Dexter: Resurrection Season 1 Episode 10, “And Justice For All…,” serves as a redemption for all the finales that came before that left fans unhappy. It’s safe to say that not only did (almost) everyone in the finale get the justice they deserved, but so did Dexter fans.
While not as face-draining as prior season finales, the Dexter: Resurrection finale still brought on some heart-pounding moments and closure. It moves fast but comes to a satisfying end that teases some doors still left open for a potential Season 2.
The episode opens with Dexter saying his final goodbye to Batista and Brian entering his subconscious. Brian always comes into Dexter’s conscience when Dexter is at a breaking point between acting outside the code or within.
It’s interesting that we get to see Dexter almost lose it before he switches back to Harry being in his subconscious, showing Dexter has better control over his dark passenger and chooses to do better.
Batista and Brian are figures from Dexter’s past life. It’s symbolic that both are put to rest (and for Brian, again), which indicates Dexter truly is on a new path. He’s approaching his urges with a different mindset now that Harrison is more present in his life.
It’s not really about putting his dark passenger to rest, but more so embracing it to become “better.”
The entire show, from the original series to Dexter: Resurrection, has been about Dexter lacking empathy and feelings, but come this final episode, Dexter does find meaning in his life through Harrison.
He’s fiercely protective of his son, and his urge to keep him safe sometimes seems stronger than his urge to kill. Dexter showed a lot of growth in this episode, and his state of mind is surely more peaceful by the end when he’s on Prater’s yacht in the Hudson River.
The Hudson River Butcher has a nice ring to it. The finale leaves a few doors open with Dexter looking over Prater’s files of serial killers still on the loose, solidifying that Dexter’s work is not and never will be done.
At the top of the pile is Al’s file — a call back to mid-season when he got away. It’s formulaic and shows us that, unlike other finales of Dexter, they won’t have any loose ends this time.
Detective Claudette, over the course of the season, turns into a really likable character by the end, too, when the song “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees comes on at the gala. Among all the chaos and tension, it’s enjoyable to see her let loose for once this show.
It’s also satisfying as a viewer to see her see the truth about Prater and stumble upon his files of killers, including the New York Ripper. That case has been at the top of her mind, so it’s exciting to see her get a name. Hopefully, if there’s a Season 2, they will flesh out her character even more with that storyline.
The cherry on top of the finale is the visual of Dexter on Prater’s yacht, Statue of Liberty in the background, seemingly finally at peace and newfound freedom with who he is and what he’s done to reach this point—a true “resurrection” as Dexter says.
It is evocative of the times Dexter drove his boat, “Slice of Life,” out in the Bay in Miami, after a kill. It’s a full circle that he’s back in another body of water, but this time, instead of questioning who he is and what he does, he’s accepting.
Dexter breaks the fourth wall when he says, “This is who I am. What I am. I’m Dexter Morgan. I’m exactly who I need to be. Exactly who you want me to be,” signifying his connection with the audience and complete acceptance of his dark passenger–acceptance that this is the end of Dexter’s redemption arc but the beginning of his “resurrection.”
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Samantha Barker
Samantha Barker is a writer and fangirl from New Jersey. When she's not rewatching Daredevil or listening to the Beatles, she's cosplaying and attending comic-cons with her friends. Sam also co-hosts a podcast called Fangirl Confessions and writes for her Substack, Samantha, etc. Connect with her on X: @0nyourleftsam and IG: @onyourleftsam.