Dexter Season 8 - Last Season!

[Nolder]

It's here! What a crazy season premiere. 

[Red2111]

for 6 months, Harrison is really aged on the show.

 

thoughts about the opener.

 

 

alot of story lines have been altered from what they were in season 7.

 

Bitista is back on the force and in Debs position; Deb is in a downward spiral and doing "PI" jobs after quitting the force; Quinn and Bitista's sis are still dating.

 

then theres this psychologist, who knows about Harry's code and has drawings from Dex's childhood.  thoughts on this is that Harry sought her out after Dex started showing signs of being a SK and she helped him devise the Code and tutored him on how to mold and train Dex.

 

with Deb, the mob's involved now, which means this is probably gonna be the main antagonist for Dex this season aside from the psychiatrist. 

 

 

then theres the preview episode, where Deb comes in and confesses (assumingly about shooting Laguarda) and poison chick from last season comming back.

 

 

 

so, any one have any thoughts on how Dex will end?  personally, i think Deb will kill him.

[SinisterDeath]

If it were the books, people accepted him, and what he did.

[Nolder]

Dexter has been losing control for a long time.

It was clearly shown when he almost killed that guy in plain sight on the road and when he snapped at Harrison.

He was playing fast and loose with Harry's code for a few seasons but it's been dropped entirely for a long time now.

That lady thinking she's safe because of the code doesn't know what Dexter has become.

[Nolder]

Good episode, lotta twists popping up this season.

I like what they've done with Deb but I'm also getting tired of it so I hope she picks herself up soon.

[OptimusPrime]

The Quinn/Jamie thing was foreshadowed last season so I dont really think that's a big change.

 

Deb... I like what they did to her last season and I didn't mind how she was in S8 premier but I do hope it moves on to something bigger. Maybe she will take Dexter down and herself with him. I don't think she will kill him, but that'd be craaaazy.

 

Im not sure what to make of the psychologist woman. I do like that she knows about the code and whatnot but I can see her being one of those who ends up not being as much of a hurdle as she seems at first. I really hope we get a lot of info about her, specifically how she found out, how long she has known, and what she's going to do about it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually Doakes that brought her into the fray behind the scenes before he died, and she's been looking into Dexter ever since sorta thing.

 

I hope it ends badly for Dexter. Pleeeeaaaaase! I love the character but I've always thought the ending would be something acceptable from a moral standpoint. And if Homocide DO find out about him it'd be awesome, I hope they find out he was the Bay Harbor Butcher as well. I never read the books, but if it follows them and he is accepted, then chances are they won't know he was the BHB, which will be dissapointing. The revelation would be such an eye opener for EVERY regular character we know!

[SinisterDeath]

In the books, dexter teaches the kids to live by the code....

[Red2111]

good episode last night.

 

Drekka - are you caught up on the Epi's this season, because how you're talking abotu the Doc seems liek you arent.  alot of what you want answered about the psychologist was answered last night.

 

 

my thoughts -

 

Quinn/Jamie is getting old.  i'm hoping he hooks back up with Deb.

 

Deb - her continuing downward spiral actually fits with her character and it adds a certain tension to the show that we haven't had since the 4th season.  i love the effect on Dex and what it does for hte show.  we know, via preview glimpses, that she eventually gets drunk and comes in to confess; in last nights preview she threatens to confess everything to Dex and the psychologist in the interrigation room.

 

imo, Deb will either end up on Dex's table (as the psychologist does suggest Dex should kill her in the preview), end up bringing Dex down via confession, or the psychologist will say she had a psychotic break down and instatutionalize Deb.  i'm leaning toward the 3rd option personally.

 

 

Psychologist - i was right last week, she helped Harry make the code and has been following Dex from afar since those early meeitngs with Harry.  this maternal affection is givign me the ebbie-jebbies.  i'm getting an Oedipus Complex vibe from the entire interaction.

 

my suspicion is that she's this mysterious killer that Dex is hunting btw.

 

 

 

Dex - with the emergence of a new "Harry" figure in his life for guidance, his spiraling out of control has subsided.  i think that he will end up turning on the phsycologist as she becomes a threat to Deb and that eventually she will end up on his table; at which point Miami Metro will recieve evidence of Dex being the BHB and Dex will either be arrested or go out in a blaze of glory.

[Nolder]

Dexter would never kill Deb.

[SinisterDeath]

Deb is Dexter's Harry.

