Commentary: ‘Dexter: New Blood’ Proves Endings Matter

Endings matter. The end of a story is where the audience leaves the characters. That doesn’t mean the lives of the characters end, unless they die. But even then, it’s rare in a story for everybody to pass into that good night. There’s always somebody still alive who has to deal with the consequences of the story. The world keeps going, and so the final moment that an audience departs from their window into the characters’ lives is important. In a world of reboots and revivals, a lot of endings are being rewritten or changed. And Dexter, in both its iterations, is a great example of just how much in ending can change.

(Spoilers follow)

The original series finale to Dexter had a very lukewarm reception. It had the titular character, played by Michael C. Hall, drive his boat into a storm. Presumed dead, Dexter actually assumed a new identity and was living his life in a remote location. This was the ending that many Dexter fans had for the character for many years. But with the revival series, Dexter: New Blood, the character’s ending has been completely changed. For the most part, no one knew what would happen to Dexter’s son, Harrison (Jack Alcott). He could have gone on to live a very happy and successful life. But New Blood showed that was not the case. Harrison returned into his life and was even the one to finally kill the notorious serial killer.

Dexter’s death is a final note that a lot of fans were not expecting. But, good or bad, it’s hard to argue that the revival’s ending was definitely a change in the final perception of the character. As it stood, fans could have believed that Dexter went on to live a life of solitude in peace. New Blood negates that possibility. Danger returned into his life and ultimately led to his death. Depicting Dexter’s death is a much different place to leave the character than what the original series gave its audience. The choice to do so illustrates that although revivals and reboots offer fans new content with their favorite characters, they also bring with them the chance to change an ending, for better or worse.

Dexter: New Blood is now streaming on Paramount+.