Dexter ended an eight-season run on Sunday with what many consider a disappointing finale.
The Showtime series, which began in 2006, centered around a Miami-based blood spatter pattern analyst who moonlighted as a vigilante serial killer. In 2009, Michael C. Hall won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for his portrayal of the title character.
The series finale featured two widely unpopular conclusions. Dexter’s sister Deb, a favorite character on the series portrayed by Jennifer Carpenter, was killed off. Equally distasteful to fans was Dexter’s decision to move from Miami to the Northwest to become – of all things – a lumberjack.
Despite getting it all wrong in the opinion of many fans, Entertainment Weekly reports that the finale was “Showtime’s most-watched episode of anything ever.”
James Hibberd argues that Dexter’s fate was preferable to the character ending up dead or in prison. Hibberd sees Dexter’s departure from Miami thus: “Dex has chosen exile. He’s a shell of his former self, avoiding all human contact.” Essentially, Dexter made the decision he did in order to protect those he loved, including his son Harrison.
One point that almost everyone agrees on: the series conclusion leaves open the possibility of the main character returning in another series at some point in the future.
Fans reacted to the Dexter finale with vigor on Twitter:
I LOVED the series finale of Dexter, said nobody anywhere in the world.
— Patrick O'Neal (@Patrick_ONeal) September 23, 2013
Dexter has almost completed its transformation into Days Of Our Lives. Just waiting for Joey Tribbiani to pop up.
— Aled Phillips (@aledsavedlatin) September 23, 2013
Ways the "Dexter" finale could have been better: Dexter was dead the whole time, it actually took place on Mars, alien invasion, Sharknado.
— Cassie-la (@yrchmonger) September 23, 2013
I feel like I was in a relationship with a chick for 8 years and she just told me she never loved me. #Dexter
— Olian pt. 4 (@OlianIV) September 23, 2013
Am I alone in thinking the series finale of @SHO_Dexter will hold a place among the worst finales in history? Bloody awful writing! #dexter
— Robert Johnson (@RobertSatellite) September 23, 2013
I've been watching 8 years and that's all I get? #dexter
— Ray D. (@crazeerayzee) September 23, 2013
Oh Hey, I'm a lumberjack! Oh cool, thanks for wasting 5 years on my life. #dexter #showtime
— Joe Clements (@JoePClements) September 23, 2013
Just dropping in to say I'm still pissed about Dexter finale. Ok I'm done.
— Chris Daughtry (@CHRIS_Daughtry) September 23, 2013