Dexter thread

[kat]

this is slightly out there

Spoiler: show

but could it have been renewed but they want to ramp up the tension with Dexter being cornered by Jordan Chase and seemingly left in an unescapable situation

Ooh, that's an interesting idea! Have they actually announced that it hasn't been renewed, or has nothing been said either way?

nothing's been said either way

[Mr Blue Sky]

this is slightly out there

Spoiler: show

but could it have been renewed but they want to ramp up the tension with Dexter being cornered by Jordan Chase and seemingly left in an unescapable situation

Ooh, that's an interesting idea! Have they actually announced that it hasn't been renewed, or has nothing been said either way?

nothing's been said either way

Yeah, I'm hoping your explanation is correct Kat. AMC didn't 'officially' renew Breaking Bad until after the S3 finale had aired and that gave it a real edge of tension. I'm hoping they're playing the same trick here.

Funnily enough Chip Johannessen (current Dexter showrunner) was on staff when Fox announced 24 had been picked up for two seasons at the end of S6. So when Jack Bauer was in peril all throughout S7 you knew at the back of your mind that he must get out of it as an eighth season had already been commissioned. So maybe he's learnt from that and that's why Showtime are keeping a renewal under wraps until the finale's aired. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part and the show is actually due to end in 3 episodes' time. I'll be devastated if that happens!

[Mr Blue Sky]

Here's a generous length preview clip of episode 10. Don't worry the title of the clip isn't a major spoiler, but I think it could indicate what this season's 'big finale' is about...

Deb Figures Things Out

Having watched that I think

Spoiler: show

in the finale Dexter will kill Lumen the 'feral animal' - she knows far too much about him to be left alive at the end of this and I don't think they could get away with another person conveniently killing her off as Lila did with Doakes at the end of S2. I also think this will lead to Deb piecing everything together about Dexter over the years - perhaps the season will end on a final shot of her horrified expression just as she's worked it all out

Maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't. I find it hard to believe they'll actually end the series after the finale though. As worried as I am about that happening it doesn't make much logical sense for them to finish things at this stage.

[CatNamedRudy]

Interesting theory BS but I don't think that'll happen. I just can't imagine

Spoiler: show

Dexter killing somebody he actually cares about. In all of his sociopathy, there is something under there and it shows every once in a while. Especially with Lumen.

[CatNamedRudy]

Dexter-In the Beginning 9/10

Even though I knew what happened was eventually going to happen I was kind of hoping it wouldn't.

Spoiler: show

Dexter found his "soulmate" in Lumen and he can be himself around her so I knew they had to hit the sheets eventually! I was just somehow hoping they wouldn't go there.

Anyway, things are heating up good! The last couple of episodes have been awesome but it took way too long for this season to get going. I just hope it finishes on a high note!

[Dorset Girl]

Argh, I'm 45 minutes in to the episode and

Spoiler: show

Deb and Quinn have just walked through the front door

... I don't think I can't watch it.....

[Mr Blue Sky]

Argh, it's murder having to avoid what you've written about the ep as the earliest I'll get to see it is Thursday lunchtime

If you've given it 9/10 then you must reckon it's the best of the season so far Cat? Can't wait! I'm pretty sure I know what the 'big ending' will be this year and if so it's going to make for compelling viewing these last three eps.

Damn, I should make sure my shift rota is worked around Dexter...

[Dorset Girl]

Cat, did you deliberately mislead me with the unspoilered part of your post above?

[Dorset Girl]

9/10 from me too, btw. Almost a 10.

[Mr Blue Sky]

9/10 from me too, btw. Almost a 10.

Oooh. Maybe I'll take my laptop out in the car with me and fake being trapped in the snow...

[Dorset Girl]

9/10 from me too, btw. Almost a 10.

Oooh. Maybe I'll take my laptop out in the car with me and fake being trapped in the snow...

Okay, but promise not to die of hypothermia.

[CatNamedRudy]

Cat, did you deliberately mislead me with the unspoilered part of your post above?

Did it work?

