretty much makes Deb feel emotionally neglected so that he can continue taking advantage of a sick child.

Also does he have any concern of what may happen to Deb if his little project gets caught? Having a convicted serial killer of a brother is not going to have a good affect on her life.

Bottom line is the more I watch the show the more I see that Harry was a horrible person and a horrible father who has basically screwed over both of his kids for life.

And Dexter is so brainwashed he's never going to see the one person who has truly ruined his entire life truly is... He will forever see him as his saviour and hero.

Edit to properly name the actor as Paul Blackthorne. Whatever

Hi. Some people must have commented this here before. I’m halfway through season 2, on my first rewatch since I was 13/14 years old, and with every episode I watch I can’t help but think that Harry was,.. the worst person ever?? Firstly, as a cop, he gets involved with Dexter’s bio mom, an informant on a case he is working, which is probably highly unethical and unprofessional (and this is without mentioning the cheating on his wife side of things). He tells her he is going to take care of her and her sons and nothing is gonna happen to them, but his course of action in the case is what ultimately leads to her murder and Dexter and Brian’s trauma. He then just abandons Brian, separating the brothers from each other. Ok, Brian/Rudy explains that it was because he was older and Harry probably thought he had no salvation — which Dexter could have, as he was younger and probably wouldn’t remember his mom’s murder as much. That’s why he adopted him. But instead of taking care of Dexter, he treats his trauma as something that is untreatable, tells him he is a monster who has no feelings and he should learn to hide his true self in order to live in society, when he actually is probably just traumatized, as he was a normal kid before. Dexter doesn’t get any help!! In the flashbacks, everytime Dexter goes to him with a conflict like a normal teenager or kid, Harry automatically tells him how to deal with it in light of his monstruosity, instead of teaching him conflict resolution and being a parent!! Even when Dexter goes to a doctor, he tells him to lie?? Ffs. I feel so sorry for Dexter. He wouldn’t have to be a serial killer if Harry was a better parent. He doesn’t seem to have been a nice father to Debra as well. I hope they touch on this subject in the new season. seriously, every time there’s a flashback with him, I’m horrified. What do you all think?

First things first, Dexter have always been filled with plot contrivances and conveniences, but due to it's overall great concepts, interesting plot-lines and great characters, we could all put that aside and enjoy a somewhat flawed but entertaining show. While this is true in the original, it is not in New Blood, and I'm here to elaborate why not only the last episode was bad, but rather the entire season was.

I want to start by explaining what a plot hole is, since this is one of the major things that an entertaining story can't fix. Unlike contrivances and conveniences, which are a sure sign of either lazy or bad writing, plot holes are much more than that - Plot holes CANNOT exist. They are a complete break of logic, that makes it impossible for the story to develop. Let's look at an example:

While the ketamine kerfuffle has been talked about a lot in other posts, it is not a hole, but rather a retcon. It's doesn't break the logic as is, since changing the name of the drug back to M99 would still allow the story to progress in the same manner. What does in fact constitute a plot hole is that Angela discover photos of wheel marks in victims of the BHB case. These marks never existed in the original series, as those bodies were too decomposed at that point (a problem exacerbated even further by Dexter's sabotage of the colling system). Those marks didn't exist before, and are the entire clutch of Angela's rather circumstantial evidence. Without them, the connection might not have been made, or would have been in even shakier grounds - and as such, he would not feel the need to break out of prison (more on that later).

The reason why I said this can't be fixed by an entertaining story, is that this directly contradicts what we know about said story. Either the story was wrong them, or it is now. This is a gigantic flaw in writing that can, and have, killed many shows, movies and books before - but this is all still assuming that this had an interesting story, you know, to kill. It doesn't. A story can be divided in 4 different fields (Characters, World, Themes and Plot), so let's start by going over Characters, which are in my opnion the most important aspect of any story.

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Characters

Dexter as a character have always been tricky to me. Some times he contradicts himself, or regress in development between seasons, but he always keep certain things at his cores -

Dexter's entire arc through seasons 1-8 was learning his dark passenger not an inevitability but brainwashing by a psycho shrink. He contrasts with other killers throughout the show and learns that he is not the cold uncaring monster he thought of himself as, that he genuinely cares about people, that he holds to the code not only for the selfish reasons Harry thought he couldn't go beyond. He is still psychologically damaged when it ends but he has learned the truth and killed his old self to start over.

