Mother of Movies rewatched the entire Original Dexter series prior to finishing the New Blood season of Dexter 2.0. I joined in the conversations of happy fans all simply happy to have Michael C. Hall’s dark passenger and his serial killer face back on our screens. I discovered with delight, that the man behind the infamous Dexter Morgan character had a band and was the voice behind the closing credit song in Episode 4 “H is for Hero.” And I completely and utterly flipped out after the final episode of the crime thriller series.
Word on the street has so far been a mixed bag of reactions. Fans of the series who know how to keep a spoiler-filled secret pointed to the possibility of a season 2 of New Blood. That possibility led me to believe I would be getting a different kind of ending. It made me think the ten-episode season had finished as strong as it started. Despite small inconsistencies between the mood of Dexter’s sister Debra and naming the police station receptionist Astor instead of telling us what happened to his stepchildren, New Blood was the finale we all wanted. Except, of course, for the final episode.
Dexter New Blood, the Original Series, and the Novels
Those who’ve read the novels by writer Jeff Lindsay will note they are quite different from the series. There are common characters, common crimes, and definitely a similar structure to the Dexter books when compared. But those who are familiar with the 7 written titles and 1 graphic novel know that the differences are so huge, that it’s almost like two completely different stories at times. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, as the series had dozens of writers and directors for the Dexter TV show.
But it’s painfully obvious they could never agree to just stick to the books. My personal opinion is this is where the mistake was. The best film adaptions come from writers who stick to what the story in the novel is doing. Keep the details as close as possible and simply bring the original writer’s story to life.
It’s when film and TV show writers change it up for whatever reason that the internet blows up with criticism. The Jeff Lindsay novel, “Dexter is Dead” does not end the same way as the New Blood season. But then again, the novel’s storyline doesn’t even track with Rita and Dexter having a son. In the book, the couple has a daughter. So for this rant about why the final episode of Dexter made me angry, I will discontinue comparing the two.
Where is Dexter’s New Blood Set?
I loved the initial introduction of Jim Lindsay and his new life in the polar opposite setting to the original series. For the New Blood season, filming took place mostly in the snowy landscapes of Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. The town was given a fictional name, Iron Lake, and said they were in New York. Having a serial killer on sabbatical in a small town with a new cop girlfriend was a nice way to ease everything into motion.
Even the introduction of Dexter’s long-lost son Harrison was nicely executed. Everything made sense and was tightly streamlined until his detective girlfriend Alison bumped into Detective Batista. When he couldn’t remember the details about Dexter’s family, and barely remembered Harrison’s name the issues in the storyline began to creep in.
What began as a carefully calculated web of new killings quickly disintegrated in the final Dexter New Blood episode. Alison’s “discoveries” of wheel marks while digging around in old case files were just too far-fetched. I’m fairly certain, Jim’s affiliation with her was the fact her detective skills were fairly lax. The kind of cop who’ll flash her badge for a quickie on the roadside isn’t who I’d place as the super sleuth we see in the final.
The End of Dexter New Blood
And don’t even get me started on Harrison’s character. One minute all signs point to a kid who’s always felt a similar pull to Dexter’s “Dark Passenger.” Harrison was said to be extremely bright, and so intelligent there was a whole moment about his skills in school. He wanted to belong and his father was the one that tied all his mysteries up into a clarified bundle that made sense.
In one fell swoop, those final moments of the season killed any inclination for Dexter fans to want a season 2 of New Blood. Having Dexter taken out in this way was an insult to his anti-hero status. Having Harrison shoot his father defiles what we know about either of them.
At no point did Dexter want to die. Not before and not in this new series continuance. Especially like that. Why would he choose to leave his legacy like that in the final moments of an escape plan? Some say it was a gift to Harrison. I call bullsh*t. Dexter’s death was not cathartic. It was just a massive error. The writers can’t bring him back. The series is dead, just like Dexter.
Dexter New Blood is rated a massive shame because they stuffed up the finale… again.
New Series to Watch: You Series 3 / Slasher Season 4
For more complaints about the New Blood series, read from the Rolling Stone website.
Movies with a happy ending: “The Special” movie
