Dexter showrunner Scott Buck address the decision to pull the trigger on the finale twist and elaborates further on the show’s story plans for the last two seasons.
Major spoilers for the Dexter season 6 finale follow
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While many Dexter fans think it’s about time that Deb’s found out the truth about her brother’s true nature, a fair number are dissatisfied with the staging of that final scene – for sure, it was a bit cumbersome and convenient. In an interview with EW, Buck sheds some light on the decision to pull the trigger in the way that they did:
It feels like she’s been gradually finding out things for years except not willing to look at them. She is a detective, she is very smart, but I don’t believe she believes he might be a killer. But there was always something tugging at her mind that there was more to Dexter than she realized. So let’s get it over with and pull the curtain off on that. It just seemed like a more fun and interesting way to go.
Personally, I think the contrived reason for Deb’s discovering in the way that she did is because they wanted to have it happen inside a church, for obvious thematic and symbolic reasons. But I digress.
As for season 7, Buck says they’re very much in the embryonic stages of plotting the story. In terms of story goals, he says it’s all about developing characters:
One advantage we have is we most likely have two seasons and then we’re out, so we can start working toward the end game. We haven’t even begun to consider who the bad guys are, but we are open to changing formats. We don’t feel like we need to stick to something just because we did it in previous seasons, though at the same time we don’t feel like we can’t do something just because we have done something similar before.
Dexter is always a show that’s less about plot twists and much more about characters. Our allegiance is always most strongly to the character of Dexter Morgan. What’s the most satisfying, honest place to take Dexter over the next two years.
As for why Dex wasn’t unconscious when Travis made him inject himself? Buck says Dex emptied the needle seconds before, but it didn’t look right in post-production so they left it out without on-screen explanation.
Finally, on what he’s found most interesting in terms of fan feedback? It’s that some viewers are uneasy with the Deb/Dex love storyline:
I find it kind of interesting that people are uneasy about Deb’s love toward her brother. That on a show about serial killers, it’s the idea of love that makes people more uncomfortable. We did some research on that among adopted siblings: It does exist and it does happen, and it does create a very awkward situation.
Source: EW
You can relive the finale moments of season 6 in the player below:
PERSON OF INTEREST Renewed For Season 2
TERRA NOVA: Season 2 Decision Delayed Until 2012
ONCE UPON A TIME: The Comprehensive Character Guide
BREAKING BAD: Bryan Cranston Confirms Season 5 Will Premiere In July
FRINGE OBSERVATIONS: 4.22 Brave New World: Part 2
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ONCE UPON A TIME OBSERVATIONS: 1.22 A Land Without Magic
ONCE UPON A TIME OBSERVATIONS: 1.21 An Apple Red As Blood
FRINGE OBSERVATIONS: 4.21 Brave New World: Part 1
ONCE UPON A TIME OBSERVATIONS: 1.20 The Stranger
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
An open letter to one Mr. Scott Buck.
“Dexter is always a show that’s less about plot twists and much more about characters. Our allegiance is always most strongly to the character of Dexter Morgan. What’s the most satisfying, honest place to take Dexter over the next two years.”
Uh..Ummm…Ok…I call bull$#!+.
This whole entire season has been about a plot twist (well 9 out of 12 episodes). And to be totally honest a bad M. Night Shamalan type of twist, which might I add; I saw coming from the get-go. I can’t even count how many times Dexter said something quite stupid and obvious this season. The exposition was just sophomoric at best. My eyes were rolling so much that I got dizzy every Sunday night. Let’s not stop there…Not only was it focused on that one contrived plot twist for 9 episodes, but it contained numerous other used-up plot devises as well. (Convenient back doors in basements, and other such unrealistic escapes, un-needed characters,[I'm speaking of Hot intern chick, and Chicago Suit Detective] More cliffhangers than needed, un-characteristic characters,[every single supporting character] and of course the most insane plot device…The quasi-incestuous “sister is in love with brother” thing) that brings me to my next point of contention…
“I find it kind of interesting that people are uneasy about Deb’s love toward her brother. That on a show about serial killers, it’s the idea of love that makes people more uncomfortable. We did some research on that among adopted siblings: It does exist and it does happen, and it does create a very awkward situation.”
It is not the idea of Love that makes anyone uncomfortable. It is the unnatural idea of a non-platonic type of love between siblings, whether they are blood or not. That sir is the “ick” factor that seems to be eluding you. Now I can see that you all couldn’t find any better way to soften the blow that will likely come as a result of Debra seeing Dexter do his thing… But to use romantic love between siblings as padding? *Shudders* That is just plain bad planning and writing. I mean are you seriously gonna go down that road? Do you really think we as an audience are gonna believe that Dexter will reciprocate those feelings to Debra? I really hope not. You see I can forgive you of this mess you made as long as you see it and clean it up quickly next season, but if you are really gonna run with it then you sir need to let someone else run this show.
Now for the way you handled the “big reveal”…
When met with a question regarding said “reveal” and its noticeably convenient and cumbersome nature you respond like this:
“It feels like she’s been gradually finding out things for years except not willing to look at them. She is a detective, she is very smart, but I don’t believe she believes he might be a killer. But there was always something tugging at her mind that there was more to Dexter than she realized. So let’s get it over with and pull the curtain off on that. It just seemed like a more fun and interesting way to go.”
Wow…What a way to avoid actually answering the question at hand. Need I say more? Do you really think we are that dumb? Either that, or you are really that dumb yourself. again I say; You sir need to go back to being just a staff writer, and leave the show-running to the big dogs. I mean come on, I could deal with the hold-back of the big “Deb catches Dex” reveal even for another season if need be, if it meant not having you running this show. Sure the old showrunner was withholding that for a little too long, but at least he wasn’t entertaining the asinine idea that Deb had feelings for Dex.
