Who was killed off? Here’s how ‘Dexter: New Blood”s finale flopped
(A spoiler alert is in effect.) Dexter: New Blood fans are feeling quite disappointed with the “infamously ambiguous” conclusion to Michael C. Hall’s serial killer vigilante show in 2013, after eight seasons. According to USA Today, Hall made it his goal to right his wrong via the return in Showtime’s Dexter: New Blood after an eight-year sabbatical.
Upon Sunday’s finale, the ten-episode limited series broke Showtime rating records, having averaged over 8 million viewers a week, across all platforms. Now, we’re certain that Michael Hall succeeded in bringing a complete unambiguous ending to the world-class Dexter Morgan in the New Blood season finale last week.
In the words of an executive producer of the show, Clyde Phillips, “I”m just gonna say three words because it’s not like that was all a dream or anything like that.” “Dexter is dead.” It’s true that Dexter Morgan who began his new life in upstate Iron Lake, New York, pretending to be a regular guy named Jim Lindsay, lies deceased in a pool of his own blood upon the end of Sunday’s finale.
On the other end of the rifle stood Dexter’s own son, Harrison (Jack Alcott). “I can’t think, in the history of television, there’s ever been a redo to a much-maligned finale. We got a chance to give Dexter the right send-off.”
Reason of death
Why did Dexter have to die in New Blood? The previous run concluded with Dexter compassionately pulling the plug on his sister Deb (Jennifer Carpenter), giving her body to the ocean then driving his boat into the eye of the hurricane to certain death. His logic was to protect his loved ones from getting hurt anymore than they already had, including Grown Harrison.
The conclusion, however, also unveiled that Dexter faked his own demise then began living as a lumberjack in Oregon. Harrison tracked down his father in upstate New York in the New Blood season, and decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. Dexter to a “fatherly guide” to Harrison’s own “dark passenger” killing side. They even dreamt of being vigilante serial killer teams in some other town.
But that was all prior to Dexter getting arrested by his increasingly suspicious girlfriend and police chief, Angela Bishop (Julia Jones) who found his true identity and was about to condemn him. In an effort to flee from his jail cell, Dexter had to kill the key-carrying Sergeant Logan (Alano Miller), who was also known as Harrison’s mentoring wrestling coach.
Logan’s death proved to be too much for Harrison, who decided not to go with his father, but stop him instead. Dexter realized he was incurable. It was really Hall’s idea to have Dexter remind Harrison how to remove the safety on the rifles. Dexter said, “This is the only way out. For the both of us.” Dexter showed Harrison the kill spot on his chest. Harrison fired then Dexter fell in the snow.
New Dexter?
Listening to the letter penned by his father, in the final moments, Harrison drives out of town. His father explained his departure at the end of the original show, and how hard it was for him to leave his son. According to Phillips, “Dexter talks about his son being his ‘phantom limb.’ His final words are both human and loving.”
Whether Harrison chooses to follow in his father’s footsteps or continues to evade his dark tendencies, is the franchise’s mystery but will it continue?
In a statement issued last week, we learned that “Dexter: New Blood is a limited series and any further discussions will have to wait until we finish airing the limited series and see where we are with our stories and our characters.”
