[Official] Dexter Ep. 5.12 Discussion

[Nick]

I liked it...it was a bit anticlimactic at the end as I was hoping for something big to happen, but I found it enjoyable like the rest of the season. Don't really understand all the hate on this season. Sure it's not as good as Season 4, but on its own, it's still very good.

I LOVED the scene with Deb and the killers behind the curtain. I think they should've had her see who it was to end this with a bit more of a bang, but her reaction was touching IMO and it was nicely handled. Very intense scene. And for the person who asked why she didn't arrest them, it was because she felt bad for the barrel girl and what she went through...that's kind of been how she felt ever since she's seen the tapes so I thought it was very fitting.

I dunno. I seem to be the only one who liked it, but I guess I'm just easily pleased, which is probably a good thing since I'm not all disappointed.

[Notice]

I liked the episode, as everyone I also expected something big happening in the final scene (Lumen reporting Dexter would've been cool )

I absolutely loved the scene where Deb unknowingly confronted Dex and Lumen behind the curtain! That was really tense

Nick, that makes us two (i think i'm also easily pleased )

[dutchie]

I realy liked this episode.
Great scene with Deb and Luman/Dexter behind the plastic.
Glad Luman didnt die and I understand why she left. She needs to let it go and I dont think she can do that with Dexter in her life.

[Devil's Arcade]

No, no - I thought this episode was great as I said, just a disappointing final 10 minutes!

[Finli Otego]

On the whole, my reaction to the finale was

They painted themselves into a few corners, which is great for creativity most of the time, but they took the easiest possible way out of every single storyline. Massively disappointing.

[Two Sides]

On the whole, my reaction to the finale was

They painted themselves into a few corners, which is great for creativity most of the time, but they took the easiest possible way out of every single storyline. Massively disappointing.

Yes, yes, YES! This is exactly my feelings. One of disappointment. Feeling let down

[Devil's Arcade]

That is how I feel as well. I felt as if it was a really good finale up until the end, which makes it kind of disappointing.

I was happy... then Lumen decided she was leaving and I was like, OK, I can live with this!
Then Quinn walks in to the party and I was like, hmm, that's a bit pointless, nothing shocking or emotional?
THEN absolutely nothing happens with Dexter? As I said, I was even hoping for a cut-away to Lumen reporting Dexter or something!

I actually thought Quinn would go to jail.. then at the end of the episode Dexter would have walked up to a grieving Deb and say something like 'It was me'

[Two Sides]

I actually thought Quinn would go to jail.. then at the end of the episode Dexter would have walked up to a grieving Deb and say something like 'It was me'

Yeah, i would have settled for that. It would have made the finale a lot better. Also, would have left us with something to look forward to! I hate that i have no idea where next season will pick up. I just hope it is MANIC!!!

[Devil's Arcade]

I think the problem is that it was not a ridiculously good season, so a big ending was needed.

Season one's ending was quite like this if I remember right.
However it was a fantastic season over-all so it didn't need an end of the seat cliffhanger, this season did.

As much as I enjoyed this season... I know it wasn't the best.

[Finli Otego]

I really love what this reviewer from the A.V. Club had to say. I completely agree.

Here's a simple test: What more do we know about Dexter as a character or even as a show at the end of this season that we didn't before? Every finale up until this point has expanded the show's conception of the central character, at least a little bit. Season one gave him a brother and an origin myth. Season two reinforced his sense that his work was somehow righteous, even as the show seemed to suggest, "Eh, maybe not, bud." Season three suggested he might be able to grow into a family man. Season four suggested that, no, the compulsion to kill was so strong that it would eventually overwhelm all else and become a cancer that dragged him to hell. What has season five had to say about the man that we didn't already know? He's capable of forming attachments? We knew that. He'll kill for self-preservation? Knew that, too. Serialized narratives succeed best when we're getting new information constantly (or at least getting new dimensions to old characters), but they can work if the same old beats are successfully disguised. It's on these grounds that this season of Dexter hasn't worked.

[Two Sides]

Season one's ending was quite like this if I remember right.
However it was a fantastic season over-all so it didn't need an end of the seat cliffhanger, this season did.

I completely agree. Although, i'd say the season 1 finale was still much more entertaining then this one.

-- Merged Double Post --

I really love what this reviewer from the A.V. Club had to say. I completely agree.

Here's a simple test: What more do we know about Dexter as a character or even as a show at the end of this season that we didn't before? Every finale up until this point has expanded the show's conception of the central character, at least a little bit. Season one gave him a brother and an origin myth. Season two reinforced his sense that his work was somehow righteous, even as the show seemed to suggest, "Eh, maybe not, bud." Season three suggested he might be able to grow into a family man. Season four suggested that, no, the compulsion to kill was so strong that it would eventually overwhelm all else and become a cancer that dragged him to hell. What has season five had to say about the man that we didn't already know? He's capable of forming attachments? We knew that. He'll kill for self-preservation? Knew that, too. Serialized narratives succeed best when we're getting new information constantly (or at least getting new dimensions to old characters), but they can work if the same old beats are successfully disguised. It's on these grounds that this season of Dexter hasn't worked.

Spot on.

[Thirty-Fiver]

I really love what this reviewer from the A.V. Club had to say. I completely agree.

Here's a simple test: What more do we know about Dexter as a character or even as a show at the end of this season that we didn't before? Every finale up until this point has expanded the show's conception of the central character, at least a little bit. Season one gave him a brother and an origin myth. Season two reinforced his sense that his work was somehow righteous, even as the show seemed to suggest, "Eh, maybe not, bud." Season three suggested he might be able to grow into a family man. Season four suggested that, no, the compulsion to kill was so strong that it would eventually overwhelm all else and become a cancer that dragged him to hell. What has season five had to say about the man that we didn't already know? He's capable of forming attachments? We knew that. He'll kill for self-preservation? Knew that, too. Serialized narratives succeed best when we're getting new information constantly (or at least getting new dimensions to old characters), but they can work if the same old beats are successfully disguised. It's on these grounds that this season of Dexter hasn't worked.

Overall I agree with this, but I think we started to see a more human side (or normal side) of Dexter this season. Remember when he could barely show affection to Rita cause he was so detached? This season we saw he actually has passion for things other than killing.

Like I said though, I agree for the most part. This season didn't really move a lot of things along. Except for Deb, imo. It seems like they're setting her up to actually have an understanding for what Dex does when she inevitably finds out. Her not finding out about Dex in the finale is what bugged me the most. I should've known, though, since the commercials hinted that was going to happen. They wouldn't reveal something like that in a promo.

[JediChewy]

I really don't know what to say about this finale. For some reason Jordan's death came too quickly. And there were some scenes that were unrealistic(car over turning), some that left an emptiness in the stomach (Morgan retreating, Dexter smiling as he throws body over boat). It should have just ended with Lumen leaving. I totally forgot about the birthday party, and Astor's coming back all cheery was kinda creepy.

What doesn't sit right is Quinn, is he really that naive and weak or maybe blinded by love

...anyway probably the worst episode ever, it just happened to be the finale.

[Michelle]

Didn't really like it, if Lumen is completely gone then this season isn't even worth rewatching imo.

[Two Sides]

To be honest, I thought 'Through A Glass, Darkly' would have been a much more awesome episode title! Yet they went with a rather anti-climatic 'The Big One'...

I'm not sure what the relevance would have been of 'Through A Glass, Darkly'... But it certainly more awesome.