New Blood should have had him rehabilitate Harrison using all he has learned over a decade of contemplating this, rather than repeating the same attempt to pass on the code as we have seen him do unsuccessfully before. He should have aided in the discovery and prosecution of Kurt but this time abandoned opportunities to kill Kurt himself in order to help lead him to police capture instead. Again contrasting with young Dexter.

He could have still been uncovered as Dexter Morgan to Angel, and it could have led to a none stupid reason for them to figure out he was the Bay Harbour Butcher, but we should have gotten an arrest and trial so we can see people's reactions to him. The betrayed former coworkers, the families of people killed by his victims, Astor and Cody's reactions. The trial could've been a season on its own.

</rant>

So first off I just wanna clarify that I don’t think the ending was as terrible as people are making it out to be. There’s also a lot of confusion about what happened and why it happened and so I feel like I need to explain it so you guys can understand the motivations behind why Dexter did what he did.

Dexter’s mental state and thought process

Dexter throughout this season is shown as an addict going through a relapse after abstaining from killing from nearly a decade. Typically in real life when Serial Killers do this they do tend to go on an intense spree due to them feeling that power and that bloodlust. We see Dexter as out of practice and sloppy as well as having questionable motives as to why he’s killing his victims, which is completely normal for these kind of situations. Dexter is more bloodthirsty and prone to violence due to the overstimulation of killing after so many years of not doing so.

With that being said in episode 9 we see that Dexter is finally able to share his dark secret with his son which he has longed to do. However he does manipulate Harrison into believing he does it out of a sense of justice and saving lives. However we the viewer knows that he loves killing and he needs to kill to satisfy the dark passenger. We also see for the first time just how much of a monster Dexter is in New Blood with us finally seeing the disposal process on screen. Dexter has reverted back to how he was in season one except that now his son is along for the ride and he is ecstatic about it.

Sins of the Father

To reinforce my claims about Dexter and his mental state we see how Dexter blatantly wants to continue killing in LA despite the resistance from Harrison. This shows that he cares more about satisfying his urges rather than what Harrison wants/needs to live a life that is satisfactory for him. Harrison still believing Dex wants to help people, reluctantly agrees to the move.

When we skip to Dexter in jail we see that he knows he can beat the evidence that Angela has against him but when she mentions Angels name Dex changes his strategy to flee with Harrison due to Batista possibly having evidence that he can tie to Dexter (LaGuertas file).

Now the most controversial part of the finale… Logan’s death.

Dexter has only one goal on his mind and that is to flee with his son so they can use the Code. He is willing to do anything to make that possible. So when he attacks Logan he gives him a choice to give him the keys or die which is where

Largely based off of the atrocity we have all had to witness and be burdened by, but this is how I like to imagine it:

• Everything up to and including Harrison shooting Dexter is normal. However, more attention to Dexter's irrational thought processes and panic goes into showing exactly why he killed Logan - Deb tormenting him, Harry pop's up showing severe Lament.

• Harrison shoots him. Cut to black for some time. Next thing we hear is a distorted Angela's voice calling for back up & ambulance, she covers for Harrisons shooting (how this'd work out I have no idea, maybe I'm equally as shitty as Clyde Phillips?) so it avoids the Harrison running away spiel.

• The next scene would be a dreamy haze of Rita, Trinity, Deb, Harry, Harrison all while vehemently angered/sad etc everyone who was meaningful and close to Dexter shaking him to wake up for being a sick and twisted individual. Emphasis being placed on Dexter being tormented, scared and completely helpless during this scene. Turns out he's not dead, he's just being woken up by hospital staff as he's in an intensive care unit having interventions administered to him for the gun shot and it's complications... traumatic stress, if you will.

• The next few scenes cover Dexter's transient dipping in's and out's of consciousness while in ICU which elucidate 1) what the hospital staff think of treating someone who's supected to be the BHB, 2) one of Dexter's previous colleagues' monologue in a distorted voice showing their cognitive dissonance of Dexter potentially being the BHB and 3) Astor/Cody/Harrison's struggles with these potential rumours.

