‘Dexter’ Fans Share Series Finale Hopes for ‘Resurrection’

Dexter fans have been on quite a roller coaster ride over the years. When the original series ended in 2013, the finale was regarded as one of the worst TV show endings of all time. In the final moments, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) was painted into a corner — actually, into a hurricane — and seemingly killed off before turning up alive and randomly working as a lumberjack far away from Miami. Nearly a decade later, Dexter returned to screens in Dexter: New Blood, giving him a new life masquerading as friendly journeyman Jim Lindsay in upstate New York. Then, he seemingly died again — this time, after being shot by his son, Harrison (Jack Alcott).

Now, Dexter: Resurrection has revived both the character and the franchise, and based on what we’ve seen so far, some fans are starting to express optimism that the third time’s a charm, and this series’ eventual finale might give Dexter a more fitting end than the previous two shows. Some long-timers are also starting to imagine how this series might stick the landing — even if it’s still far away, since a second season is reportedly in development.

In a thread on the show’s Reddit fan page, one poster wrote about their ultimate hopes for the series finale, saying, “The only direction I know I would like to see the show go is committing to Dexter deviating further and further from the code until he is a full-blown monster.”

Others imagined a different, albeit similarly grim, fate for Dexter Morgan. One fan wrote, for example, “I’d prefer an ending where he gives himself up. It feels like the whole series has been pointing towards Dexter not being a total psycho; he’s been rediscovering his humanity the entire series, and he feels more human now than he ever has (except maybe for when he was with Hannah). In the same way that New Blood ended with him realizing he fits his own code, perhaps this one will end with him realizing that if he wants a clean conscience, he should face the consequences of his actions and spend the rest of his life behind bars.”

The thought of Dexter winding up in jail for his crimes was a rather popular suggestion in the discussion. Another fan added, “I think we should have at least a full episode of the court case and publicity, and then him in jail, then the electric chair. But he gets an opportunity to see what people say about him, not just the Bay Harbor Butcher.'” (It’s worth noting here that in the most recent episodes of Dexter: Resurrection, he has seemed somewhat miffed about not getting credit for his past actions and even faced a bit of an identity crisis with the “Dark Passenger” killer moniker.)

Another fan shared that their hope is for Dexter to ultimately become the true family man he’s always pretended (but failed) to be: “I feel like something the Dexter series keeps working with is Dexter’s inability to make fruitful connections,” the user noted. “On every season, there are different people he attempts to be his true self with, but then he fails… Brian Moser, Lila, Miguel Prado, Rita, Trinity, Hannah, Debra, that doctor [Evelyn Vogel] who knew about Harry’s code. I feel like he could develop an actual bond with Harrison.”

The notion of a blissful future for both Dexter and Harrison might be a bit too saccharine for some folks, like one fan who envisioned a very different idea of a “happy ending,” writing, “The point of the character is to show he is better than he thinks he is, and does have feelings. It has to end with Dexter coming to some kind of terms with his passenger.”

What are your hopes for how this series — assuming it’s the last — will bring the saga of Dexter Morgan to an ultimate end? Share your reactions to these pitches and your own ideas in the comments below!

Dexter: Resurrection, Fridays, Paramount+