Dexter Season 6 Episode 12 "This is the Way the World Ends"

          I don’t know what to say other than how awesome this episode could have been. The tension steadily rose throughout each episode, but my hopes for the conclusion were shattered. 

          The opening scene begins by showing Dexter drifting in the ocean on a piece of the boat until it becomes waterlogged and sinks. He than is rescued by a spanish fishing boat and taken to shore. One thing that I am thankful for is that he did not “simply” swim back to the mainland. This would have been extremely unrealistic and rather disappointing, but I figured that the writers wouldn’t be this cheap.

          For one of the few times in this season, the relationship between Dexter and Harrison is actually shown. Usually the two only appear in a scene casually as Dexter arrives home, but Dexter was seen spending quality time with Harrison playing and talking. Being the last episode of the season, their relationship must wrap up somehow to begin again in the next year.

          One by one, the pieces and questions in this enormous puzzle are finally being put in place and answered. The 3 most prominent examples of this is when Dexter covered up his relationship to Travis by punching a hole in the painting of him, Deb finding out she loves Dexter, and finally witnessing him kill Travis.

          Of all the things I have seen in Dexter, Travis kidnapping Harrison was quite predictable, but also incredibly creepy. However, as all this was happening I felt a level of anxiety that has disappeared since season 2. Dexter playing with Harrison one moment, losing him the next, than almost witnessing him being sacrificed made for an incredible build up that made my blood pressure rise and my mind go blank. This being said, the conclusion to this drama was incredibly disappointing. Not only was Travis not instantly murdered by Dexter for nearly killing his only son, but Travis was gone. One thing that I realized in this scene is that it subtly represents the story of Jesus. Dexter plays the role of God, watching his only son be sacrificed by his nemesis (Travis). Luckily, this episode doesn’t conclude like the bible, where the innocent son dies. 

          Now that I think about it, it only makes sense for Dexter to kill Travis in the church where many of the rituals were performed. Except now, a guilty person is being killed instead of an innocent one. For the first time in a while, Dexter performs his ritual on Travis 

          The religious banter flies between the mouths of Dexter and Travis as we watch and soak in the profound quotes. So far, the best quote of the season happens here. While making the sign of the cross, Dexter says, “I am a father, a son, and a serial killer.” While this is an incredible quote, it is also one to summarize the season. These are the 3 things that really matter to him. He does not believe in a god, and leaves him out of his life. Just as I said earlier, Dexter has started right where he left off, not knowing if God is real or if he should believe in him. It is for this reason that I think that Brother Sam’s character was virtually meaningless. 

          As viewers, we not only see Travis twisting the bible, but also are aware that Dexter is doing it as well.  I am incredibly disappointed by this seemingly unnoticeable act because it feels like Dexter has forgotten all that Brother Sam had taught him. He has stooped to the level of Travis, while committing a murder. Dexter and Travis may have more in common than they thought: they both kill based on principle and beliefs, they speak to their victims before they are murdered, and they both believe that they are doing the right thing.

          While the ending was good, I also found it unbelievably disappointing. It was blatantly obvious that Deb would walk in on Dexter as he was killing Travis for several reasons. First, Deb told Dexter to go there that night and finish up the blood work. Second, Dexter told Jamie Batista that he was going there in order to finish a task. Third, if you have been watching for 6 seasons, you should be able to notice how the writing works and make reasonable predictions. Fourth, doesn’t it seem like it would be the perfect twist? Yes. That is why it wasn’t the perfect twist, because we could see it coming. A twist like Rita’s death in the end of season 4 was perfect because it came out of nowhere and surprised us all. Fifth, this was hinted at in the finale of season 5, except Deb let Dexter and Lumen go. In this episode, Dexter (and the writers) failed to create Dexter’s kill room, which would have provided cover for Dexter (just like last time). The ending of season 5 could have easily been the same if the plastic wrap were to be missing. 

          As I watched the episode drawing to a close, I became furious. Lewis’ character was never explained. His creepiness around Dexter turned out to be a meaningless red herring that wasted time. While it felt like something cool could come out of it, nothing arose. Showing Dexter his serial killer game was bizarre, but buying the Ice Truck Killer prosthetic illegally and writing things on it was meaningless. While these things could be explained in season 7, I find that unlikely because people aren’t going to be focused on that at all compared to the new drama with Dexter and Deb.

          The “surprise ending” will make for an incredible 7th season, but in retrospect, season 6 was only slightly above average. Dexter didn’t change any of his beliefs, Deb realized she is in love with her brother, and all of the cute relationships (Deb and Quinn, and Batista and LaGuerta) were destroyed. This season had an enormous amount of potential and it was simply ruined. My love and respect for the writers of Dexter is virtually nothing now. 

          In conclusion, the only word I can think of right now is disappointed. 

Dictionary definition:

disappointed     disəˈ point id  

adjective

(of a person) sad or displeased because someone or something has failed to fulfill one's hopes or expectations

Thesaurus:

Upset, saddened, let down, cast down, disheartened, downhearted, downcast, depressed, discouraged, displeased, dissatisfied, frustrated, disgruntled