Dexter ended an eight-season run with a series finale that left most fans disappointed, even though the show had arguably declined in quality well before. It turns out actor Michael C. Hall also had issues with how the show ended and he recently commented on the reaction to the finale while promoting the revival series, Dexter: New Blood.
For eight seasons, Dexter enthralled viewers as they unexpectedly found themselves rooting for a serial killer who only murdered those who had committed atrocities of their own and were likely to offend again. Of course, the bloody exploits of Hall's titular character always landed him in hot water, and by the end of Dexter, the serial killer faked his death and forced himself into exile after his actions inadvertently led to the death of a loved one.
The ending of the show and the events that led up to were maligned by most fans, resulting in what many consider to be one of the most disappointing series finales of all time. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Hall noted that understands why fans were disappointed with the Dexter series finale because, as he put it, the show didn't really end. "It just left us in this pretty unresolved funny certain place and while I thought that it made sense for the character to find himself in that position and to put himself in this self-imposed exile after all the chaos after the show, I would get why it was pretty unsatisfying... [and] infuriating for fans," he said, "they spent all this time and were longing for something that answered some questions or tied some things up or did something that the finale didn't manage to do. But if nothing else, it did set the stage for what we've been up to for the last several months in this new show, so maybe that's the silver lining."
With New Blood, Hall and original showrunner Clyde Phillips, who left the show after its fourth season, hope to provide a more satisfactory ending for Dexter fans. While the desire to give fans an ending they deserve factored into his decision to return as the infamous serial killer, Hall noted that he too was left unsatisfied by the ending and wanted a second crack at the story if it felt right. "Just as I knew that the show didn't sit that well in its finale with viewers, it didn't sit that well with me and I felt like I owed it to myself to explore it further if it came up. That it made sense and it did and owed it to the character and owed it to the fans for sure," he said.
While Dexter: New Blood aims to deliver a proper ending for the show, the revival series will not retcon any of the events of the less well-received seasons. As the latest Dexter: New Blood trailer shows, fans will reunite with the character when he is still in exile and living under a new identity.
Whether the revival series can live up to its promise of a better ending remains to be seen, but enough time has passed since Dexter first ended that a number of fans are willing to give it a chance. If nothing else, Hall's recognition of the original ending's flaws and his determination to get this new conclusion right should be an assuring sign.
Dexter: New Blood premieres on November 7, 2021, on Showtime.
Source: Entertainment Tonight