Dexter: From which season the show's popularity started going downhill and why? Everything to know

Dexter aired from 2006 until 2013 before returning for a final season in 2021. The series, which was based on Jeff Lindsay's book series, was a psychological masterwork that explored the idea of what makes a person good or terrible. The show revolved around Serial killer Dexter Morgan, who exclusively killed other killers.

In comparison to the previous four seasons of the show, season 5 marked the start of the series' decline in quality. Narrative flaws such as Lumen's (Julia Stiles) sudden exit and Quinn's (Desmond Harrington) inquiry being abandoned indicate a lack of planning and consideration in the storytelling.

Dexter on Showtime was a drama about a complex serial murderer that ran for a long time and enjoyed critical and economic success. Dexter's abrupt ending in season 8 left many fans confused and disappointed. The show had, however, started to lose its direction long before season 8 even aired, despite the conclusion being a depressing finish for the program.

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Seasons that marked the downfall of Dexter

Following season 5, season 6 also suffered from narrative problems chiefly, the awkward way in which Travis Marshall's promise as an engaging character was handled and wasted.

The sixth season of the show included a lot of out-of-character scenes and odd creative decisions that took away from the overall excellence of the show. Compared to previous seasons, this one's treatment of the show's plot was more haphazard, resulting in decisions that were less considered and less deliberate than the show had shown in the past.

The antagonist of Season 6 was Trevor Marshall (Colin Hanks), a.k.a. the Doomsday Killer, who is regarded as one of the least interesting and most predictable antagonists in the whole eight-season run of the show.

In addition, it was weird and superfluous to disclose after season 6 that Debra was in love with Dexter. It raised questions about the character's future and suggested that Deb might not have a distinct character arc, which turned out to be the case in season 8. She swiftly moved on from killing LaGuerta and reconciled with Quinn, only to be mercilessly killed off in the series finale.

Furthermore, a departure from the main character's usual subjects, and a noticeable departure from place, was the exploration of religious beliefs in season 6. All of this exposed flaws in the storyline of the show and demonstrated the possibility that the creative team may be running out of fresh approaches to narrating the story of the character.

If the program had ended with the "Surprise, Motherf***er!" season 7 finale, the show would have bounced back from seasons 5 and 6. However, the creators of the program chose to move forward with season 8.

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In addition to having dull adversaries in Elway and The Brain Surgeon arc, the show's eighth season ends abruptly with Deb and Dexter parting ways following an odd six-month time jump. The eighth season of the program falls short of connecting the narrative threads that it has been trying to develop throughout eight seasons, leaving viewers with a clumsy climax that doesn't even seem like Dexter.

Despite the show's optimistic comeback in season 7, the show's declining quality trend that began in season 5 allowed for the catastrophe of a series finale.