We still have months to wait for the seventh season of Dexter to premiere on Showtime. The recently released teaser for Season 7 reminded us that there's a major issue to anticipate after how things left off in Season 6. It's at this point that I'll warn away anyone who hasn't gotten caught up with the series. There are major spoilers regarding Season 6 in this article (and a few minor ones for the upcoming Season 7!).
When Season 6 left off, Deb had just discovered what her brother was. She as on her way to confront him about her feelings for him when she witnessed him plunging a knife into Travis' chest. TV Guide caught up with executive producer Sara Colleton to talk about what's ahead for Season 7 of the excellent Showtime serial-killer drama.
Obviously, the topic of Deb and Dexter's relationship came up. From the sound of it, Dexter will be tackling a number of new emotions in the wake of Deb's discovery. They've always had a sort of close relationship, or at least as close as a relationship as someone like Dexter can have. In some ways, Deb knows Dexter better than anyone. But she didn't know his darkest secret. So it's understandable that this revelation would affect both of them on a deep level. Colleton says "regret, responsibility, shame" and "betrayal" are among the emotions that will be explored. She goes on to talk about Dexter's conflicting emotions when it comes to being known, saying " Also, it's the flip side of wanting to be known, and then once you are known, there's a loss of freedom."
As for Deb, we know she loves her brother, and we know she also now loves her brother, but she's also a cop. How will all of that fit together with what she's seen? Here's what Colleton said there…
But she is the head of the homicide division and so it has to really affect her sense of justice and the whole system. It's a really challenging year for her to juggle. And Dexter, of course, his world is equally rocked. He's never had to deal with these kinds of emotions — regret, guilt, a sense of having let Deb down and also, obviously, the gnawing suspicion that at any time, she could have him arrested.
Colleton says Deb knowing everything will be a game-changer. That's probably a major understatement. At the very least, it's not a spoiler. We knew the game was changing the moment she walked in on him in the Season 6 finale.
Deb isn't the only person Dexter may have to worry about next season. From the sound of it, LaGuerta may present a problem for him once again. Here's where things get a little more spoilery, so be warned!
Remember back during the earlier seasons when Sergeant Doakes was causing problems for Dexter? In the end, Doakes ended up dead and pinned by the cops and media as the Bay Harbor Butcher. It took the heat off Dexter and sure, Doakes was unfairly branded a murderer, but the case seemed closed for all intents and purposes. Well, maybe not. From what Colleton says, something happens that causes LaGuerta to question that whole situation…
There are other complications that will come in because, at the crime scene, Dexter's blood slide gets found by Lieutenant LaGuerta (Lauren Velez) because he loses it in the chaos that ensues and she immediately recognizes it's his. The only other time that she had seen this blood slide was in the copy case of the Bay Harbor Butcher. Her dear friend Sergeant Doakes, everyone thought he was the Bay Harbor Butcher, and thought that when he died, the Bay Harbor Butcher died with him. Now, she begins to suspect, "Is the Bay Harbor Butcher still alive and how can I set about proving the innocence of my friend Sergeant Doakes?" That is something that's a silent thing at the start, but it's, again, going to be eventually working its way back to Dexter. It's going to be very interesting to see if she can exonerate him.
I almost feel like Doakes deserves to be vindicated. My memory may be a bit rusty here, so feel free to correct me in the comments, but while I remember Doakes being an unlikable character, I don't know that he was a really bad person, was he? In fact, wasn't that an issue? He knew what Dexter was, but Dexter couldn't kill him because of the code. It was Lila who killed him. So, as much as I don't want Dexter to be found out, and as little as I like LaGuerta in recent seasons, Doakes' story does seem unresolved. I like that, at the very least, it's being dredged back up again. It could create some interesting conflict, especially if it comes down to Deb having to decide whether or not to help her brother, should LaGuerta re-open the investigation.
It's certainly worth adding that it sounds like next season (Season 8) will be the last. When TV Guide inquired about the two-season pick-up for Dexter Colleton said...
This was definite. We wanted to end it this year, but the network convinced us that it would be best to do it in two years. In some ways, this is a two-season series-ender. We have worked that out and know where it's going to end. Next year will definitely be the last year of Dexter. Absolutely.
Given the length of its run already, that's not a huge surprise, but hopefully they'll find a way to elevate the story to the greatness we saw in some of the earlier seasons of the series. While I'll be sad to see the show go when it finally does draw to a close, I can't wait to see what kind of ending they have in store for it.
Watch the new teaser for Dexter Season 7 here.
