Dexter's upcoming reboot would be wise to give the show the tragic ending it deserves. A Showtime original series, Dexter aired initially from 2006 to 2013. During the show's run, audiences everywhere became deeply invested in what might be the most anti of all anti-heroes, a serial killer named Dexter Morgan. Although Dexter had a "good guy" moral code, vowing to only kill other, more ruthless serial killers, he was still a murderer himself. His dark and dangerous life put him in harm's way on multiple occasions and had him going tow to tow with some despicable characters. Still, the original series seemed to end with no true repercussions or closure for the main character himself. Despite losing his loved ones and nearly being exposed, Dexter escapes quietly into a life somewhere up north, leaving some viewers questioning if he had been "cured" of his serial killer ways.
The upcoming reboot (or season 9) will answer that question and more. The initial teaser immediately lets audiences know Dexter is back at it again. His choice of victim and his "day job" remain undisclosed, but the promise of another shot at a series finale is enough to bring plenty of viewers back into the action. But what kind of ending would be most fitting for a killer with a body count as high as Dexter's? A tragic one, that's what.
Looking back at the pilot and much of season 1, Dexter struggles to connect with the empathetic and "human" people around him. He expresses an inability to feel the way others feel and seeks out a "normal" life as nothing more than a cover for his true passion: killing murderers. As the series progresses, Dexter eventually finds himself feeling love, true connection to his son, and even a few glimmers of remorse. From the first season to the last, however, his murderous tendencies remain a constant. This made his subdued ending in the original series finale feel inconsistent with his characterization and the tone of the show at large.
In the initial run, plenty of viewers theorized that the only sensible ending for a character like Dexter was death. He wouldn't be caught, and he wouldn't change for the better, so his story would have to meet a violent end, just like so many of his victims. A tragic ending for Dexter could mean more than just his death, though. It could mean his death at the hands of a character he once loved, or it could mean dying to protect his secret. Either way, it seems more realistic and in line with the show for Dexter's dangerous work to get the better of him in the end. Although it's been confirmed (as of now) that the original Dexter cast other than star Michael C. Hall won't return for the reboot, it still has the chance to give Dexter the ending it deserves.
All theorizing aside, a tragic finale in the reboot would suit this character because his story is tragic to begin with. An orphan by way of murder and a monster to almost all he held dear, Dexter is far from the average guy. An average ending or even a "Hollywood" conclusion wouldn't do his past justice. He is a man both motivated and tormented by his past, and therefore, the past should be the thing that catches up to him in the end of the Dexter reboot. After all, obsession like his often ends in tragedy.