Dexter - Part 5

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Ya I thought by this point in the season we would have some kind of clear endgame going on. But it just seems to be meandering its way to the end. What it really lacks in my eyes is a sense of urgency, thats the only way I can describe it really

 

[Maximus One]

Exactly. No sense or urgency. Biggest thing wrong with this season right there. At least we had that last season.

 

[DyeLorean]

I agree.
Not only that but they're all over the place: the Brain Surgeon, Vogel, Deb who was f**ked up at the beginning of the season and now she's like alright, now this kid, and then all the other storylines (Masuka, Quinn's promotion, etc) that seem like a complete different show!!!. There's almost NO relation between Dexter's storyline and the secondary characters. The show doesn't feel cohesive anymore.

 

[HighFivingMF]

I finally start and catch up with the show then when I hop into the forum everyone starts *****ing about it.

 

[DyeLorean]

I finally start and catch up with the show then when I hop into the forum everyone starts *****ing about it.

Look, it's still entertaining and there are certain things that still work (and they certainly found some fresh stuff early on, like [BLACKOUT]Harry's tapes[/BLACKOUT]), but as the season starts to develop, you'll find many flaws.

 

[Reek]

theres still hope it ends on a high note...it just feels weird right now...

 

[Deserana]

After reading this thread for a few weeks and posting once or twice I have to agree with the majority. This series is so disconnected it feels weird. The writers have had how long now? A few years or so since they knew this was the end... so they could have had a whole 2 season arc planned over 7 and 8 instead we get this weird and confused final season, that really feels like a filler season so far. It's like a 24 episode show and we are on episodes 8-13, the filler stages.

It's the FINAL season. You wrap up what's come before, not bringing in things half way through.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

MCH was on the new Nerdist podcast, it was recorded before comic-con after the 3rd show had aired. Not many spoilers or anything like that but MCH is really funny the whole time and they delve into a lot of different issues ranging from Dex's character and how he deals with people and the way the react/act around him all the way to his bout with cancer. Really good podcast all in all, if you're a fan of Dex/MCH you should def check it out

 

[DyeLorean]

It's been a couple of episodes, and ghost Harry hasn't appeared.

 

[BatLobster]

great episode

screw the haters

I have a feeling people are gonna be eating crow when it's all said and done about this season.

It's that Hitchcock "bomb under the table" philosophy so far this season for me. WE know everything's about to come to an end, it's just the characters don't yet. The fact that it's coming off like a "regular" season is just adding to the tension for me. They are stacking up a ton of dominos, and there's still PLENTY of time for them all to come crashing down. The rollercoaster is nearing the teetering point.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

I too am still holding out onto high hopes for the season, just confused as of right now. I hope I eat a whole big box of crow pie though

 

[Tron Bonne]

I have a feeling people are gonna be eating crow when it's all said and done about this season.

It's that Hitchcock "bomb under the table" philosophy so far this season for me. WE know everything's about to come to an end, it's just the characters don't yet. The fact that it's coming off like a "regular" season is just adding to the tension for me. They are stacking up a ton of dominos, and there's still PLENTY of time for them all to come crashing down. The rollercoaster is nearing the teetering point.

I'm still fuzzy on this idea of characters not knowing it's the end has anything to do with anything. What is that suppose to mean exactly? Do any characters at the end of a series know they're at the end of the series? I know I won't be eating crow; I'll be happy, since I want to series to end on a high note. But right now, what you see as the rollercoaster nearing the teetering point, I see a fairly even ride that's very much like what we've seen before, albeit more cluttered.

 

[Tron Bonne]

You know, thinking about it, to clarify what it means to not feel like finale, I think season 7 was a good example. There was a huge amount of tension in that season with Deb and how she handled Dexter's secret. We saw her hop back and forth, and we were never entirely sure what was going to happen. Talk about the bomb under the table. There was a tenseness to it that you generally didn't see in the other seasons, and a lot of the woes stemmed from Dexter's flaws. It really felt like it was building to the end of the overall Dexter status quo. The only thing that slowed it was the thing with Hannah.

You know, reworked and all, I think last season could've served as the perfect finale for the show.

 

[BatLobster]

What I mean is, the characters haven't been dealt the "endgame" card yet. Things seemed relatively good for Dexter and Deb (at least before Hannah's return at the end), like they were pulling out of a their darkest hour. Things will never be the same again but they're trying to move forward...but as an audience we're in on something they're not. That things ARE going to get bad again, because of the mere fact that there are 6 episodes left. There is no drama without conflict. It's like a false ending in a movie before it goes into the Act 3 climax. That steaks and beer scene is very telling. They're trying to go back to normal, but something if off. It's the calm before the storm.