When deb loses control... dex does to.

[OptimusPrime]

Agreed Red, I havent watched episode 2 yet, so I didn't read most of your post haha. Will post my thoughts after watching it :)

[Red2111]

SD - in the books, Deb might be Dex's Harry; but in the show she isn't.  in the show, Deb is more like Dex's guiding compass, his anchor to reality and human emotion.  Harry, for Dex, is the enforcer of the code and the person who knows and accepts him and helps him when he questions the code. 

 

Harry, is also the embodiment of Dex's Dark Passenger.

[SinisterDeath]

SD - in the books, Deb might be Dex's Harry; but in the show she isn't.  in the show, Deb is more like Dex's guiding compass, his anchor to reality and human emotion.  Harry, for Dex, is the enforcer of the code and the person who knows and accepts him and helps him when he questions the code. 

 

Harry, is also the embodiment of Dex's Dark Passenger.

Whichever. But we'll see how that theory works out. If deb starts gaining control, and Dexter does to. Mine will  pan out.

If she keeps falling off the deep end, and never regains, while Dex regains his control.. Then your right.

[Nolder]

Harry...is a voice in Dexter's head.

He's just talking to himself.

I think a lot of people tend to forget that.

[Red2111]

a voice, yes; but a voice which acts as Dex's guidence for right and wrong and sticking to the code.     recall two seasons ago when Dex decided to abandon the Code and go on a killing spree.  Harry disappeared from his head and his brother replaced Harry as the voice.  once Dex returned to Miami, makign the concious decission to return to the code, his brother faded away and Harry came back.

 

 

Voice = Dark Passenger

 

Dark Passenger = Dex's Serial Killer tendencies/need to kill

 

Dex's tendencies are controlled by the Code; because Dex was taught to kill using the Code, the Code IS his need to kill; they've merged into one.

 

 

Dex manifests the Dark Passenger/Voice into a form to speak to; as a way to arrange his thoughts and figure shit out.  the form the Passenger takes, reflects directly on how Dex chooses to kill (either with restraint/the code; or just letting loose and killing to kill)

 

 

 

calling Harry "just a voice" is missing an antire depth and dimension to the character, Nol.

[Nolder]

So how do you explain when he breaks the code and kills innocents?

If the code and his need to kill were really one he would not be able to kill an innocent.

The code is deeply ingrained in him but it does not control him, his need to kill does.

 

Harry/The Voice isn't Dexter's need to kill and it's not the code either. As you said it's Dexter trying to figure things out.

It's just Dexter trying to justify his actions one way or another. The fact that it takes form as an actual conversation with anyone is artistic flourish for the show.

[Red2111]

So how do you explain when he breaks the code and kills innocents?

 

its called Free Will and rebelling/growing as a person.  everyone tests parameters set in their life and sometimes the confines that are set for us chafe.

 

If the code and his need to kill were really one he would not be able to kill an innocent.

 

you mis-interpret what i say.  think of it this way.  Dex's need to kill is a Bull; the Code is the pen that the Bull lives in.  

 

and the need to kill is just the need to kill, it doesn't discriminate between good & bad.  thats the code.  the need to kill, for Dex, is a primal urge.  kinda like eating or drinking for us.  when your dying of thirst or starvation, you dont care what you eat or drink so long as its edible and wont kill you.   push comes to shove, Dex will kill to sate his need.

 

The code is deeply ingrained in him but it does not control him, his need to kill does.

 

it controls him by placign a moral code on his actions.  this was the main difference between himself and his brother.

 

 

Harry/The Voice isn't Dexter's need to kill and it's not the code either. As you said it's Dexter trying to figure things out.

 

Harry/the voice is how the Dark Passenger manifests itself to Dex. 

 

 

It's just Dexter trying to justify his actions one way or another. The fact that it takes form as an actual conversation with anyone is artistic flourish for the show.

 

excepting that the Voice/Harry exists in the books as well.  so no, its not just an "artistic flourish for the show"

 

 

and at this, im droppign the convo, because Nol you have missed the finer more minute angle of the psychology behind Dex.   for me though, as a person that wanted to profile serial killers for the FBI at one point, i understand and find this angle of the show utterly fascinating.

[OptimusPrime]

Yea it seems clear to me that Harry is the Dark Passenger.

 

I definitely dont like this new woman. Dexters spiritual mother? Completely out of the blue, shes a distraction from more important issues, and I think she'll bring about the acceptance you guys were talking about from the books.

