Fixing Season 5-8 Of Dexter
Season 1 was awesome. Season 2 was great. Season 3 was above average. Season 4 was close to perfection. Season 5 was a disappointment. Season 6 manipulated us all. Season 7 was meh. Season 8 was garbage. The finale was one of the worst things ever put on TV.
Seasons 1-4
Season 1 - Dexter Morgan
Change nothing.
Season 2 - Good Or Bad
Doakes lives, Lila is blamed as The Bay Harbour Butcher, Dexter kills Lila, everything else is the same.
Season 3 - Luxuries I Don't Get To Have
Doakes pushes further into Dexter's life, desperate for proof of what Doakes already knows.
Season 4 - Learning
Doakes and Dexter are on collision course during Trinity's Rampage. Eventually, Trinity bludgeons Doakes to level the playing field between him and Dexter.
Here is how my version of Dexter seasons 5-8 should've played out!
Dexter: Seasons 5-8
Season 5 - Toppling Tower
Get rid of Lumen and Jordan and replace them with the theme of Dexter recovering from the death of Rita, the kids leaving for Orlando never to return and Harrison becoming Dexter's only reason to live or his 'soul'. Debra and Angel go after a killer that Dexter crossed paths with but decided to let go which alerts Dexter to a massive problem. LaGuerta looks further into Doakes's disappearance and learns that he was almost certainly murdered. LaGuerta connects dots and catches onto Dexter. Dexter has no 'foe' but gets stuck in a state of anger which causes him to make a different variety of bad choices, letting his anger control him for a small time. Purposely killing an innocent man in the finale, he is visited by Brian who stays with him throughout Season 6, 7 and 8, influencing his decisions.
Season 6 - Faiths, Suspicions And Truths
What if Joey Quinn kept pushing his suspicions on Dexter? Debra struggles to figure out what Dexter is and finally sees him in the finale. Maria looks deeper into Dexter and Arthur. Masuka's daughter is discovered by Dexter to be a killer. Angel is the only one who believes in Dexter but is unsure where his and Dexter's loyalties lie. Debra finds Dexter killing Travis.
Season 7 - Twisted Nature
Another season, another killer, The Twister. The Twister twists her victims necks until their heads come off but not before twisting all of their limbs leaving a defunct corpse at landmarks. Joey is still investigating Dexter and digs up some questions. Debra starts going crazy after realising that Dexter is a killer and that she trusted him. Maria proves Lila couldn't have been the Bay Harbour Butcher. Angel leaves because he thinks he should retire. Masuka's daughter, Niki Walters, ends up being The Twister and she and Dexter come into contact and it ends with the death of Masuka, Niki being killed by Dexter and saving Harrison, Joey linking Dexter to a murder, Maria also linking Dexter to a murder and Debra finally losing control and ignoring orders from Maria. Elsewhere, Dexter is faced with the Stilt family. Dexter kills Thomas and Michael Stilt and discovers that a bigger game is at play. Dexter then kills Mia Stilt while looking for her sister, Lindsay Stilt. After discovering her dead siblings, Lindsay got a glimpse of Dexter's face and goes after him by using carefully planted false evidence. This is the same evidence Maria and Joey use to link Dexter to murders. Dexter eventually kills Lindsay and she reveals that she knew his dad. Impacting Dexter life since Lindsay ends up being Harry's original wife.
The Feature Presentation
Season 8 - The Manhunt
Note: Episode(s) 10, 11, 12 and would have to be an hour and 45 minutes, an hour and 55 minutes and 2 hours long for the finale respectively.
Episodes 1-3
After realising he's about to be arrested, Dexter kills Ramon Prado to tie up loose ends and leave no one close to him other than Deb. Dexter is discovered and is brought in for questioning, Debra loses her badge and is discharged for ignoring orders sending her into a drinking frenzy and Joey searches up leads and discovers Dexter was involved with the death of Masuka. Angel attempts to calm and reinstate Debra, Masuka's death leaves Dexter the only qualified Forensics Expert, Mathews combats Maria on arresting Dexter and Dexter is set free but people still have questions. Doakes's body is found.
Episodes 4-7
Dexter knows it's only a matter of time until he's discovered but he cannot leave because it would look suspicious, Dexter tries to find a way to escape without killing everyone. Debra gets into a fight with some people at a bar and ends up in hospital. Joey has no proof about Dexter but searches high and low then eventually finds a fingerprint of Masuka's daughter from a weapon in the kitchen. Maria is now determined to prove Dexter guilty and tries to manipulate Debra into revealing the truth. Angel begins to suspect Dexter for killings and investigates. Harry Morgan's body is dug up and laid before Dexter, and when realising someone knows who he is, Dexter panics and with Miami Metro watching his every move, Harrison being moved into an orphanage for protection, Dexter is ready to explode.
Episodes 8-9
Dexter discovers that Joey and Maria are working leads that are very close to home and tries to erase all evidence. Debra recovers but struggles with revealing the truth about her brother, weighing options. Maria keeps manipulating Debra. Joey manages to find Masuka's dead daughter and retrieves evidence that she killed Masuka. Angel has a heart attack when he discovers that Dexter is related to Brian Moser and goes to hospital. After an argument with Maria over Dexter, Angel considers that Doakes could have been framed. Dexter attempts to escape on a plane but a hurricane stops his plan, as hurricane Laura approaches, Dexter's mask begins to dissolve.
