The original Season 2 finale almost looked very different for Lila and Dexter, until Michael C. Hall stepped in.
Even though Dexter is celebrating 20 years this fall, interviews with cast and crew members continue to bring many unheard behind-the-scenes stories to light.
During a recent appearance on the YouTube series Dexter's Kill Room, which is currently in its third season, veteran actor Jaime Murray, who brilliantly played Lila West for nine episodes, revealed that her character was originally supposed to have an ending similar to what we got in The Sopranos finale.
In fact, the Season 2 finale was written in a much more open-ended way, until Michael C. Hall stepped in to change it.
Lila West's Original Ending Was Very Different
Murray revealed that her final scenes in Paris were actually filmed on location. However, instead of showing Dexter track her down, the original script ended with Lila walking into an art gallery before the lights went out, leaving her fate entirely open-ended.
"I think it would have been very poetic and beautiful and subtle," Murray said. But then Michael C. Hall stepped in.
Michael C. Hall Didn't Want Fans to Hate Lila's Ending
According to Murray, Hall had a very specific concern about the original script. He believed fans had become so frustrated with Lila that they would demand to actually see Dexter finish the job.
Murray disagreed with Hall's reasoning, arguing that keeping Lila's fate ambiguous could have allowed her to return to the franchise down the line.
"Which I actually would argue with that. I actually thought that maybe they could have brought me back many times since then if they hadn't seen me die," she said. "So, I think that it was a foolish thought and that the producers shouldn't have listened to him."
She then jokingly pointed out that Lila could potentially still be around in the franchise today if Hall hadn't intervened. "I mean, I could have been in the current season, couldn't I, if he hadn't spoken to the producers," Murray joked.
Of course, the ending fans eventually got was very different. Since Lila knew Dexter's secret, Dex tracked her down to Paris and ultimately killed her in her hotel room. And honestly, there was plenty of reason for Dexter to consider Lila a threat.
She knew that he was the Bay Harbor Butcher, had already put Rita and her children, Astor and Cody, in danger, and last but not least, she had murdered James Doakes at the cabin in the Everglades, an action that made her fit Harry's Code.
Despite preferring the original idea, Murray admitted that she also liked the ending that viewers ultimately received. "It's quite a romantic kill, though. I think she's misunderstood," she said, before adding, "It was a beautiful death."
Considering that Dexter had only aired one season before this storyline officially began, Michael C. Hall's understanding of the audience's reaction is definitely notable, as he accurately recognized just how much fans would need to see Lila pay for everything she had done.