What it boils down to is this:
This season was the laziest season of writing this show has ever seen. It’s almost as if you guys lost your show-bible. (maybe the old show-runner took it with him when he left?) The “big bad” of the season was a non-character all thanks to your “genius” plot twist. Yep I said it. Since you spent 9 episodes showing us that Geller was the mastermind, and that Travis was the acolyte, you set up certain expectations for the characters. Then in one fell swoop you made all that disappear, but instead of being true to your story and fleshing out the sudden need for Travis to learn to act on his own, you made him into a bumbling moron. I mean you could have at least kept Eddie Olmos around to make us believe that Travis was still seeing Geller to the end, but nope you abandoned that and went with the “he’s on his own now” routine, only to have him unrealistically change into a killing robot on a pre-programmed path. But all the while having him come up with the most ridiculous ideas and following through with them. Let’s just say that if it wasn’t for Dexter’s tampering, and hindering of the investigation, then it’s suffice to say that Travis would have been caught way sooner.
Somehow despite all of this crap you put me through while watching this, I still enjoyed the season. I say that not to reward your writing and running of the show, but as a testament to the superb acting of Michael C. Hall And Jennifer Carpenter. Somehow they pulled it off and you should be eternally grateful for that. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for the rest of the cast. But I can say it really wasn’t their fault it was your bad writing that made me wanna strangle all the supporting cast of characters. I will (reluctantly) see this series through to the end, but just know that you have left a terrible taste in my mouth that will need lots and lots of mouthwash to get rid of, so get the bottle of peroxide ready, because you have the gift of 24 more hours left to clean it up.
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Couldn’t agree more.
As I’ve said before,
Ever since season 2, I think Dexter’s writing staff have been more after the “audience” than the “quality”.
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Yep. They certainly thought they found their niche. And in some ways they actually did, but this season takes the cake. They took what was most certainly a caricature of a serial killer show already, and literally turned it into a cartoon of itself. The only change I know of this season is that they made one of the writers into the showrunner. That, I believe is/was the big mistake they made this season.
It just really seems like the kid that has just moved out on his own, and is gonna spend the whole first year of freedom doing every single thing that his parents told him he couldn’t do while living at home just because he can now. Or maybe better yet; The 20 something that gets to inherit his daddy’s company only to run it into the ground immediately due to his lack of organizational and managerial skills. He doesn’t seem to realize yet that in doing this he is totally diluting the entire series at its most crucial point in time. He needs a wake up call, before he’s allowed to just go into the planning of the next season, and maybe he needs a more seasoned partner to help him along the way (a dark passenger of sorts).
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My version of the final scene would have gone something like this:
(I’ll write it in exposition format mainly because I don’t feel like putting it into screenplay format)
Dex has Travis on the table (still unconscious). Meanwhile “Ghost Harry” stands behind him asking him if he really thinks he’s doing what is best for this one.
Dex has some dialog with “Ghost Harry” telling him how he tried to let Deb have this one, but because of the fact that Travis tried to kill him and his son, he feels the need to unleash the dark passenger to clean this up for good.
“Ghost Harry” then reminds him that Deb and crew are still out there looking for Travis, and that they won’t stop this time. Dex then gets overcome by his dark passenger and tells “Ghost Harry” to just be quiet and let him work. “Ghost Harry” obliges, folds his arms takes a step back and watches… waiting…
Dex then revives Travis, so that he will be totally present for his impending execution. Off to the side we see “Ghost Geller” standing opposite “Ghost Harry”, and doing a tsk-tsk while shaking his head.
Travis looks at “Ghost Geller” and asks him why? That he did everything he wanted of him, everything GOD wanted of him! He asks why this is happening to him? “Ghost Geller” replies that he had never heard God, he was totally deluded by his own subconscious desires that he lost touch with God long ago. Travis looks at Dex and say’s all the stuff he said in the actual episode.
Dex replies as he did in the episode…
Then, Just before Dex goes in for the kill, “Ghost Harry” reminds Dex to let Deb have this one, for one last time. Dex ignores him and continues with his final dialog to Travis as said in the actual episode.
As Travis is preparing for his soon to be trip to the afterlife, he snags one last look at “Ghost Geller” in the corner, but finds that “Ghost Geller” is no longer there. He has the realization that where he’s about to go isn’t exactly where he’s been planning to go.
This is when Deb Walks in, and overhears the final monologue of Dex to Travis. This is the point at which Dex should have said “I am a father, a son, (looking at “Ghost Harry” who has a troubled look on his face), and a serial killer.” (this is the point at which Deb should gasp) then Dex plunges the sword into Travis’s chest and realizes he’s not alone in the room anymore. Then of course…”Oh God!” the end.
I know Fan fiction right? But to me that would have been a HELLOVA lot better than what we got.
Your thoughts?
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wow.
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I take it you don’t approve?
Oh well I just think there should have been more to it than what it was. I also think Figment Harry should have been around for the Deb/Dex Reveal.
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no you took that wrong, that was great. thats all i could think of to say.
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Oh ok Well in that case thanks! I reread it and realized it was lacking a certain something, but Honestly I wrote in a matter of minutes, so…
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(hey sorry I’m a couple days late for this, but I just read it and…)
Hell YEAH! Agreed with all 100% with what you’ve said. Perfectly expressed and written everything that’s just sitting on the tongues of most of the fans
Is there any way Dexter’s fans can raise our voice and get Scott Buck fired, please. Bring back the original writers!!! I mean seriously, I feel ill just thinking that the fate of the show’s story is in this man’s hands
ps: I hope you’ve send this letter to Showtime or some PTB who’s beyond Mr. Buck
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