• Time jump: Dexter is awake and relatively back to health. Side view shot of Dexter being in an interrogation room, orange jump suit and handcuffs, other chair across the desk is empty but there's a small view of someones shoes/lowerlegs in the corner of the room. A file of documents is thrown on the table. Someone sits down... "Hello... Dextuh Morgan". Batista in shot.

• Some dialogue between Dexter and Batista occurs, Batista asks why he faked his death, what happened to Harrison, he found out about Hannah, LaGuerta & Angela's suspicions & the fart in the barn that is all the evidence surrounding Dexter... the other person in the room asks "Are you the Butcher?", it's Quinn. Batista & Quinn are vehemently against Dexter for the monster he is, (I haven't worked how it'd work out but Dexter is being charged for the numerous murders as th

I am going to make the case that Dexter deserved to live freely in his own will, vs the ending we got in NB. This is not for the sake of crappy spin-offs to continue the show, but to complete Dexter's story arch. Here are the three main arguments why:

1. No character is substantial enough to arrest and prosecute Dexter Morgan to execution
2. No living character is substantial enough to kill Dexter Morgan
3. Dexter is a born-in-blood, well-intended Anti-Hero

Point 1)
A lot of folks want Dexter to be arrested and put to death, but realistically speaking, who deserves that honor? I argue no one. Dexter evaded Special Agent Lundy, Laguerta & Deb (sorta), and all of the FBI. You could say Batista, but Batista was always portrayed second fiddle to the superstars mentioned above. Dexter had always outsmarted Batista in the show. The show also has never left any amount of tangible evidence that could lead to his arrest, and no living character is substantial enough to bring him down. Laguerta rightfully should have, but Deb killed her.

Point 2)
Who is substantial enough to kill Dexter? Dexter took down heavy hitters: Brian, Miguel, Skinner, Trinity, Jordan Chase & Co, Doomsday, Isaac, Oliver. There is no important character left on the show who deserves to kill him. Harrison was portrayed as not much more than an annoying child (see S8), or an impulsive, irrational, angsty teenage new character (NB). Who else living can hold a flame to Dexter? No one. Deb was the only one deserving of killing Dexter, and she unfortunately died.

Point 3)
This has two sub-points, first, Dexter was born in blood. We shouldn't forget the fact that Dexter was a child born into bloody tragedy, not of his own doing, a victim himself. In his life he lost his mother (chainsaw), father (Brian), brother (he was evil), Harry (suicide). Dexter had no one, other than Deb, and should be ultimately still seen as a victim.
Secondly, Dexter is the anti-hero. Although Dexter made attempts at a 'normal' life, we need to ground ourselves that Dexter was always a 'code-channelled' psychopath. Despite this, throughout the entire show Dexter never becomes a worse person, he in fact he genuinely tried to be a better person. He wanted to be a good husband to Rita (his vow), he didn't want to have to kill Brian, he couldn't kill Doakes, he was good to Astor/Cody, he helped the Mitchells escape abuse, he helped Lumen find peace, he sought to find Light with the Pastor in S6, he told Deb

I can verify this from the conversations I’ve had in salons. It’s like a unifying subject. Also Celia lives in LA for 6 months of the year and her daughter studies there too… background to qualify her statement above

Of course Celia is not just Piers’ wife, she’s privately educated and went to Cambridge uni. She’s a columnist and author. She has a new thriller book called Payday

When discussing about the infamous meeting between Piers and Meghan at the Kensington pub The Sugars often say that Piers is obsessed with Meghan because she knocked him back ie Meghan didn’t reciprocate his sexual advances during this meeting. This argument is so far from reality… because Meghan was knowingly happy to meet Piers who was controversial even then. Piers is married to Celia Walden who is a public figure. A quick google would make it very apparent. If Piers had an ulterior motive, he wouldn’t invite her to his local pub (the Scarsdale Tavern) where he would be recognised with an attractive woman who isnt his wife. If he had an ulterior motive, he wouldn’t advertise this meeting at every opportunity, especially as his wife would question the nature of such a meeting. I’m glad Celia has chosen to give her perspective on the matter.

“The one time her nose for a story failed her, she says, was when her husband invited her to join him in The Scarsdale pub in Kensington to meet an actress from a TV series they’d both enjoyed – Suits. Since Morgan is not a ladies’ man (‘that really would be a bit much on top of everything else’), Walden declined. ‘Why would I want to go and meet this actress Piers has been tweeting, I thought, so I said no, which was really very foolish of me.’”

