"Dexter" and Serialization

Spoilers for all of Dexter below.


I enjoyed Dexter's season five finale, "The Big One."

I couldn't say the same immediately after I finished it, and I know that many others shared this opinion.  Dexter and Lumen took care of Jordan Chase.  Deb stumbled onto them after the fact, but let them go without seeing who the "vigilantes" actually were due to a conveniently placed curtain.  Lumen suddenly had to leave, leaving Dexter alone once more.  The Quinn situation resolved fairly easily.

I thought to myself: A reset? Why would this show go for such a predictable and uninteresting ending to a season that has, by and large, been among its most visceral and exciting? Is Dexter doomed to a Sisyphean task of having its protagonist face a neverending conveyor belt of serial killers season after season?

Brian Moser, Lila, Miguel Prado, Trinity, and Jordan Chase.  I think.

Now, I started Dexter this past summer and watched season 1-4 over a period of about 3 weeks, so it always came across as very fast paced.  Also, the only cliffhanger I ever had to deal with was Rita's death at the end of season four.  So I was fully prepared for mind-blowing events to take place in "The Big One" that would have a profound effect on the status quo of Dexter.  I was ready for Deb to discover Dexter's secret, for Lumen to commit to staying with Dexter, maybe even a major death.  But now, looking back on the series as a whole, events such as these are not those that Dexter is fully interested in addressing, not for now at least.

This show is one that uses its characters and plot as a way to delve into new themes every year.  Season one was fundamentally about family, exploring Dexter and Brian's mutual obsession and Rita's abusive ex-husband, while also introducing the larger themes of the series.  Season two focussed the morality of Dexter's actions, and how the sins of our past come back to haunt us.  This was clearly apparent in the Bay Harbour Butcher storyline, along with Dexter's discovery of how his adoptive father's actions led to his mother's murder.  Season three showed how the connections we make shape our lives, through Dexter's new friendship and his growing attachment to Rita.  Season four was about whether "having it all" is possible, especially for an addict.  

Except for some overarching themes in the series, these are by and large separated distinctly by each season.  Although season four had a great cliffhanger plotwise, it fully tied up the thematic material of that season, plainly stating that Dexter's actions have a toxic effect on those he loves, and he can never live a full and happy life as he is.  

In this way, Dexter could almost be called "Tales of a Serial Killer," a series of stories about a man with budding emotions and a horrible addiction working his way through life.  As he does, he deals with many different problems that each of us face in our own lives.  The show uses its main character to say something about all of us, and more often then not, resonates quite a bit.

Also, there's some boring cops.

But what Dexter does well, it does extremely well.  Season five was no exception.  This season focussed on atonement and the ambiguity of morality.  The introduction of Lumen was a key aspect of both of these themes.  And, in my opinion, she was a fantastic addition to the show.  Here is a female character that is able to be strong and engaging while still remaining distinctly feminine.  As the season progressed, her search for atonement was cathartic and exciting.  Dexter's role in this process was smartly played by the writers.  He was unable to pinpoint exactly what it is about helping Lumen that feels so right until the fantastic scene in "Teenage Wasteland" in which his stepdaughter Astor remarks that helping Lumen must help him deal with Rita's death, and in doing so, was able to work through his own oft-neglected emotions.  

Dexter and Lumen's relationship progressed to a more romantic one, and I was okay with that.  I especially loved the line spoken by Jordan Chase in the finale, "It was inevitable that this would happen.  Two broken people, going through intense shared experiences against a common enemy...it produces a sense of deep, deep bonding," because it resonated with truth (Chase was great in this episode with quotes like this and "You can't save one thing to make up for another" which totally validated his role in this season). So when Dexter and Lumen giddily returned home after killing Chase, I was excited by the prospect of Lumen returning next season, to fully explore the nuances of her character and relationship with Dexter.

Awesome.

So, yeah, I was disappointed when she decided to leave.  But the mark she left on Dexter is important.  Someone doomed with a "Dark Passenger" may be able to grow past it.  Atonement is something that can be reached.  But, in true form to this season, it was truly a morally ambiguous way that Lumen was able to reach this.  Were her actions justified?  Can Dexter himself ever reach peace in a similar way?  These are fascinating questions that the finale asks of its audience.

The other thing I was disappointed about initially was how Deb came SO close to discovering Dexter's secret, then didn't.  It seems that if the show tries to do this too many times, there will be little tension left whenever someone is on Dexter's trail.

 But that is something that future seasons to sort out.  For now, I quite enjoy the scene when Deb confronts Dexter and Lumen behind the curtain.  The tension was through the roof, as I definitely thought she might find out.  Deb's decision to let them go ultimately made sense and reinforced the ambiguous morals that those on the "good" side of the law face as well.  It was all well played by Jennifer Carpenter, so I have no serious qualms with it.

All in all, as long as Dexter remains this entertaining and thoughtful, I don't mind if it maintains its status quo for a little while longer.

Of course, part of me wishes that it would have as much forward momentum as Breaking Bad.

But wishes, of course, are for children.