2. Dexter Gets Caught For Real This Time
Dexter has narrowly escaped being caught and incarcerated at every step along the way through the meticulously careful vetting and planning of his kills, his forensics expertise, and more than a touch of good luck. Those are all also part of the code. We've seen Dexter get sloppier and make more and more mistakes in his kills, and his miraculous coverups and near misses have been more and more unbelievable and sometimes downright ridiculous. When Deb caught him in the act of killing Travis Marshall in the final moment of season 6, it added a real threat of Dexter going down for all the horrible crimes he'd committed. For the first time in the show's run, the chance of Dexter going to prison or an institution, or even being put to death seemed like a real possibility. It breathed new life (no pun intended) into the series when it needed it the most. I was fond of saying simple, two-word spoilers at the end of seasons that told all you need to know of the shocking finale. "Not Rita" was it for season four, and "Deb knows" for season 6. But again, the show's writers squandered this chance to create any real peril for Dexter. In my alternate version of the series finale, Dexter losing it and killing an innocent outright and sloppily -leaving a trail of evidence would lead to Deb's discovery and confrontation and ultimately the arrest and conviction of Dexter. This scene could be played as the emotional and dramatic climax of the series, as Deb is so torn between her loyalties and has been dealing with the guilt of her own decision to kill LaGuerta. But in the end, she does what is right and takes her brother back in cuffs. As a result, Dexter is finally identified as the Bay Harbor Butcher another callback to the earlier seasons brought full circle. Having nothing left to lose, Dexter resigns himself to suffer the consequences of his actions and receive the ultimate punishment. He fesses up to everything, including framing Doakes as The Butcher and takes credit for LaGuerta in order to protect Deb. We can now quickly skim through the trial and jump ahead to Dexter's execution.