Episode 10
Joey connects dots with Masuka and his daughter discovering that Dexter had phoned her a lot with some interesting calls linking him to Masuka's murder. Maria finally gets Debra to snap and Debra reveals the truth about Dexter. Debra disappears an hour later. Angel explains to Joey about Brian so Joey and Angel connect dots and discover that Brian Moser had been in Dexter's apartment according to some witnesses. With the fear that Dexter's going to kill all of them, Angel, Joey and Maria talk and everything begins to point towards Dexter being one of the if not the most successful serial killer next to The Trinity Killer. Dexter however, tracks down the mysterious figure who has been playing with him. Dexter learns that this is Debra and goes to confront her. Dexter and Debra quickly argue over Debra's mental state and learns that Debra somehow blames herself for every person Dexter has killed.
Episode 11
After a fight with Dexter, Debra escapes and runs off. Maria, Joey and Angel go to Dexter's apartment and discover his tools. Dexter watches from afar and curses himself for being careless. Debra kidnaps Batista's ex-wife and kills her then sends her body to Dexter. Debra goes after Harrison in the orphanage and attempts to kill him only to find that Dexter had already moved him. Maria and Joey attempt to capture Dexter thinking he's the killer of Angel's ex-wife but it falls through and Angel still in hospital. Their plan falls through and Dexter searches for Debra. Debra visits Angel and nearly kills him before Maria saves Angel but fails to capture Debra.
Episode 12
Batista discovers his ex-wife's body and refuses to go after Dexter and instead protect his daughter. Joey gets scared off by the death of Batista's ex-wife and flies to Argentina. Maria realises she is no match for Dexter as he effortlessly exposes her affair with Esme Pascal's fiancé (season 2) and her past relationship with Doakes leaving her being investigated by Internal Affairs and she gets suspended then goes to Batista's house and they make love. Debra kills Matthews and Dexter captures Debra. Finally realising he brings death to everyone, Dexter kills Debra leaving him empty and in shock. Dexter takes Harrison and leaves him at Batista's doorstep. Dexter visits his apartment and reveals that he regrets killing everyone and wants to make amends. Dexter decides that he is a monster and picks up a recorder. The series end with the line, "My name is Dexter Morgan and I am a serial killer." The screen cuts to black.
Names Of Dexter's Victims
Season 5
Francis Dion (Episode 12)
Garfield Summers (Debra's case) (Episode 11)
Dan Hooves (Episode 1)
Miller Holt (Episode 3)
Ayesha Bourn (Episode 5)
Simon Inglis (Episode 7)
Richard Frey (Episode 9)
Arthur Trig (Episode 10)
Season 6
Travis Marshall/The Doomsday Killer (Antagonist) (Episode 12)
Walter Mciim (Episode 2)
Lumen Olli (Episode 3)
Tom Wart (Episode 5)
Lewis Record (Episode 8)
Samuel Tart (Episode 9)
Rachel Toms (Episode 10)
Ramsay Qual (Episode 11)
Season 7
The Twister/Niki Walters (Antagonist) (Episode 12)
Lindsay Stilt (Sub-plot Villain) (Episode 11)
Thomas Stilt (Episode 1)
Michael Stilt (Episode 1)
Jonah Mitchell (Episode 3)
Rebecca Mitchell (Episode 5)
Mia Stilt (Episode 7)
Kevin Inly (Episode 8)
Claire Moroni (Episode 9)
Season 8
Debra Morgan (Episode 12)
Ramon Prado (Episode 1)
Tim Oath (Episode 5)
Penelope Tyler (Episode 9)
Walter J. Crow (Episode 11)
Episode Names
Season 5
Episode 1 - Truth And Lies
Episode 2 - Burning Need
Episode 3 - Disgraceful
Episode 4 - Failed Attempt
Episode 5 - No Rest For A Monster
Episode 6 - A Turn Of Events
Episode 7 - Eventual Discovery
Episode 8 - Pitiful People
Episode 9 - Loosening The Ropes
Episode 10 - Loose Ropes
Episode 11 - Winter And Summer
Episode 12 - Twenty-Six-Biodegradable-Trashbags
Season 6
Episode 1 - Inverted Cross
Episode 2 - My Own Ritual
Episode 3 - Darken The Tone
Episode 4 - Is Religion A Choice Or A Fantasy?
Episode 5 - Blood Buckets
Episode 6 - Angel Wings
Episode 7 - Dead All Along
Episode 8 - Hunt The Hunter
Episode 9 - Wormwood
Episode 10 - If A Killer Became A Victim
Episode 11 - 666
Episode 12 - Unlocking Downfall
Season 7
Episode 1 - Am I Truly A Monster?
Episode 2 - Stilts
Episode 3 - Face The Consequences
Episode 4 - Turn To The Right
Episode 5 - Turn To The Left
Episode 6 - Wrapping Paper
Episode 7 - Another Lead
Episode 8 - Losing Hold Of The Leash
Episode 9 - 360 Degree Twist
Episode 10 - Like A Dog After Rolling In Mud
Episode 11 - Falling From Atop Your Height
Episode 12 - Snap!
Season 8
Episode 1 - The Devil Removes Prado
Episode 2 - Questions
Episode 3 - The Painter Or Paintbrush?
Episode 4 - Time To Leave
Episode 5 - Bob And Weave
Episode 6 - Morgan Or Moser
Episode 7 - Tiny Needle To Tie
Episode 8 - The Unspoken Truth
Episode 9 - Tying It All Together
Episode 10 - Holding On By A Thread
Episode 11 - Come Undone
Episode 12 - My Name Is Dexter Morgan