Do I need to watch all of Dexter to understand how it ends?

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I watched the first episode of the show and interested to see how it ends, especially since I read that fans found the series finale to be polarizing. Please don't tell me what happens!

However, I was wondering if I need to watch the entire series to understand the finale. Some shows you don't. For example, a show like Perry Mason, every episode almost, is a completely different court case and you don't need to watch them all to understand the series finale. Same with Columbo, or something like that.

But is Dexter the same way, where every episode almost deals with a different case, or is it all very continuous, and I need to watch the whole series to absorb the ending?

What do you think?

Maybe at least the last season, and it's been a while for me.

Generally though i think if you've seen some dexter you have a pretty good overall idea, enough to appreciate the finale.

Okay thanks. I've watched some more episodes now, and I like the main plot with Dexter but I feel a lot of the subplots involving the other characters aren't that good so far and just sort of lack drama. So I feel I don't want to watch the whole series, but at the same time, I'm curious to see how Dexter's story ends.

I've got to say more after watching some episodes again last night.

My diagnosis was this year - last year, I had no idea what was at the root of my difficulties.

I remember catching an episode then latching on and watching them all, mostly looking for answers.

Here was a depiction of a character who seemed to have a lot in common with this nameless thing that was bugging me.

His foster father needed to explain social interactions to him - "she wanted you to ask her to the dance". Dexter describes feeling disconnected from the social milieu around him. He describes putting on a front to blend in. His hard-ass colleague calls him a freak and a psycho.

The explanation put forth for all this seems to be that Dexter is a sociopath and a serial killer. There are hints and later graphic depiction of a childhood trauma.

I didn't find my answers in Dexter, but there was a disturbing implication to be drawn, that maybe the cause of my problems was that I was a psychopath.

Being an adult with a sufficiently-functional life, it was possible for me to dismiss this idea, though it did still bug me from time to time and i even voiced it once to a close friend.

Now, i just think it's horrible that a TV show like this could have been produced.

Sure, it's supposed to be harmless entertainment for NT's. For myself, though, or for other undiagnosed folks, or for unsympathetic bullies who notice certain traits in other people, it just seems unconscionable to be spreading this sort of thing around.

Anyone reading this forum, at least hopefully has enough answers to be able to identify or dismiss any unhelpful/untrue conclusions from the depiction of Dexter in this show.

It's based upon a book, and they go way of from the original story.


As for the OPs question, yes you can watch the final episode, but you'll miss out on lots of plots and twists, how Dexter "grows" into the person he is at the end. How Dexter fantasize about how it would be if Deb finds out and how Debora goes crackers when she really finds out.

How Dexter blends in by moving in with Rita like his father suggested, how their kids grow up, how his marriage falls apart, his attempts to make new relationships - that usually backfire badly. Most interesting thing i remember how he watches out for Lumen. I really liked the Doakes character. "Grab a crayon psycho and scribble this down"

I say watch it all. Watch it like you would eat an Elephant, one piece at a time. Myself, i binge watch series as soon as i get my hands on them

Okay thanks. I actually decided to watch seasons 4 and 7, since fans said they were the best ones, and I saw the Debra twist you mentioned there in 7.

Pretty good. So I am onto the last season now.

However, I don't want to watch the whole series, cause I feel a lot of subplots aren't that good and get carried away from the main story. For example, they show the love lifes, of the Captain and the Sergeant and I feel it doesn't really add much to the overall story.

In fact they concentrate so much on these other characters, that I was able to go from seasons 4 to 7, and skip 5 and 6, and was still able to follow a lot, like I didn't really miss a lot in between.

I would watch it all, if I had more time, it's just there is so much to watch, so I feel I want to skip subplots that don't go much anywhere.