[Mr Blue Sky]

Dexter-In the Beginning 9/10

Even though I knew what happened was eventually going to happen I was kind of hoping it wouldn't.

Spoiler: show

Dexter found his "soulmate" in Lumen and he can be himself around her so I knew they had to hit the sheets eventually! I was just somehow hoping they wouldn't go there.

Anyway, things are heating up good! The last couple of episodes have been awesome but it took way too long for this season to get going. I just hope it finishes on a high note!

Yeah, 9/10 for me too. I agree about the spoilered portion of your post there Cat - for some reason I thought you'd quite enjoy that happening though - not sure why.

I know I say this every week but the trailer for next week's ep looks amazing!

[Mr Blue Sky]

Huge Ratings for Dexter

This week's ep was just a shade below last season's record-breaking finale. Showtime must be delighted with these figures. The first ep of S5 began with 1.7m viewers and it's been slowly climbing week on week to the 2.5m it got on Sunday. The show's almost certain to break its own record for a Showtime original drama next week - hopefully the finale will be somewhere near 3m.

I think what's happening is during the first few weeks viewers are happy to catch the ep at any time during the week with their on-demand service (plus the show is repeated an awful lot during the week). As the season progresses fans are more likely to tune in for the first broadcast of the show on Sunday's at 22:00 which is the figure recorded above.

Surely Showtime would be nuts not to renew this for as long as the cast want to keep going?

[Mr Blue Sky]

Sorry for the triple post, but this is pretty much the news I've been waiting for.

Not 'official' confirmation of a 6th season but they're obviously very close to confirming this and it looks like the cast are on board anyway, should Showtime give it the green light.

Woohoo!! Looks like those huge viewing figures have played an important part. It's obviously an expensive show to produce but with that viewership they'd be insane to not milk the show for as long as possible.

[CatNamedRudy]

Dexter-In the Beginning 9/10

Even though I knew what happened was eventually going to happen I was kind of hoping it wouldn't.

Spoiler: show

Dexter found his "soulmate" in Lumen and he can be himself around her so I knew they had to hit the sheets eventually! I was just somehow hoping they wouldn't go there.

Anyway, things are heating up good! The last couple of episodes have been awesome but it took way too long for this season to get going. I just hope it finishes on a high note!

Yeah, 9/10 for me too. I agree about the spoilered portion of your post there Cat - for some reason I thought you'd quite enjoy that happening though - not sure why.I know I say this every week but the trailer for next week's ep looks amazing!

Probably because most times I do hope things go there.

Spoiler: show

Frasier and Roz, House and Cuddy, Josh and Donna but in this case I sort of just wanted them to be Serial Killing Pals!

Glad there's most likely going to be a season 6. I was one of those that thought this was going to be the last season and I was ok with it but after the last couple of episodes I don't want it to end!

[Mr Blue Sky]

Probably because most times I do hope things go there.

Spoiler: show

Frasier and Roz, House and Cuddy, Josh and Donna but in this case I sort of just wanted them to be Serial Killing Pals!

Yeah, I knew there was a reason I had that impression of you

I was happy when

Spoiler: show

Josh and Donna got together from TWW - not so much Frasier and Roz and I don't watch House. I did think Dexter and Lumen would just end up 'serial killing pals' as you say ( ) as the producers said from the off that Julia Stiles' character would not be a romantic interest for Dexter. I think this indicates for certain that Lumen will be killed off in the next couple of episodes - they've introduced this relationship to increase the jeopardy for Dexter

Glad there's most likely going to be a season 6. I was one of those that thought this was going to be the last season and I was ok with it but after the last couple of episodes I don't want it to end!

I think there's so much more to explore in Dexter's world. Some other series have come to the end of their natural life after 5 seasons or so and that's fine (Six Feet Under is one example). But I think there's much more they can do with such an interesting, complex character and while the show continues to get high ratings why end things?

