Geoff Pierson recently opened up about the ending he had always envisioned for Dexter’s story.
Looking back at the two series finales of Dexter, the original lumberjack ending in 2013 and Dexter: New Blood in 2022, it is more than clear that neither was actually well-received. But according to Geoff Pierson, who played Captain Tom Matthews, there were always three endings that felt inevitable to him.
In a recent interview with Brett Allan, Pierson revealed the only outcomes he ever imagined for Dexter’s story:
“I remember thinking there were only three ways it could end. Either one of the bad guys he goes after takes him out, the police finally discover what he’s been doing and arrest him, or he ends his own life...for obvious reasons. None of those ended up being the way they went. Instead, he escaped and started over somewhere else.”
What’s interesting is that each of these possibilities actually seem realistic, and many of us have considered them at one point or another. Still, neither of the official finales followed any of those paths.
The Season 8 finale saw Dexter fake his own death and went into self-imposed exile, a choice that left many viewers disappointed. Years later, Dexter: New Blood attempted a more definitive ending, with Dexter dying at the hands of his son, Harrison.
It was definitely a bold direction by original showrunner Clyde Phillips, but even that did not really meet fan expectations.
Of course, that ending didn’t actually stick. With Dexter’s fate now thankfully undone, the story can continue in Dexter: Resurrection Season 2, giving us another chance to see our favorite antihero evolve and, hopefully, reach a more fitting conclusion in future seasons.
While most viewers are in...no rush to see Dexter ending again, the debate is always open. And if Pierson’s instincts were actually right all along, maybe the “true” ending for Dexter still hasn’t happened yet!