Starring:
Year(s) Aired: 2013
Year of DVD Release: 2013
Rated: Not Rated
Approx. Running Time: 11 hours, 11 minutes
Format(s): DVD (4 discs)
My Rating: 3 Stars (Out Of 5)
From Back Cover:
IT'S A WRAP.
It's the beginning of the end for charming Miami forensics expert Dexter Morgan (Golden Globe Winner Michael C. Hall) as all 12 season eight episodes bring to rest the critically acclaimed hit series. He's spent his days solving crimes and his nights commiting them, but never before has Dexter had to deal with a more abhorrent and deranged enemy than he does now: himself. Six months after the stunning murder of Lt. LaGuerta, Dexter's estranged sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) tries to cope with her guilt in her brother's crimes, while an emotionally vulnerable Dexter comes face to face with a psychopathologist who knows the code that has motivated his every murder. Filled with the dark twists and revelations that Dexter fans relish, season eight finishes Dexter's twisted journey with a bloody amazing send-off that will haunt fans forever.
Episode Summary: (From IMDb.com)
DISC ONE
Episode 1: A BEAUTIFUL DAY
It's now 6 months since Captain LaGuerta's death. Dexter is still working as a blood spatter expert but Deb has quit the force and is now working as a private investigator. She's also been avoiding Dexter as much as possible. Angel Batista is now the squad's Lieutenant and Tom Matthews is a Deputy Chief. Dexter is worried about Deb in general but even more so after he hears she hasn't been in touch with her new boss for two weeks. Metro homicide has a new case after a body is found on the beach. The man's skull has been sliced open and a small part of his brain removed. Matthews introduces a civilian expert, Dr. Evelyn Vogel, who has volunteered her time to help with the investigation. Dexter is distrustful of her from the outset and with good reason as it turns out: she seems to know a great deal about him.
Episode 2: EVERY SILVER LINING...
Dr. Vogel shows Dexter some video she shot when his father Harry visited her for help in treating him. Dexter was only 10 years old when Harry first visited her and she takes more than just a little of the credit for what Dexter calls Harry's code: that he would only kill bad people. Vogel says she did it because she cared for him. Having saved his life, she now wants to call in a favor: she thinks the man who recently slide open someones brain and left the body on the beach is one of her former patients. She wants Dexter to do what she and Harry taught him to do.
Episode 3: WHAT'S EATING DEXTER MORGAN?
Deb is going through a particularly bad patch and there is nothing Dexter can seemingly do about it. A cop finds her behind the wheel her car, drunk. She had the good sense to pull over but ran over a parking meter in the process. She contacts Quinn who manages to get her out without being charged. Dexter blames himself but Vogel says he shouldn't take on her problems. She also wonders why Dexter didn't kill her when she found him out. Drunk again, Deb goes to the station and tells Quinn she killed LaGuerta. Meanwhile, Dexter and the police check out Lyle Sussman's cabin only to find him dead on the floor, the victim of a shotgun blast through the mouth. Dexter is wondering if he was the real killer or if someone else was manipulating him; perhaps that someone also killed him. As far as the police are concerned however, the Brain Surgeon case is officially closed. Vogel continues to receive threatening messages, this time two package with brain matter labeled his and hers. Ron Galuzzo is the next of Vogel's patients Dexter investigates. Dexter is convinced he's their man and breaks into his house. Even Dexter isn't quite prepared for what he finds.
DISC TWO
Episode 4: SCAR TISSUE
The next potential killer on Vogel's list is A.J. Yates, who was institutionalized at 15. Vogel tried to channel his hostilities much as she did with Dexter but was unable to do so. When Dexter sees a huge scar on his head, he learns from Vogel that Yates had surgery to remove a brain lesion. He breaks into Yates' house and finds something interesting in the closet. Dexter isn't alone in the house however and it looks he may be their man. He also finds something that affects his relationship with Vogel.
Episode 5: THIS LITTLE PIGGY
Dr. Vogel tells Dexter that Deb was traumatized when she tried to kill him. Now that she's hit rock bottom, things will improve. Dexter isn't too happy with either Vogel or Deb and concentrates on finding serial killer A.J. Yates. Deb and Dexter have another problem when Yates kidnaps Vogel and they set out to rescue her. At the station, the police continue investigating the death of Norma Rivera. She had sex not long before dying and they assume that whoever that was is also the man who killed her. They have a suspect, her former employer Ed Hamilton, who admits to having had sex with her but insists she was alive when he last saw her. Dexter wonders if Hamilton's son Zach might have been involved. Vince Masuka meanwhile has confirmed that Nikki is his daughter and is quite taken by the idea of fatherhood. Quinn warns him to be careful about relatives who appear out of nowhere.
