I finally got around to watching the first episode of the final season of Dexter. It's been more difficult than usual, as I no longer have Showtime and must resort to searching through unreliable online streaming sites for my protagonist serial killer fix. If you don't have Showtime and can make it through a large quantity of bleeped out swears and pixelated nudity, then you can actually watch the season premier on Showtime for free. Check that out here.
With Dexter, you can usually tell by the end of episode one whether or not the season is going to be great or terrible. Assuming this pattern holds true, we're in for quite the season, as the first episode showed a lot of potential for a great series wrap up. There were a few twists and turns in the premier, and I don't want to undermine the thrill of finding them for yourself, so I won't go into detail. I will say, however, that I really like where this story line is going. The plot appears to indicate a full-circle type ending, full of flashbacks and backstory revelations. In a show that relies heavily on narration and deep character development, I believe that this is a brilliant way to close things out.
Perhaps what I'm looking forward to most this year is the prospect of Dexter dying. The risk you run, when naming a show after the main character, is introducing a certain level of predictability. You can't exactly kill a character named Dexter and continue to pump out new seasons of a show named Dexter. This being the final season, however, there are no more rules. The internet is buzzing with predictions for the final episode already. Will Dexter be killed? Will Deb turn him in? Will he learn how to stop killing? Maybe he'll get away with it all? There are a lot of options and plenty of possibility for greatness. Let's hope we walk away from it all with a level of satisfaction rather than disappointment. I'm looking forward to episode 2, which will air Sunday at 9pm on Showtime. Stay tuned for more Dexter discussion, and feel free to voice your own opinions in the comment section.
