Dexter: Season 4

[Big Weirdo]

I thought the ending was great. What an incredible twist.

I cant wait to see which direction they take Dexter in next season. How is he going to deal with the fact that he is the reason Rita is dead? That is going to eat at him.

I know people are hung up on the fact that there are so many things that havent been tied up. What about the Trinitys family and what is his alibi. Something tells me they will wrap that up nicely in a little bow like they usually do and next season will focus more on Dexter being a lone wolf again and Deb getting closer to Dexters true identity.

[Maximus71]

Has Dexter really ever been that "likeable"?

The guy cheated on Rita, killed her ex-husband, and has killed numerous other people. Although he has grown a lot over the last 2 seasons he is still completely selfish and that's ultimately what got Rita killed.

Everyone can use a Dexter in their family, he would get the job done :laugh:

[PokerPacker]

I know people are hung up on the fact that there are so many things that havent been tied up. What about the Trinitys family and what is his alibi. Something tells me they will wrap that up nicely in a little bow like they usually do and next season will focus more on Dexter being a lone wolf again and Deb getting closer to Dexters true identity.

Its funny, because at the end of season two, people will complaining at how nicely all the loose ends were cleaned up. This one, on the other hand, makes you know that things will never be the same.

[Big Weirdo]

Has Dexter really ever been that "likeable"?

The guy cheated on Rita, killed her ex-husband, and has killed numerous other people. Although he has grown a lot over the last 2 seasons he is still completely selfish and that's ultimately what got Rita killed.

I think he is likeable in certain ways. IMO he represents a struggle within a lot of people. Obviously his struggle is very extreme but when he talks about his Dark Passenger and the demon within him it invokes memories of my alcoholism for me.

[Big Weirdo]

Its funny, because at the end of season two, people will complaining at how nicely all the loose ends were cleaned up. This one, on the other hand, makes you know that things will never be the same.

I just dont see them making a huge deal about all of it.

First of all Arthur Mitchells family is not going to say anything. Dexter tried helping and protecting them. If anything I think they will just move it. Its over for them. They want to start a new life.

Secondly, they only know that Mitchell is planning to leave. They do not know he was on Dexs table. For him to kill another person isnt out of the question. Yes its a little strange for him to kill Rita but it isnt farfetched.. He was at the damn police station. Its feasible he just picked Dexter at random and killed his wife.

I dont know. Im not a writer so well see. I hope they do something great with this though. The ending was fantastic and I didnt see it coming. It really tugs at how you feel about Dexter. Its his fault Rita is dead. How is he going to react?

[PokerPacker]

I dont know. Im not a writer so well see. I hope they do something great with this though. The ending was fantastic and I didnt see it coming. It really tugs at how you feel about Dexter. Its his fault Rita is dead. How is he going to react?

I actually feel more for Dexter rather than dislike him for what happened. You could see in his battle of personalities that he was evolving and becoming more human. He felt like he could move away from his monster and make it less significant, and it was because of the feelings he developed for Rita that this transformation started happening. Just as he's finally getting things figured out, BAM! She's lying in a bathtub full of blood.

[War Paint]

I hope you realize that the point of this show isn't to make Dexter "likeable". I don't think they've ever tried to acheive that to be honest. Sure we're to some degree supposed to cheer for him because he's the "good" bad guy....but we are in no way supposed to relate to him and his balance between "killing" and "family". His father's entire point of the final episode was that there CANNOT be a balance of that nature.

i'm inclined to say that you're simply dissatisfied with the way the end went. If you're REALLY this disgusted by the show at this point, you do realize you don't have to watch it anymore right?

However, something tells me you will keep watching, because the writers have done exactly what they wanted to accomplish....which was to open up a brand new, even more devious chapter into the life of a serial killer who kills serial killers.

Yes, they did try to make him likable. I remember ads for the show when it first came out saying "Dexter..america's favorite serial killer." The whole theme behind Dexter was to make a serial killer come off as a guy you rooted for, considering he is like an extreme vigilante.

Obviously I'm dissatisfied. I thought the ending sucked butt. Yes, I will watch next season I'm sure, but if it takes the tone I think it is, I think the season is going to suck.

[Die Hard]

I dreamed of that ending scene ALL last night.

That image of dead Rita sitting in a bathtub full of blood will probably be etched in my brain forever. That disturbing and powerful.