[Mr Blue Sky]

Speaking of viewing figures, I know there will probably only be me interested in this, but here's a breakdown of Dexter's viewing figures this season:-

01 - My Bad - 1.769 million viewers
02 - Hello, Bandit - 1.701 million viewers
03 - Practically Perfect - 1.864 million viewers
04 - Beauty and the Beast - 1.864 million viewers
05 - First Blood - 1.788 million viewers
06 - Everything is Illumenated - 1.943 million viewers
07 - Circle Us - 1.632 million viewers
08 - Take It! - 1.900 million viewers
09 - Teenage Wasteland - 2.110 million viewers
10 - In The Beginning - 2.537 million viewers
11 - Hialeah and Fourth -
12 - Through a Glass, Darkly -

It'll be interesting to see if the next episode breaks the record for Showtime's highest ever viewing figures for a scripted show - In The Beginning was only a hundred thousand short of the record set by the S4 finale last season.

Can't explain the big dip for ep 7 which aired the week after Halloween, but other than that there's been a steady rise throughout the season.

[Cake for Brains]

So, I’ve finally caught up with Dexter Season 5, and all I can say is, I’m very relieved.

I admit that the first 5 episodes had me quite concerned, because they felt very Dexter-by-numbers and I was prepared to write off this series as a bit of a misfire. The lack of a ‘big bad’ seemed to make the show feel like more a ‘slow-burn’ than usual and I wasn’t really sure where, if anywhere, the storyline was heading.

But, these pasts 5 episodes have definitely restored my faith and I’m glad to say that the ‘excitement factor’ that Dexter has brought me in the past is well and truly back and I’m actually eagerly anticipating the final 2 episodes of the season. Maybe watching 5 eps as a back-to-back marathon helped? I still don’t think it’s hit the high standards of previous seasons yet (though ‘In the Beginning’ was pretty amazing and suggests that this season is set to end on a high), but it has followed the pattern of starting slowly before gathering momentum and snowballing into something epic and tense and exciting. Dexter can still do edge-of-your-seat scenes of tension – scenes where you genuinely have no idea how the hell Dex is going to worm his way out of this one. I honestly thought he might get caught by Deb and Quinn at the end of the most recent episode.

Lumen has really grown on me too; when Julia Stiles was first introduced at the start of the season (episode three, was it?) I found her character quite dull and I remember thinking it was just Miguel Prado all over again. I wasn’t initially that impressed by her acting chops either, but her character has certainly developed into something very interesting and complex – and of course, the final few minutes of Episode 10 saw a significant development in her and Dex’s relationship. I guess she reminds me a bit of Uma Thurman’s Bride character from the Kill Bill films.

It’s hard to predict where this season is going to go, and I like not knowing. Jordan Chase is making for a surprisingly convincing antagonist, and the stuff with Quinn’s (ex)snoop is excellent, so I’m looking forward to seeing how all the plots converge. Oh, also glad to see that the Batista/LaGuerta stuff has, quite rightly, taken a backseat.

And excellent news on the ratings – fingers crossed the finale manages to smash that magic 3 million barrier.

[Mr Blue Sky]

Glad to have you back in the Dexter fold Cakemeister

You've raised loads of interesting points above that I'd love to reply to in more detail but it'll probably have to wait until the next episode has aired now.

[Cake for Brains]

Glad to have you back in the Dexter fold Cakemeister

You've raised loads of interesting points above that I'd love to reply to in more detail but it'll probably have to wait until the next episode has aired now.

Okie dokie. One point I neglected to mention in my earlier post, I'm very surprised the nanny hasn't been involved in the main arc. When she was first introduced, I envisioned her as playing a major role for some reason. But it seems like that is all she is, just a nanny.

But yes, glad to be back in the Dexter fold. I shall be downloading the new ep at 7am tomorrow morning.

[Cake for Brains]

Official confirmation of Season 6.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/s64/de ... eason.html

Woo-hoo!

