In a brand-new interview on the Dissecting Dexter podcast, the beloved actor went down memory lane and recalled how he learned that Doakes would die.
Looking back at the original Dexter series, there are many characters who stood out, but there is one who remains beloved by fans to this day, nearly 20 years later. And that is James Doakes, brilliantly played by Erik King.
Doakes was a Sergeant at Miami Metro Police Department and one of the few people who never trusted Dexter Morgan. Although he had joined the department years earlier, the series only gave us two years with him before his tragic death in Season 2.
Doakes was killed just days after discovering the truth that Dexter was the Bay Harbor Butcher.
For many fans, especially during rewatches, seeing Doakes leave the show is still difficult. His death remains one of the most tragic moments in the original series. But looking back at how the story unfolded, it is hard to see how Doakes could have survived.
He had discovered Dexter's biggest secret, and there was no way he could simply walk away and keep quiet. At the same time, the writers needed to find a way to keep Dexter's story moving forward, which eventually led to Doakes being framed as the Bay Harbor Butcher.
Erik King Reveals How He Found Out Doakes Would Die
Killing off a major character is never easy, especially for the actor playing them. It essentially means losing a job on a successful TV series, and Erik King recently opened up about what it was like to learn that his time as Doakes was coming to an end.
During a brand-new interview with Erik King on the Dissecting Dexter podcast, the longest-running Dexter podcast online since 2010, the actor revealed that he was called in and given both good and bad news.
The good news was that the writers planned to give Doakes some strong material. The bad news, King quickly learned, was that Doakes was going to die.
King explained that he actually preferred not knowing too far in advance because, as an actor, knowing exactly how a character's story ends can affect the way you play the character. Still, once he was told, he immediately understood why Doakes had to die.
He knew Doakes was not a bad guy, despite his complicated past, and he also understood that there had to be a reason behind the character's death.
“The good news is we're going to write some good stuff for you. And the bad news is [slices throat gesture].”
That was when King realized that Doakes' story was coming to an end.
King Learned About Dexter's Secret Only Shortly Before Doakes Did
During the interview, host Gareth Watkins also asked King when he learned that Doakes would discover Dexter's secret. King revealed that he was not told from the beginning of Season 2. Instead, he found out only about one or two episodes before it happened.
He actually praised the writers and producers for being considerate enough to tell him ahead of time rather than letting him discover it during a table read. Had that happened, King admitted, it would have been a lot to process in the moment.
Interestingly, his first thought after learning what was going to happen was not himself or his character. It was his fellow cast members.
Why Doakes Had to Die
King's comments also show that he understood why the writers had reached that point with Doakes.
By the time Season 2 unfolded, Doakes had become too close to the truth. Once he discovered that Dexter was the Bay Harbor Butcher, there was no realistic way for the character to simply be sent to prison and have the story continue as normal.
King later explained that, given everything that was happening at the time, Doakes had to die for the show to continue. And while his death remains one of the most painful moments, it also helped turn Season 2 into one of the most exciting seasons of the OG series.