[HOF44]

Yes, they did try to make him likable. I remember ads for the show when it first came out saying "Dexter..america's favorite serial killer." The whole theme behind Dexter was to make a serial killer come off as a guy you rooted for, considering he is like an extreme vigilante.

I think one of the great paradoxes of the series is you want to root for a serial killer, but then horrid things happen to nice people because of who he is and it makes you think about why in the heck you were rooting for him.

This series is true art. Like the plot twists it or hate them, they seem to evoke some pretty strong emotions from everyone that follows it. And in the end isn't that what good art is all about?

[War Paint]

I think one of the great paradoxes of the series is you want to root for a serial killer, but then horrid things happen to nice people because of who he is and it makes you think about why in the heck you were rooting for him.

This series is true art. Like the plot twists it or hate them, they seem to evoke some pretty strong emotions from everyone that follows it. And in the end isn't that what good art is all about?

True, but IMO they simply went for shock value at the end. The consequence of shock value is it divides the fan base and changes the show forever. It's like they flipped the show from being dark humor to being extremely dark.

I seriously won't be surprised if next season is the last season. Because if Rita is really dead, next season will just be about Dexter falling apart and finally getting caught. Hell, he'll probably end up being killed by Deb.

[HOF44]

True, but IMO they simply went for shock value at the end. The consequence of shock value is it divides the fan base and changes the show forever. It's like they flipped the show from being dark humor to being extremely dark.

If you really think about it, the series has always been extremely dark. The protagonist is judge, jury, and kills then chops people up and tosses them in the sea in garbage bags.

What makes Rita dying switch it from darkly humorous to shocking?

I seriously won't be surprised if next season is the last season. Because if Rita is really dead, next season will just be about Dexter falling apart and finally getting caught. Hell, he'll probably end up being killed by Deb.

You could be right, but the way these writers have went about this series until I see different I'm gonna give them the benefit.

[JMS]

That's a crowded ghost dance card... Harry, Rita, Laura Moser, Ice Truck Killer,

They've never had Laura or the Ice Truck Killer come back. Basically Rita will be a different side of Harry.

[JMS]

Or make it a Dexter dream sequence;thus, she never died.

Yeah I think Dexter is too good a show to resort to Gilligan Island plot twist devises.

Rita is gone. Now the question is how does dexter deal with the kids? Or does he? Does he let the grand parents handle them?

[Jumbo]

I think one of the great paradoxes of the series is you want to root for a serial killer, but then horrid things happen to nice people because of who he is and it makes you think about why in the heck you were rooting for him.

This series is true art. Like the plot twists it or hate them, they seem to evoke some pretty strong emotions from everyone that follows it. And in the end isn't that what good art is all about?

Indeed. As it was the writers’ goal from the beginning. And it seems to me that from a writers perspective, looking down to the end of the series (whenever it comes) you're left with some significant choices to make and reactions to manipulate.

Likely the major one, however the main character's storyline ends (alive, dead, in prison, free, rehabilitated, still killing, whatever), from the audience’s POV, being whether Dex ultimately is a vessel for forgiveness & acceptance after weighing the "good" & the "evil", or will we face our resignation to some dismal fate for Dex due to the inherently deep-dark nature of the serial killing theme? Or will we actually, even if still conflictingly, be actually calling for his demise, or at least knowing it needs to come, due to an increasingly darker turn?

Will we be able to rationalize and smile at some more benign "future life" at the end, or feel down because the ending is dark and what hopeful light we saw either goes out or is over-ridden by a cop's (his sister?) bullet.

Will we be left with the same fundamental internal conflict regarding Dex that must have been the goal when someone decided to try a story about a serial killer that you could care about and even begin to have mixed, let alone, positive and supportive feelings about? Not to mention potential residual conflict for the deep-thinkers regarding all the social metaphors included about our ideas of good, evil, justice, morality, law, survival, relationships, etc.

As we note how often and hard just in three seasons we are pulled one way then another with Dex's character and deeds, what will the writers do to achieve whatever goal they decide? And how will it work for getting us to where they think we should go? That may be the biggest mystery/twist of the whole enterprise when the day is done.

[Heisenberg]

All I know is that the writers better not gloss over the inevitable questions that would need to be raised by the police department about everything that has gone on.

There's no way someone shouldn't be suspecting Dexter after everything that has gone down.

Even if you ignore Rita's death which will look very suspicious (why would Trinity kill her?) the police would definitely pull Arthur's cell phone records which would show calls to Dexter's cell phone.