I agree that Season 7 had aspects of feel like a final season, but in a way I see Seasons 7 and 8 combined as being one big final stretch, because the writers never stopped working between seasons. And a lot of dramas do the "Part 1/Part 2" thing for their final seasons. And I'm glad we've had time to do so much exploration of Deb once she knows the truth. I feel the show really delivered on a promise there and didn't just gloss over it. We've seen her go through a whole range of emotional turmoil and it's led to some of Jennifer Carpenter's best performances of the whole run.

 

[Tron Bonne]

What I mean is, the characters haven't been dealt the "endgame" card yet. Things seemed relatively good for Dexter and Deb (at least before Hannah's return at the end), like they were pulling out of a their darkest hour. Things will never be the same again but they're trying to move forward...but as an audience we're in on something they're not. That things ARE going to get bad again, because of the mere fact that there are 6 episodes left. There is no drama without conflict. It's like a false ending in a movie before it goes into the Act 3 climax. That steaks and beer scene is very telling. They're trying to go back to normal, but something if off. It's the calm before the storm.

Well, maybe. I feel this is more you, as a viewer, imprinting on what you assume will happen as opposed to what's really being shown. I hope you end up being right.

I agree that Season 7 had aspects of feel like a final season, but in a way I see Seasons 7 and 8 combined as being one big final stretch, because the writers never stopped working between seasons. And a lot of dramas do the "Part 1/Part 2" thing for their final seasons. And I'm glad we've had time to do so much exploration of Deb once she knows the truth. I feel the show really delivered on a promise there and didn't just gloss over it. We've seen her go through a whole range of emotional turmoil and it's led to some of Jennifer Carpenter's best performances of the whole run.

See, I'm just not feeling that season 7 & 8 are all part of a big stretch. You're right, the stuff with Deb did carry over, but there has been so much introduction to new material that it feels very much like a new season with some carry over elements, similar to 5 from 4. Maybe with Hannah coming back into the picture, it'll feel more like that, but so far I've not come back with that feeling from season 8 at all.

 

[DyeLorean]

I think one of the problems is that the entire narrative should be focused together, towards something (an ending). So far, it doesn't feel that way. The stuff in the Miami Metro Deparment and the stuff with Dexter feels so unconnected. Like, why introduce Masuka's daughter now? I mean, there has to be a reason,... right? Why would they use screen time for such a useless storyline?
I'm hoping that things presented so far this season will make some sense for it to be this way.

 

[Deserana]

Not sure if this has been posted - http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/s6...episode-there-will-be-people-who-hate-it.html

 

[georgec]

Well, that's reassuring.

 

[Teelie]

I finally got around to watching this episode and it bored me. Nothing really impressed upon me the urgency that this season should be giving. It felt so lackluster and dull. The ending was not particularly surprising either because we all knew that was coming.

Maybe we'll get a better second half with more interesting story or at least action.

Also that article was basically a big "duh" because no matter what they do, you'll have fans who hate it. Dexter lives? Boo! Dexter dies? Boo! Dexter gets freaky with his adopted sister and they raise Harrison together? WTF.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Yeah, endings are often polarizing, especially for a show that's gone on as long as Dexter have and kept a reasonable degree of quality.

 

[Liam_H]

If the quality remains the same up to the penultimate episode, the bar isn't really that high to make a good/great finale.

 

[Deserana]

Polarizing I understand but outright hate? You make the ending that is right for the direction the show is heading (don't whip out a plot from thin air like Chuck did, even though looking at interviews for that show even its cast looked annoyed at the ending) and if people have indeed followed the show they should say "yeah I didn't mind the ending but it was right for the show".

If you feel people will actually hate the end then you must have done something drastic and out of line with the show.

 

[georgec]

If you feel people will actually hate the end then you must have done something drastic and out of line with the show.

At this point something drastic and out of line by Dexter standards would actually be a good thing.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Nah, I honestly think people would hate it regardless of how it fit the show. Remember the reaction to The Soprano's ending, for instance. It was actually a very poetic ending that fit the series in a lot of ways, but it inspired a lot of hate, at least at the time. Or well, the Seinfeld ending hate that still exists, even though it's the perfect ending for that show.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

I didn't realize they shoot the show over in Long Beach CA and just shoot B-roll footage in Miami. MCH said in an interview that they fly him over to Miami and just film a bunch of scenes of him driving around looking all serious