But beware of the Dark Side. Anger, fear, aggression; the Dark Side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny
As wise Master Yoda warned, a persons dark side or in the case of Dexter a Dark Passenger, can forever alter ones life if a person gives into the sinister side of oneself. Throughout 7 seasons of Dexter, we have seen a dubious and difficult journey for the Morgan siblings. Deb witnessing Dexter murder Travis Marshall proved to be a crossroads for both Dexter and Debra Morgan. Is it truly the beginning of the end for our favorite serial killer? With a finale that was as explosive and game changing as the 7th season finale, Dexters final days would no doubt begin with a bang. Six months have passed since the fateful shooting of Captain LaGuerta and Dexter appears to be in a solid place both personally and professionally. The bowling team is back together; Harrisons soccer team has won the championship with Dexters leadership; and most importantly, no one suspects Dexter or Debs involvement in the murder of LaGuerta. While unveiling a bench named for Maria LaGuerta, the other members of Miami Metro Homicide wonder why Deb did not make an appearance at the dedication. As it turns out, one day Deb left for lunch and did not return to the station. She simply refused to return to work, leading her coworkers to believe that LaGuertas death was too much for the lieutenant to handle. As we discover later, Deb has succumbed to her own version of atonement with drugs, alcohol and sex with a low-end criminal named Briggs. This is a version of Deb we have never seen before and at times her spiral into a dangerous underworld is not only fascinating but also frustrating for her and the viewers as her dream of exacting justice to criminals has now died with LaGuerta. Throughout Dexters entire run, we, as loyal viewers, have seen the extent to which both Dexter and Deb have changed when dealing with the moral ambiguities of Dexters slice and dice extracurricular activities. In choosing to protect her brother, Deb has compromised everything that she strove to achieve in life, specifically following her fathers example and becoming a respected cop. These characters are not the people that we first encountered. No longer is Deb the innocent cop yearning to make a genuine difference and no longer is Dexter simply a monster hiding behind his Dark Passenger so as not to expose his true self. Now entering the 8th and final season, Dexter and Deb are no longer the people we first met all those years ago. Working as a Private Investigator, Deb has succumbed to an abyss of darkness as drugs, alcohol, and meaningless sex reign supreme in her life undercover. On the other hand, Dexter seems to cherish his denial and escape from the truth that everything is falling apart and nothing is as it was. Initially, he sees LaGuertas murder as simply a solution to a problem. However, as the episode progresses, he comes to the realization that without Deb in his life his instinctual reactions to occurrences such as getting cut off by another driver and arguing with Briggs will unleash a dangerous version of the Dark Passenger that is not satisfied with killings that only meet the Code. With Dexters epiphany last season that the Dark Passenger is simply a part of himself and not some foreign entity that craves blood and death, he no longer has something or someone to blame for his murderous cravings.
Dexter and Debs estrangement has deeply damaged the connection between them. Unbeknownst to Dexter, Debs feelings about the events that occurred last season have made her understand that Dexter is the one who needs her rather than the other way around as evidenced in the following exchange:
I came here to save you. Deb, look at yourself. Youre lost. I am not lost. I know exactly where I am. I am in some shi**y hell, which is exactly what I deserve, but youyou are lost. All my life I thought I needed you that I couldnt survive without you. It was the other f**king way around. It was the other way around.
Dexter cannot fathom Debs feelings of anger and remorse since he simply views LaGuertas death as necessary to protect them both. In Debs mind, she compromised everything good about herself to help and protect Dexter. By attempting to sever this connection, Deb hopes to exact punishment upon herself for her actions as well as on Dexter for his role in her downfall. Dexter is slowly unraveling, losing the control he meticulously learned under Harrys guidance. Similar to Anakin Skywalkers epic battle with Obi-Wan on Mustafar, the battle for Dexters soul rages during these final episodes and with the introduction of Dr. Vogel the origins of the Code will finally come to light. In addition, Dexter and Debs viewpoints on their current situation should continue to put them on opposite sides at least temporarily. Perhaps Dr. Vogel will be instrumental in reuniting the siblingsor perhaps her intention is to keep them apart.
It is painfully evident that the dynamics between Dexter and Deb have changed considerably since Debs discovery of Dexters affinity for plastic wrap and sharp knives. There is no question that between that discovery and the murder of Captain LaGuerta, her psyche has been irreversibly damaged, as has her relationship with Dexter. However, will Deb ultimately be Dexters Achilles heel? Already their shattered kinship is affecting his focus and judgment as instead of taking care of his side business of eradicating the world of human vermin as per the Code, he is struggling to protect her and making every attempt to mend their relationship. Obviously, his feelings for her are beginning to elicit emotions and empathy that he has attempted to avoid. By developing and more importantly, yielding to these feelings of empathy--a trait that clearly is not within the repertoire of a psychopathic serial killer--Deb could very well be responsible for Dexters ultimate downfall. Thus, in the end, Dexter and Deb could unintentionally be the catalysts that result in the irreparable demolition of the person that they love and trust the mosteach other.