[Cake for Brains]

Dexter S5 - "Hop A Freighter" 9/10

Spoiler: show

Right, where to start. Excellent penultimate episode I thought, really ramping up the tension. I would have liked to have seen more of Jordan Chase perhaps, but that's my only gripe. I think this season reminds me a little of Season 2 - (Seasons 1, 3 and 4 were more personal), whereas 2 and 5 are more about Dexter under massive amounts of pressure, getting himself into seemingly-impossible-to-get-out-of situations and making the viewer believe he could actually get caught. I genuinely thought (as I did last week) that Quinn was going to find him in the snoop's van. Half of me wanted him to, half of me didn't.

It's really hard to predict how everything will wrap up next week. I think somebody could find out about Dex... Quinn, maybe... but I think that's a lot less likely now we know we have a sixth season next autumn. I think Lumen will take the rap for all the murders, and maybe Emily Birch will be blamed as the accompolice. That said, I don't think Dex will get off scot-free. I think there will be consequences; I'm just not sure what they're going to be. Put it this way, I'm excited.

And I'm going to make a prediction - Dexter doesn't kill Chase.

Oh, finally, the highlight for me was the hicupping farting cat.

[Mr Blue Sky]

Dexter S5 - "Hop A Freighter" 9/10

Spoiler: show

Right, where to start. Excellent penultimate episode I thought, really ramping up the tension. I would have liked to have seen more of Jordan Chase perhaps, but that's my only gripe. I think this season reminds me a little of Season 2 - (Seasons 1, 3 and 4 were more personal), whereas 2 and 5 are more about Dexter under massive amounts of pressure, getting himself into seemingly-impossible-to-get-out-of situations and making the viewer believe he could actually get caught. I genuinely thought (as I did last week) that Quinn was going to find him in the snoop's van. Half of me wanted him to, half of me didn't.

It's really hard to predict how everything will wrap up next week. I think somebody could find out about Dex... Quinn, maybe... but I think that's a lot less likely now we know we have a sixth season next autumn. I think Lumen will take the rap for all the murders, and maybe Emily Birch will be blamed as the accompolice. That said, I don't think Dex will get off scot-free. I think there will be consequences; I'm just not sure what they're going to be. Put it this way, I'm excited.

And I'm going to make a prediction - Dexter doesn't kill Chase.

Oh, finally, the highlight for me was the hicupping farting cat.

A superb 9.5/10 from me

I agree with much of your summation there Cakey (apart from you 'highlight' ) and it's great that so many possibilities remain open for the finale. Dex being killed obviously isn't going to be one of them with a 6th season in the bag (woohoo for that by the way! ) but almost anything else is possible...

Spoiler: show

I don't think Jordan will survive, Cakey. It may be Lumen that kills him or more likely Dexter (as I have a strong suspicion Jordan will Kill Lumen in the finale). As for who finds out about Dexter - I don't think it will be Quinn anymore but I think what may happen is that Deb doesn't actually 'find out' as such but something will happen to remove the 'blind spot' she has where Dexter is concerned and her keen analytical mind will begin to see there's something not quite right about her brother.

My highlight of the episode wasn't the farting cat ( ) but the Liddy kill. It was such an exciting scene - Dexter at its best. I genuinely didn't know how he was going to get out of that situation and that deliciously dark moment when Liddy's blood dripped through the van on to Quinn's boot was superb - I'm sure that will play some part in the finale.

Just a couple of tiny quibbles from me. Firstly, would someone as cautious as Dexter really

Spoiler: show

throw the laptop in the sea right next to the van where he killed Liddy? It's the first place the investigation team will look surely, especially as the murder of an ex-cop is bound to create heat. More substantially, I didn't like how Jordan turned on Emily and killed her so impulsively for no good reason. He's been carrying around her blood for years, had a 'special relationship' with her all that time and now he suddenly murders her just when we're getting to season wrap-up time? The cynical side of me says the writers realised there couldn't be anyone left alive who knew about Dexter so they had to kill Emily off (as I'm sure they will with Lumen and Jordan next week) but couldn't think of a more plausible reason than she said something out of turn to Jordan. It felt a bit like the S2 finale when plausibility was seriously stretched to have Lyla kill off Doakes so Dexter didn't have to break his code and kill an innocent - and then used the fact that she'd helped Dexter out as reason for Dex to justify killing Lyla herself at the very end...

