Dexter’s sixth season had its ups and (almost laughable) downs, which many fans will tell you they either saw coming or frequented a website full of fans that did (r/dexter was my preferred discussion spot).
True, this season wasn’t the strongest, but we know it kicked off (what may be) the last two seasons of the series. So instead of bashing and nitpicking what we loved/hated, let’s start obsessing early and guess what all this means for the future.
Harry’s Code vs. Religion
The two share a thread of morality (yes, being a serial killer can be moral) and Dexter’s belief in both was tested this season. Brother Sam played a major role in pushing Dexter from strong religious ambivalence to a tentative belief in the possibility of a higher power. While Brian popped up for one episode and (literally) pushed any thought of Harry and his code out of Dexter’s mind. The end result of all of this internal confusion was Dexter making a kill (Travis) that Brother Sam and Harry would have undoubtedly advised against.
What this could mean for next season: It was interesting watching someone who generally doesn’t believe in religion have it thrown in his personal and professional life pretty much all season, but there’s no need to rehash this again. Unless Brother Sam takes on the Harry-role for an episode or two, it’s highly unlike anyone else will re-spark Dexter’s interest in God or any other higher being in the seventh season.
Louis the Intern
Masuka originally selected Ryan Chambers for his intern, but after a little flirting and thievery, Louis replaced her. He flew under the radar and for a brief moment in time, I thought he’d be harmless character who was only introduced to give the homicide department some new blood.
Sure, his obsession with Dexter could have been written off as cute, but then we found out that he was in possession of the hand from the ITK case that Ryan originally stole. A red flag, especially when coupled with the palm reading he drew on the hand before mailing it to Dexter. All signs point to something nefarious, but there’s still a sliver of possibility that he’s a fan boy obsessed with Dexter’s work as a blood-splatter expert and not his side job as a serial killer.
What this could mean for next season: The popular opinion is that Louis is Dexter’s nephew. Perfectly acceptable, but if the writers go that route, I truly hope they make him Dexter’s nephew/mentee instead of Dexter’s nephew/opponent. Travis used up all of my patience for mediocre villains and Louis would be much more fun as a Lumen-style character who provides a support system for Dexter’s kills.
Deb’s Loving Feeling
With her new role as lieutenant, Deb spent most of the season in a perpetual state of adjustment. She broke up with Quinn early on and when she wasn’t figuring out how to fit into her new role, she was holed up in a dark office with her psychiatrist. Her sessions helped her realize how much she wanted Dexter to be someone he wasn’t (“You wouldn’t ask a chair to become a table“), her reliance on Dexter as a brother and finally, her feelings. Yes, Deb loves Dexter…romantically.
Her psychiatrist, who she may need more than ever next season, normalized these emotions because the two aren’t blood siblings. In turn, Deb decided it would be a good idea to tell Dexter that she is in love with him. This could be the most significant takeaway from this season.
What this could mean for next season: Whether or not Deb actually tells Dexter how she feels, the emotions will still be there. They will shape how she treats him as a brother and her subordinate at work, as well as how she interacts with any other romantic interests they may give her in the seventh season. Her psychiatrist could decide to tell someone, perhaps LaGuerta, which means everyone finds out she’s in love with Dexter. Although super unlikely, Deb being pregnant was mentioned as a possibility in Ricochet Rabbit. Does Harrison get a little cousin that could one day become his little stepbrother?
Dexter Got Caught
In one of Dexter’s sloppiest moments of the season, he decides to kill Travis at the abandoned church. Under normal circumstances, this would fit Dexter’s usual modus operandi just fine. However, he did the kill in the most visible place in the building on the same day/time Deb asked him to be there. Had he not already doubled his chances of getting caught, it was the end of the season finale, so it was expected that something big would happen….and he got caught….by Deb…his sister….that just realized she’s in love with him. Wow.
What this could mean for next season: If he were caught by pretty much anybody else, I’d theorize that this cliffhanger concludes with that person ending up as dead as Travis. Since it was Deb this can go a few ways, here are the ones that immediately came to mind:
• Dexter tells Deb it’s his first time killing someone and she buys it: Highly unlikely since Travis is killed in a very “I’ve done this a few times before” manner. She can’t be that blinded by love.
• Dexter tells Deb everything and she runs away in disgust, spending the whole season avoiding him and pretending she didn’t see what she so obviously did: Also highly unlikely since Deb tends to confront her issues/problems/etc. full force.
• Deb realizes Dexter’s killing style is similar to that of the Bay Harbor Butcher and he tells her he picked up where Doakes left off: More likely, since Deb is super observant when it comes to her police work and will probably notice the connection, but less likely that Dexter will only partially admit to what he’s been doing.
• Dexter accepts that Dexter is a serial killer and works with him to clean up the mean streets of Miami: Not likely, but it would be so enjoyable to watch.
The great thing about it being Deb is that she’s already let Dexter (and Lumen) go once before. She may not have known she was doing that, but she proved to Dexter that she doesn’t always see things as black and white, which means she might just understand why he’s been killing all these years. If he panders to that side of Deb, as well as lets her know that Harry essentially trained him, it could mean he continues to kill and share who he really is.
Season seven can’t come soon enough.
tvdinner&amovie 
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