LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BITTERSWEET END OF DEXTER

(by guest blogger Chloe Trogden) All good things must come to an end. This year, the series finale of “Dexter” is upon us. At three episodes into the season, I am both urging on the episodes to learn how this amazing series will come to a conclusion and also dreading the passage of the episodes as each one signals a step closer to the end. Each episode is bittersweet, and each is more thrilling with the knowledge that it is providing another piece of the puzzle to what will become of Dexter and those he loves.

Will the police discover who Dexter really is? Will he be arrested? Will he be killed – by the police, by another serial killer, maybe even by Deb? Who is Dr. Vogel really, and what does she want?

I’m dreading that the series will end in the same way “The Sopranos” did – offering so much promise and instead quietly slipping out in ambiguity. If that happened, it would be a disservice to the series, which has blazed a trail in television and which deserves an ending as powerful as its story and characters have been over the last eight years.

Here are just a few of the reasons why – and so many other viewers – love the show:

Unique Characters

“The Sopranos” broke ground by introducing the anti-hero to a television series, but Dexter made Tony Soprano look like a boy scout. Before “Dexter,” it would have been hard to imagine rooting for a serial killer – actually hoping that he’d catch his victim and that he wouldn’t get caught.  Not only do we root for him, but we identify with him. Who hasn’t felt like a social outcast? Who hasn’t felt like they didn’t understand how to be a “normal” person? Who hasn’t felt like they’d serve justice where justice was denied?

Besides Dexter, the show has a whole cast of interesting and unique characters, from his foul-mouthed but vulnerable sister Deb to a porn-addicted forensics expert to a power-hungry lieutenant who flirted with a serial killer without knowing it. The show has given us memorable characters who will be missed long after they’re gone.

Compelling Story Lines

I’ve never been bored watching an episode of “Dexter.” Every season is built around a story arc involving another serial killer and the lessons that Dexter learns about himself as a result of the relationship with that person. Every episode delivers another piece of the puzzle as Dexter learns more about the person or closes in on them.

Episodes are rife with suspense, as well as emotional drama. Not only are you hooked because you want to figure out the mystery behind the killings, but you’re also hooked because you want to see how Dexter will navigate the relationships with his sister, his wife, and the rest of the people in his life.

Interesting Themes

“Dexter” isn’t just a whodunit. The show explores deeper things like the ties that hold us together, what makes us human, what our purpose is, and what constitutes justice. Salvation, redemption, and morality are regular topics. Those are some heavy themes that you aren’t likely to see on many television shows.

The show also explores the nature v. nurture debate. Is Dexter a serial killer because of what he saw as a child, or was he born the way he is? This season is taking up that question again and promises to shed some new insights.

With the end so close, I am both nervous and excited. I’m nervous that the show won’t go out with the same bang with which it exploded onto the scene. I’m excited by what could be a great ending that could go down as one of the all-time best endings of a TV show ever. I’m nervous that Dexter will be caught or be killed – or that he won’t. Either way, I just hope that I’m not underwhelmed. The show has been too good for too long to not live up to its promise when it finally wraps up.

What are your thoughts on the coming series finale of “Dexter?” Share your thoughts in the comments!

Bio:

Chloe Trogden is a seasoned financial aid writer who covers specific opportunities such as grants for college. Her leisure activities include camping, swimming and volunteer work.