Dexter - The Big One (Season 5 Finale)
Another season of Dexter has come and gone. I wasn’t as vigilant in my reviewing as I had hoped to be (weh, weh) but not because I did not enjoy the season. I did, in fact, very much. While it didn’t have as many of the “OH S#!&!” moments like Season 4 did, it did have quite a few moments that set me on edge and had me yelling at the TV. Though this finale had me teary-eyed more than super shocked.
The whole thing was bitter sweet, especially after hearing about MCH and Jennifer Carpenter’s divorce. I am super, duper bummed about it. For real. I thought they were pretty adorable together – especially at the Emmy’s when MCH thanked her and the camera showed her yelling to him, tears in her eyes, “I love you!” And, plus, he was going through chemo at the time and they just seemed so strong and beautiful and in love. Sad, sad.
But, anyway, that aside, my heart totally broke for Dexter. That was the biggest reaction I had after the episode ended; I felt empty for him. I felt lonely. The show has always done an incredible job of making the audience feel the way Dexter feels. We root for him when he’s after a really bad baddie and we ache for him when he’s hurting. I felt worse for him at the end of this finale than last year’s when he found Rita’s body.
The season, as a whole, was a lot different from past seasons. The beginning was a bit slow (and, in my opinion, bogged down by too many plot points. The LaGuerta-Batista stuff could have been toned down or done away with) and there weren’t as many light, funny moments as in past seasons. Masuka provided most of the comedic relief, as always, but Dexter wasn’t as sarcastic or quip-filled this year. Understandably since the season focused a lot on his growth and grief.
I am really, really going to miss Lumen. Some people absolutely hated her, but I thought she, and Julia Stiles, was great. I liked the side she brought out in Dexter, I liked the hope she gave him. I thought, “Finally, a girl who can understand him, someone who knows about his Dark Passenger and still accepts him.” But, alas, it wasn’t meant to last. The part when she “breaks up” with Dex…ugh, I teared up. The look on his face, his voice, pleading with her not to go, and then telling her he understood why she had to leave and that he would carry her Darkness for her….yep, lost it. Apparently Julia Stile was pretty displeased with how it played out, as was I. While I’m glad that the writers didn’t just kill her off, I felt like the reason they gave her for leaving was out of character. It makes sense I suppose, but at the same time it doesn’t, given how Lumen behaved during the season and based on her interactions with Dexter. She’s still changed; killing Jordan couldn’t have totally erased that. I had hoped she would stick by Dexter, even if she wouldn’t have been his partner in crime. I hope she will return some day, though I doubt it.
Performances were top notch, and I was especially impressed with Lauren Velez and Jennifer Carpenter. Velez as LaGuerta, though I would have preferred less plot time focused on her, was top of her game, and Carpenter continues to impress me. Each season Deb becomes less the potty-mouthed victim and more the clear-minded and strong figure. Just as she said about LaGuerta, she recognizes that things aren’t black and white, and that they can be complicated. My one qualm with the finale was that they waited until the LAST EPISODE to mention WHY Deb felt connected to the Barrel Girls – her relationship with Rudy. Really? They couldn’t have mentioned that a little earlier? Oh, and has everyone forgotten that Brian Moser and Dexter are/were BROTHERS?
At least she’s with Quinn. I like him J I still have a soft spot for Anton, though.
Jordan Chase ended up being a pretty awesome villain. I didn’t think anyone could top Trinity, but he was pretty close. The way he acted with Lumen in this episode, almost biting her and what not, totally creeped me out. And he had something that Trinity didn’t have – insight. He really saw Dexter for what he is, really understood him. And that made him all the scarier. I wish they had delved into his past a bit more, explaining why he ended up the way he did. Some stuff they left unanswered – why did Emily still like him? That made no sense to me. No one can be THAT convincing, surely.
So what’s next for Dexter? He’s alone again, and he has finally seen his “true colors” and realizes he’ll never be rid of his Darkness. Was Harry right all along? Or will Dexter continue to surprise his father, as he did when he beat up Astor’s friend’s step-father? Will having the kids home for the summer change anything? Will Sonya (I’d really like to see more of her; I think there’s more than meets the eye)? He did clear Quinn, which is a far cry from the Dexter that framed Doakes in Season 2. The more Dexter realizes he’s a monster, the more human he becomes, it seems. But does that make sense? The more he sticks to the code…the more trapped he is. Rita’s death changed him, Lumen’s coming and leaving. Fate and faith were big themes this season. Hm.
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I need to find another show to watch L