Hehe, I sound like the worst kind of obsessive fanboy there - nevermind, I probably am!

Can't wait for Sunday's finale - we're promised a big surprise too so I'm hopeful something happens that hasn't even occurred to me.

[Mr Blue Sky]

So, I’ve finally caught up with Dexter Season 5, and all I can say is, I’m very relieved.

I admit that the first 5 episodes had me quite concerned, because they felt very Dexter-by-numbers and I was prepared to write off this series as a bit of a misfire. The lack of a ‘big bad’ seemed to make the show feel like more a ‘slow-burn’ than usual and I wasn’t really sure where, if anywhere, the storyline was heading.

I'm sure those first few eps felt slow simply because there were a lot of mundane practicalities to deal with. What does Dexter do about Astor and Cody? What does he do about Harrison? If he keeps Harrison a new character will have to be introduced with no more exciting purpose than simply because she is required to be there. All those essential points had to be dealt with as the producers chose to start S5 from the moment S4 ended rather than skip forward a year so they didn't have to take the viewer through all the fallout of that huge game-changing S4 finale. I think it's laudible they chose to deal with the consequences of the fallout but I can't help thiking the viewer paid the price in terms of excitement. During those first few eps we also had far more 'padding' than I usually like in the form of Batista/LaGuerta. With no big case to focus on during those first few eps it was inevitable we'd have to put up with some domestic shit at the station.

But, these pasts 5 episodes have definitely restored my faith and I’m glad to say that the ‘excitement factor’ that Dexter has brought me in the past is well and truly back and I’m actually eagerly anticipating the final 2 episodes of the season. Maybe watching 5 eps as a back-to-back marathon helped? I still don’t think it’s hit the high standards of previous seasons yet (though ‘In the Beginning’ was pretty amazing and suggests that this season is set to end on a high), but it has followed the pattern of starting slowly before gathering momentum and snowballing into something epic and tense and exciting. Dexter can still do edge-of-your-seat scenes of tension – scenes where you genuinely have no idea how the hell Dex is going to worm his way out of this one. I honestly thought he might get caught by Deb and Quinn at the end of the most recent episode.

I definitely think the season plays better when watched in a block. If you watched seasons 4 and 5 back to back I can imagine it's quite an emotional experience. The aspect of Dex 'worming his way out of impossible situations' you referred to above has also continued wonderfully in the lastest ep - Dexter at its best.

Lumen has really grown on me too; when Julia Stiles was first introduced at the start of the season (episode three, was it?) I found her character quite dull and I remember thinking it was just Miguel Prado all over again. I wasn’t initially that impressed by her acting chops either, but her character has certainly developed into something very interesting and complex – and of course, the final few minutes of Episode 10 saw a significant development in her and Dex’s relationship. I guess she reminds me a bit of Uma Thurman’s Bride character from the Kill Bill films.

She's a very strong actress. Not quite as fantastic as John Lithgow or Jimmy Smits but certainly better than the horrendously annoying Jaime Murray from S2.

It’s hard to predict where this season is going to go, and I like not knowing. Jordan Chase is making for a surprisingly convincing antagonist, and the stuff with Quinn’s (ex)snoop is excellent, so I’m looking forward to seeing how all the plots converge. Oh, also glad to see that the Batista/LaGuerta stuff has, quite rightly, taken a backseat.

And excellent news on the ratings – fingers crossed the finale manages to smash that magic 3 million barrier.

I'm just hoping the finale throws something at me I haven't thought of yet - I love being surprised. The ratings for Sunday's ep should be in soon - I'll post them here when I get them.

Also, weird that the final two ep titles have been changed at apparently short notice. E11 was going to be 'Hialeah and Fourth' but was changed to 'Hop a Freighter' and E12 was going to be the rather wonderfully titled 'Through a Glass, Darkly' but instead has been altered to the more banal 'The Big One'. With a title like that it kind of indicates someone close to Dex may figure out his secret - possibly Deb...