Regarding Piers GMB resignation - In the ensuing fallout, which eventually saw him resign, Piers asked his wife to read an apology the management at GMB had drafted for him to sign. ‘He never asks me to do stuff like that normally, so I was quite flattered.’ She told him he couldn’t possibly sign it the way they’d worded it. She didn’t think he should have walked off. ‘But nor did he, in hindsight. However, what he said about that interview being full of inconsistencies and untruths has been proved right in so many ways.’

Celia’s experience from the Sussex Squad aka the sugars -

“Then Morgan waded

Showtime's entry into the prestige TV format was Dexter, the serial killer with a heart of gold. After several seasons the show just kind ended, so how would you end it?

Created by James Manos Jr
Written by James Manos Jr, Lauren Gussis, Scott Buck, Scott Reynolds, Tim Schlattmann, etc.
Starring: Michael C Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, Luna Laueren Velez, Julie Benz, and James Remar

Dexter Morgan is a Miami-based blood splatter expert who doesn't just solve murders; he commits them too. In fact, he's a serial killer -- but he only murders the guilty, so he feels justified with his lifestyle choices. His policewoman sister and his cop co-workers have no idea Dexter lives a double life; however, adoptive father Harry knows his secret, and does, in fact, help Dexter hone his "skills." It's a unique brand of justice for which charming Dexter feels a psychological hunger.

So how would you fix Dexter? Share your ideas and help expand on others.

Please DM me any future requests or challenges.

Next week: Arrow (2012-2020)

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A Farewell to Arm.

I had stopped watching the series around season 4 years back and now I'm rewatching the series to its fullest. LORD KNOWS that season 6 WAS THE MOST EMBARRASING DISPLAY OF WRITING IVE EVER SEEN. It felt like 40 days and 40 nights watching that shit. Anyways I'm on season 7 now and why theee fack.....no, WHO THEE FACK decided this was okay?????

Because who else could Debra Morgan possibly bone this season 🙄 the new writers were worse than Masuka.

It just didn't need to happen.

I'm also reading Darkly Dreaming Dexter and yeah Dexter did say if he had feelings he'd have them for Deb, however he also said the same thing about Harry. My interpretation was that he meant that as in the actual act of having emotions towards others that loved him. Which makes a lot of sense because Dexter is a socio/psychopath. NOT TO SAY PSYCHOPATHS AND SOCIOPATHS DO NOT HAVE FEELING BECAUSE THEY DO, but it's the lack of feeling that's more present. (Also good example of that is in season 5 after Rita dies and how he handles the kids leaving to Orlando.)

Dexter Morgan, we all at one time have been ashamed or scared to admit to people that we love you but that doesn't mean we don't love you with all of our hearts. We have been through so much together from killing your own brother to protect Debra to your body of work as you would like to call it being revealed to the whole world and a manhunt starting for the Bay Harbour Butcher a name you have always hated and then someone who was always suspicious of you found out who you truly are the first person to do so after Harry and your victims which includes your dear brother Bryan you had a tough choice to make but someone made it all easy for you, your mistress Lila she got rid of Doakes and you, you got rid of her then you continued to live your normal live like you have always done but this time with a best friend who would be your victim to be and a beautiful woman who would be your bride to be despite all of the bumps in the road and the bad hand life dealt you, you finally managed to put together a beautiful family for yourself with Rita, Astor, Cody and little Harrison while your mask of a sane and normal person had a beautiful family you needed more than that you needed Arthur Mitchell the man who would go on to kill your beloved wife and ruin everything you have put together but you still didn't give you were the best dad you could ever be for your beloved Harrison someone who despite everything and everyone was your number 1 priority when Deb found out who you really were you feared for him as much as you did for yourself and then when Deb died your little world collapsed on itself and all you could do was not to let Harrison fall under but don't worry you would see him again after 8 years, yes it is a long wait but your son is worth the wait. You would manage to create a little family for yourself again and everything went great until your girlfriend found out who you really are and your loving son, he saw fit to choose a journey without you.

R.I.P Dexter Morgan. Gone but not forgotten.

I would like to get this debate going.

Could Harry have done more to stop dexter rather than giving him a code and channeling it all?

Why didn’t Harry take Brian along with Dexter when he found them in that storage unit?