Dexter Season 5. (Spoilers)

i posted some of this somewhere else.  i don't feel like rewording it, so here were my thoughts right after i saw it:
 
the best part was when she dumps dexter, and he flips out and just curls up. i was like, damn... he's stuck being dexter, even though he thought he could be something more, and there's no hope for him. sad.

parts i didn't like were how they were conveniently behind that sheet when Deb showed up, and how quickly they cleaned up jordan and booked.

and how there was really no progress this season. all they pretty much did was this self contained story, and if anything they took a step back with his character. they humanized him, but in the end his connection with Lumen turned out to be temporary. so did he really feel something new with her? because the very end made it seem like it didn't matter. granted, he pretty much felt like anyone that just got dumped, jealous of other couples and such. though i'd go and play guitar to get over it, he'll kill dudes.

so yes, next season i really don't know what they could do that's new.  as much as i love the show, i am worried that it'll get burned out. we're already seeing some stories repeat, though a bit differently (investigated by doakes/quinn, or bringing in miguel/lumen).

5 seasons is usually good for a drama show, but it seems like they wanna keep going. this was supposed to be a reboot of the character, and in a sense it had a strong focus on him. but will we ever have a villain as good as Arthur Mitchell? or an arc as interesting as the Bay Harbor Butcher? i don't know, i hope so 

" @TwoOneFive: Yeah but that's kinda boring. I was hoping something like Deb finding out would happen.  "

" @Afroman269: Stop badmouthing Stiles.  She's one stone cold fox.   "

I will say Aster asking Dexter "Did you do it?" was pretty god damn hilarious. 

Okay, time for a rewrite. Yesterday after watching the finale, I was pretty disappointed (As you can see from my review on the 10th page). But, I just finished the episode again like 10 minutes ago and I have to say that I really liked it now. I think the reason for this was because I was expecting a jaw dropping ending like S4's, but now I have come to realize that most likely NONE of the finales from here on out will ever top 4's. So anyone that didn't really enjoy the finale should watch it again sometime and make sure to watch it as a resolution to the story and not as a "Can this top last season's finale?" view.
 
I am perfectly okay with the ending of this season now and unlike many others, I enjoyed the season all the way through, even from the very first episode. Once you look at it from "What was the main point of this season?", you will start to enjoy it more (or at least I did). The season began with the aftermath of Rita's death and Dexter finally had a sense of guilt and didn't know how to deal with it. Once he meets Lumen, he thinks that doing a good deed for her will release his guilt, but also starts to get wrapped up in love with her as well. That's what I think the point of this season was, it was both a love story and a redemption for Dexter. The ending though was not what he was expecting. When Dex finally fell for Lumen, it seemed like he totally forgot about Rita, but once Lumen leaves him, he remembers the true purpose he did what he did and it did help him free the guilt even though Jordan said it wouldn't. Freeing Lumen's Dark Passenger helped him move on with his life and lose the guilt he carried and also showed him that he could possibly change as well (But immediately writes it off as a wish that's "only for children").
 
I also watched Deb and Quinn's dialogue and actions closely to see if either of them are on to Dex in the slightest. Deb's line to Dex at the end about if he is glad that it's all over now seems strange due to it never stating what he should feel glad for. Also, when Dexter is examining Quinn's shoe in his office and Deb walks in and says the "You think you someone, but you really don't" line could go for either Quinn or Dexter. I may just be thinking too much into this (or I'm crazy), but some of this stuff makes it sound like Deb might know that it was Dex behind the curtain. For Quinn's side, the first thing I noticed was the boat scene where he turns to Dexter for a opinion on what Liddy's death may have been for. The way he looks at Dexter after his response can be taken two ways. 1. He knows that Dex killed Liddy, but decides not to complicate things as it was his fault to begin with or 2. He is just making small talk to not act more suspicious. The next scene was at the very end where Quinn walks up to Dexter and says thanks and that he owns him one. If he does know about Dexter killing Liddy, maybe this owning is not saying anything. (More suspicious staring contest made me think this is true even more).
 
I am really excited now for next season because they once again have a fresh slate to start on, which was a problem for Season 5 for most people. It was the only true sequel season in the show and many expected the entire season to focus on the Kyle Butler investigation and Quinn's suspicions, but it instead took a side turn and dumped that all in the first 3 episodes for a new plot. I just hope that next season as least one of the major cast learns of Dex's secret and doesn't leave or die, it would make for a good Season 7, which I believe should be the last. 
 
New final score: 8/10
 
(Side Note: I always like to analyze the episode names after I watched it to see what it meant. The Big One clearly refers to Harrison's first birthday, but the original name was Through a Glass, Darkly. My take on it was when Lumen told Dexter she had to leave and before throwing the plates, Dexter looked into them at his reflection right after talking about the Dark Passanger. Anyone else care to share what the title may have been referring too?)

I liked this season just fine but the show has run its course. I hope next season is the last one.

I called it halfway into this thread, this season is a let-down, the story arcs were muddled and when it finally focused it was just anti-climactic. Chase was a pushover, the whole Quinn situation was left to suspension of disbelief; what, just because the blood isn't his, they automatically dismiss any notion of his involvement even though there were more ties between him and Liddy and he was clearly being shady about it...and assuming Dexter had to have had a reason for clearing his record, how could Quinn not put two and two together - he was already 99% sure about Dexter before anyway...to think he would knowingly let a murderer (albeit a vigilante) roam free, in his police dept. no less, is ridiculous, no matter what theory or vague catharsis on Dexter's actions he's put together. Come to think of it, he could have easily explained the whole situation down to him responding to Liddy's call and getting the blood in his shoe standing by the van. If he would have disclosed everything, the only one at risk is Dexter, and the only thing Quinn would have maybe lost is Debra - but isn't it equally fucked up to suspect someone of murder and not tell their sibling - your lover?! 
 
Which brings me to the whole Debra situation - in the scene where she finds Lumen and Dexter, it seemed like FINALLY there would be that moment of discovery on her part and thus something to force the show into character growth and deeper morality conflict. Instead, we get the same old formulaic status quo bullshit - Deb emphasizes with 13 (hey kids remember season 1? We sure do lololol!) and completely breaks character by walking off. And of course, Lumen leaves for the same old status quo - ready for season 6 of Dexter, the show where nothing has a long-term effect on anyone anyway!
 
Just for the record, I loved this show. Season 2 and 4 are still brilliant. All I wanted was for the writers to actually work with the problems that the end of season 4 presented for Dexter, flesh him out a bit more. Instead we get deus ex machinas - perfect nannies, kids at grandparents, random occurences.  
 
And remember Santa del Muerte? Yeah I guess neither Dexter or the writers care about beheadings, obviously rape is much worse.

"And remember Santa del Muerte? Yeah I guess neither Dexter or the writers care about beheadings, obviously rape is much worse. "

Sorry if this has already been asked, but I don't feel like reading endless pages looking for one stupid answer.  
 
Did they ever cover exactly what happened with the beheadings?  I remember one of the guys died, but didn't his brother get away? And wasn't that the last they really look into it? I'm honestly not sure, my memory kinda sucks, so I thought I'd ask.

" @Linkin10362: Why would they have 2 sad endings in a row, season 4 was a shocking last episode, and season 5 is a happy closure to the season. "