Episode 6: A LITTLE REFLECTION
Dexter is convinced that Zack Hamilton killed Norma Rivera but has no proof and takes to following him whenever he can. He's more than a bit surprised to follow him to Dr. Vogel's office. She admits that Zach is a new patient but refuses to talk about his case. Batista is under pressure from Deputy Chief Tom Matthews to make a decision on who to promote to sergeant. When Quinn learns he didn't get the job, he redoubles his effort to solve the Rivera murder. With Dexter tagging along, it becomes obvious - to Dexter at least - that Zack is stalking his next victim, Sofia Fuentes a waitress at a yacht club owned by the Hamilton family. Deb's boss wants to get evidence that his sister's boyfriend is a skirt-chaser who sees other women. Deb agrees to try and lure him into a compromising situation. Dexter goes out on a date with his new neighbor Cassie. Masuka learns that his newfound daughter may have serious financial problems. Dexter gets a surprise visitor.
Episode 7: DRESS CODE
After being drugged by Hannah McKay, Dexter wakes up in an industrial area outside of town. He knows that Hannah is responsible and she's surprisingly easy to find, which makes Dexter more than just a bit suspicious. It turns out she's living on a luxury yacht with her husband Jacob. She's changed her name to Maggie and says she's quite happy. Her husband doesn't appreciate the fact that she's met with Dexter forcing her to take action and for Dexter to help her out. Meanwhile, Dexter has agreed to teach Zach Hamilton the code - to Dr. Vogel's delight - but he is proving to be a difficult student. When someone close to Dexter is killed, he's certain that Zach is the culprit. Masuka arranges a new job for his newfound daughter.
DISC THREE
Episode 8: ARE WE THERE YET?
Dexter is certain that Zach Hamilton killed his next door neighbor Cassie, who is found bludgeoned to death in her apartment. The scene suggests that the crime was impulsive rather than planned, as was the case with the death of Norma Rivera. Dexter finds Zach's blood under her fingernails but can't report it for obvious reasons. Zach is in the Keys - he's used his credit card - and Dexter and Hannah set off to find him. What he finds there impresses Dexter but also suggests that Zach isn't the killer. Meanwhile, Dexter is also helping Hannah acquire a new identity and make arrangements to leave the country. There is a strong bond between them however and Dexter begins to see a different future for himself.
Episode 9: MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC
Dexter has decided to make a new life for himself with Hannah and Harrison but not before he takes care of the Brain Surgeon. In searching Zach Hamilton's photo studio he finds a clump of hair and blood hidden under a table. When Dexter runs the sample against the DNA database he finds a familial match - to Dr. Evelyn Vogel. Somewhat incredulous at his revelation, Vogel explains that she once had two sons, the eldest of which killed the other. He was placed in a mental institution but died in fire. Dexter believes he must have survived and soon has him identified. Deb meanwhile is having second thoughts about returning to Miami Metro. She's also agreed to let Hannah, who is now being sought by a Federal Marshall, hide out at her house.
Episode 10: GOODBYE MIAMI
Having made the decision that he and Harrison will move to Argentina with Hannah, Dexter has a lot to do. He tells Deb about his plan but that doesn't go over very well. He also tells Dr, Vogel that her son, Saxon, is dangerous and she is in need of protection. She insists that he back off and let her deal with him in her own way but Dexter has no intention of leaving Miami while Saxon is alive. Saxon has problems however and he takes his mother to his killing room explaining that it's identical to the treatment room at the mental hospital she put him in. He wants his mother to help him in the same way she helped Dexter. Meanwhile, Quinn suggests to Jamie that she should at least attend a job interview for a position at a prestigious academy in Atlanta. Masuka is upset when his daughter Niki shows up high at a crime scene.
Episode 11: MONKEY IN A BOX
Still coming to terms with Dr. Vogel's death, Dexter wants to eliminate Oliver Saxon before he, Harrison and Hannah head off to South America. He also has a lot of personal items to tie up including selling his condo. Saxon shows up as a prospective buyer and offers Dexter a deal: they stop going after each other and go their own way. Dexter is non-committal and, having located his kill room, sets a trap for him. Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Marshall Clayton is following Deb, certain that she will lead him to Hannah. Dexter is continuing to reevaluate his priorities and his final choices have an impact on several key players.
DISC FOUR
Episode 12: REMEMBER THE MONSTERS?
Dexter has to act quickly when Hannah tells him Elway is staking out the airport. He finds a way to get him out of the way but it also leads to the entire airport being closed. With a hurricane bearing down on Miami, few options are open to them. Dexter races to the hospital when he learns that Deb has been shot. She seems to be recovering and he decides to send Hannah and Harrison to Jacksonville where they could catch a flight. A return trip to the hospital leads to Saxon's arrest but also bad news about Deb. Realizing that he has, directly or indirectly, been responsible for the death of everyone he's ever loved, Dexter accepts there is only one option open to him.
My Comments:
The final season and damned if the writers didn't fuck it up. Such a disappointing end to what was once a great show.
D
Not Rated (MPAA)
3 Stars
2013
Television
Main Index