[SkinzFoLife]

Actually, all the calls went to a difference cell phone, if you recall Dexter had two cell phones, his own and his indentity he showed Arthur. Arthur would always call the other cell phone.

They could pin the death of Rita on Arthur, saying it was Arthurs way of getting back at Dex's sister who made his daughter commit suicide.

[HOF44]

They could pin the death of Rita on Arthur, saying it was Arthurs way of getting back at Dex's sister who made his daughter commit suicide.

Good call! I hadn't even thought about that. Would make Deb feel beholden to Dexter even more.

[Heisenberg]

Actually, all the calls went to a difference cell phone, if you recall Dexter had two cell phones, his own and his indentity he showed Arthur. Arthur would always call the other cell phone.

They could pin the death of Rita on Arthur, saying it was Arthurs way of getting back at Dex's sister who made his daughter commit suicide.

I was pretty sure after rewatching some episodes that this wasn't the case - and some review sites said the same thing.

However, if I missed an episode where they showed that then I guess that's one less thing they have to address.

[renaissance]

Actually, Rita's death isn't entirely suspicious considering they found the missing boy. Therefore, it's just as though Trinity is continuing his cycle by killing a mom in the bathtub next (though I don't know if this was within 5 days). But, I agree there is no way this all goes unnoticed, especially by Deb.

[JMS]

I was pretty sure after rewatching some episodes that this wasn't the case - and some review sites said the same thing.

However, if I missed an episode where they showed that then I guess that's one less thing they have to address.

Dexter was definitely using two cell phones. He always answered his own phone with his name... Dexter Morgan speaking. The other one he answered differently.

Still the police are researching everybody who worked on every Home building site and Kyle (Dexter) is definitely going to stand out as somebody who they can't connect up to anybody.

Still I think you are right. Even if the phone is different; Trinities entire family knows Dexter as Kyle. there are also a boat load of other witnesses who have seen Dexter including the kid who got snatched.

Also lets not forget Dexter got a ticket (arrested) just outside the bank, at about the exact time when Trinity was last seen.

[jaybrant]

They've never had Laura or the Ice Truck Killer come back. Basically Rita will be a different side of Harry.

as of now she will not return as harry's counterpart...

Will Julie be coming back as a ghost? According to Dexter producer Clyde Phillips there are no current plans for the lovely blonde actress to return as a ghost or otherwise. Clyde reported to EW that Julie wasn’t happy. She loved being with us. We loved having her with us. She took it… professionally. She was greatly disappointed. She’s a professional. She works in television. She knew that this was a possibility.”

http://blogs.hairboutique.com/index.php/2009/12/14/julie-benz-shocking-plotline-in-dexter-finale/

[JMS]

Actually, Rita's death isn't entirely suspicious considering they found the missing boy. Therefore, it's just as though Trinity is continuing his cycle by killing a mom in the bathtub next (though I don't know if this was within 5 days). But, I agree there is no way this all goes unnoticed, especially by Deb.

The police have DNA evidence planted by Trinity (they think) showing Trinity to be somebody else. And one of their DNA evidence guys has his wife killed by Trinity? Then it turns out their DNA evidence guy has been hanging out with Trinity for the last few weeks under an assumed name.

That's not suspicious?

Let's not forget Debs partner has a hard on for Dexter and already thinks Dexter is stepping out on his wife, along with the fact Mashuku thinks Dex's wife was stepping out on him. Dexter has already assulted his neighbor over this issue.

there is a lot of smoke there to check out.

[renaissance]

The police have DNA evidence planted by Trinity (they think) showing Trinity to be somebody else. And one of their DNA evidence guys has his wife killed by Trinity? Then it turns out their DNA evidence guy has been hanging out with Trinity for the last few weeks under an assumed name.

That's not suspicious?

I said it wasn't ENTIRELY suspicious :mad:

[Big Weirdo]

If its a dream sequence I wont watch the show anymore. That would be incredibly lame.

[JMS]

I said it wasn't ENTIRELY suspicious :mad:

I think Deb's partner is already looking to get something on Dexter. Dexter connnected to trinity with a number of witness (worksites, hotels, family, archades, even the police station where Dexter works), He's suspeciously first on the scene when they break down the doors. He's documented being at the bank where trinity was last seen.

It's a ball of thread which will be unwound. Now that Trinity has killed Rita, somebody is going to yank one of those loose threads and it's all going to untangle..... either Deb or her Partner.