Let's remember and discuss what we saw in the tenth (and worst) episode of the season of 'Dexter: New Blood'.
Paradoxically, the creators of 'Dexter: New Blood,' led by Clyde Phillips, managed to follow a brilliant episode with the worst one of the season. And that episode turned out to be the finale. The very reason this grand comeback was conceived. In the opinion of many fans, even the flawed ending of the original show no longer seems so hopeless. Let's figure out what went wrong and whether it really turned out that badly.
Previous recaps:
Warning: spoilers for Episode 10 of 'Dexter: New Blood' follow
Unfulfilled Plans
The final episode of 'Dexter: New Blood' begins with dealing with the aftermath of the fire Kurt previously set. Almost the entire town comes to help Jim-Dex and his son. The protagonist even indulges in nostalgia, remembering why he chose this particular town for his new life back then.
After accepting help from the townspeople, Dexter talks to Harrison about having to leave Iron Lake. The teenager reluctantly agrees with his father, understanding that this means leaving his girlfriend Audrey and new school friends behind. And forgetting the place where he first felt normal.
But these plans are not meant to come true, because at the fire site, Angela discovers the infamous titanium bolt, the kind that was in Matt's body. This clue, combined with the planted note with the same bolt and other suspicions, pushes the police chief to take decisive action. Chief Bishop decides to arrest Dexter Morgan right at his home during a family dinner.
Dexter — the Bay Harbor Butcher. Or Is It Just a Theory?
Formally, Angela arrests Dexter on charges of murdering Matt Caldwell. As evidence, she presents that same titanium bolt and puts forward (accurately) a theory that he argued with the future victim over a deer, killed him, and burned the body, overlooking one nuance — titanium doesn't melt. But Angela also voices long-standing suspicions that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher. She shows the accused his 'signature' using a ketamine injection.
The hero deftly dismisses both accusations — the Butcher was Doakes, and that was officially proven; the bolt could have been planted by Kurt, whom Angela publicly humiliated by arresting him on suspicion of murdering a friend. There's logic in this, as her partner Logan tells her. But the writers' logic after this leaves the chat...
To confirm her suspicions, Angela calls Angel Batista and asks him about the Bay Harbor Butcher case. She assures him she has found traces of the same signature in Iron Lake. Batista admits Doakes was guilty, but also tells her about the theory of then-Police Chief Maria LaGuerta regarding Dexter's guilt. Additionally, the detective adds that the theory is untenable because Morgan died long ago. To this, Angela has a killer counterargument (pardon the pun) — her fresh photo with the 'dead man.' Batista decides to come to Iron Lake in person to sort things out.
Angela promises Dexter a face-to-face with his former colleague Angel Batista and is confident she can prove his guilt. Then the detainee makes a chess move (at least, the writers apparently thought it looked like that) — he offers to turn off the camera and share a secret. She, of course, agrees. And no, Dexter does not confess. He directs Angela to the place where Kurt kept the bodies of his victims. All those she had unsuccessfully searched for all these years. Emotions take over, and she decides to check the prisoner's words. Yes, alone. Yes, by herself. Yes, in the middle of the night.
Angela indeed finds Kurt Caldwell's 'trophy museum' at the location Dexter indicated. Among them, she recognizes many missing girls, but the most shocking 'exhibit' for her is Molly's body. Almost hysterically, Chief Bishop demands that the FBI and everyone else be called to the scene. And then it dawns on her that she left Logan alone with Dex. She rushes back to the station at full speed, where she finds her partner's body and an empty cell.
Dexter Is Dead
The protagonist seemingly didn't want to kill Logan, grabbing him by the cell bars, but he didn't want to 'cooperate,' leaving Morgan no choice. Using the dead man's phone, Dex calls Harrison and gives him instructions on where to meet.
At the meeting place, the boy asks his father whose blood is on him. Then, putting two and two together, he concludes that he killed Logan (blood always speaks of murder, and Dexter can't lie, right). And reminds his father that the policeman didn't fall under the code and was generally a good person. Morgan promises to reform (everyone believed that, right), that he needs a second chance, and then declares he will leave with or without Harrison. But his son grabs a rifle, recalls all the grievances accumulated over the years without Dexter, and kills his father. Because he is not like that. Not like that, but he kills. Where do I sign the petition for the Logic of the Year award?!
Angela arrives at the crime scene but doesn't arrest Harrison; instead, she gives him money and tells him how to escape town. Excuse me, what?
And that's not even mentioning the telepathic or other extrasensory abilities Chief Bishop possesses, showing up exactly one minute after the murder of her ex-lover at a meeting place she didn't even know about.
In the final shots of the season, we see Harrison finding a letter from Dexter to his stepmother Hannah in the car, in which he explains his disappearance and asks her to keep his son away from him so that the darkness doesn't consume him. The end.
Dexter's death is a natural and logical ending for a character surrounded by death throughout his journey. Few would argue with that. And the original author Jeff Lindsay also ended the story with the hero's death in the final book of the series, 'Dexter Is Dead' (debatable, but nonetheless). The question is how the writers decided to present it to the audience.
Hell, even the very fact of death at the hands of his son was telegraphed from the very first episode of the season and wouldn't have caused bewilderment if the creators hadn't crumpled the narrative toward the end in such a twisted way. Why did the protagonist start acting so stupidly when he previously led the FBI and much more seasoned cops than Angela by the nose? Why do Harrison's actions change according to the writers' mood and desire to pull off one situation or another, regardless of the internal dynamics of his character development? The final episode leaves more questions than it provides answers.
Perhaps it really would have been better if the writers had left old Dex as a lumberjack, alone with his demons. That would have been a much more cruel and just punishment for the hero. But we have what we have. Apparently, this is the finale we deserved. And there's a chance we might now get a spin-off about Harrison. But does anyone need it?
P. S. If you want to extend 'Dexter's' presence in your life, check out the final behind-the-scenes video
Comments
0No comments yet.
Sign in to join the discussion.