 

Was she in the books or is she brand new?

[SinisterDeath]

I've never read the books, but I've wiki'd about it, as well as heard from others about just how 'bad' they were.

 

aka, the Dark Passanger, isn't a figment of dex's imagination in the books. its an actual entity. A Demonic Alien Lizard thing, telling him to do things... He's not a psychopath in the books. He's being manipulated by exterior factors. (which to me, ruins his character. As nothing he does is his fault.)

[Nolder]

The dark passenger isn't real though.

Or rather, ok see here is my problem. 

I am talking about Dexter as if he is a real life person here.

Not a fictional character in a fictional world.

A real serial killer does not have "dark passengers". That's the artistic flourish I'm talking about.

It's a way of explaining Dexter's drive to kill, his insanity, to the audience in a way that makes the story more interesting.

The show took this a step further (or a much needed step back as SD just highlighted) in manifesting the Dark passenger as Harry whom Dexter has actual conversations with and not just an internal monologue. 

 

If you want we can just split the difference and say zombies aren't real. I'm fine with that.

[Red2111]

Yea it seems clear to me that Harry is the Dark Passenger.

 

I definitely dont like this new woman. Dexters spiritual mother? Completely out of the blue, shes a distraction from more important issues, and I think she'll bring about the acceptance you guys were talking about from the books.

 

Was she in the books or is she brand new?

 

^ this, though i disagree abotu the acceptance.  i think she's going to serve as Dex's distruction as she moves to drive a wedge between Dex and Deb even further.    as for if shes a character from the books idk.  i do know that Dokes is still alive in the books *shrug*

 

 

I've never read the books, but I've wiki'd about it, as well as heard from others about just how 'bad' they were.

 

aka, the Dark Passanger, isn't a figment of dex's imagination in the books. its an actual entity. A Demonic Alien Lizard thing, telling him to do things... He's not a psychopath in the books. He's being manipulated by exterior factors. (which to me, ruins his character. As nothing he does is his fault.)

 

 

i've read 1/2 of 1 book (Darkly Dexter, or something like that) out of the series.  the writing is kinda droll in it, and i found that i much preferred the TV show to the book.  Hall gives Dex alot of depth that the author runs short on and does an over all character building for Dex.   but yes, Harry is there, in his head and he talks to him and has convos with him iirc.

 

 

i've heard that as well about the DP in the books and i agree with you 100%.  making him a run of the mill serial killer, but with a concious is what makes him appealing.   in the show, Dex dissaciating himself with the Dark Passenger and refering to that part of his psyche in the 3rd person adds an interesting character building element as you see him try to blame his actions on an external force; where as in the later seasons you get to witness his realization that him and the Dark Passenger are the same and see him accept that part of himself fully wihout losing the little bit of him that is human in the process.

 

whcih is why Dex hasn't talked about his Dark Passenger since that realization (where his brother replaced Harry for an episode).  But Harry is the manifestatino of the Dark Passenger, of that side of Dex.

[Nolder]

Wow Deb...

 

Well I hope this is the end of her downward spiral finally

[Red2111]

nah Nol, imo its far from it.

 

 

with Deb having told Quinn about her killing Liguarda, and her reaction about Dex, i have to wander if Quinn will be sticking his nose back into Dex's business in this season and might end up being the person that takes Dex down.

 

- guess i was wrong about the therapist being the killer ...  she still gives me the ebby-jebbies though.  somethign abotu her just isn't setting right with me.  i dislike how emotionally reliant Dex is becommign with her.  though i can understand why he'd become reliant/attached on/to her.  she's giving him the acceptance he's been searchign for these past 8 seasons.   but her "acceptance" is more like fanatical worship than support ....  i have to wonder what her end game is.

 

 

the preview was very intersting.  the Therapist is guilting Deb by saying "Dex can't help what he is, but you killed an innocent woman for doing her job."   this is part of the reason why i dont liek the therapist.

 

i have to wonder if she's going to drive Deb to committ suicide ....  or atleast attempt to, and thats what leads to Dex turning on her.

[Nolder]

Her angle is she's a mad scientist and Dexter is her experiment. She's not a killer but she's just as guilty.

[SinisterDeath]

My hunch is she convinced Harry into suicide, because he threatened the code.

Or at the very most, killed him herself, and made it look like suicide.