Comic-Con 2013: The ‘Dexter’ Panel Let the Cast Say Goodbye

And so, ‘Dexter’ has had its final panel at Comic-Con. Surprises were shared, tears were shed, blood was spilled. Mostly figurative blood, though. But what did the cast and crew of ‘Dexter’ have to reveal about the final nine episodes, including this Sunday’s “Scar Tissue?”

New footage was sadly kept to a minimum, as were any spoilers of the characters’ ultimate fates, but who needs spoilers when DOAKES WAS BACK?! That’s right, surprise, melon-farmers! Along with past series stars Julie Benz and Lauren Veles, Erik King took the Comic-Con stage to say his farewells to the fans. Sadly lacking from the panel was Jon Lithgow, though the actor put in a video appearance thanking fans for forever identifying him as a serial killer.

Among the tidbits for fans, we learned that November 5 will see the release of both ‘Dexter’’s final season on Blu-Ray and DVD, as well as the entire series collection! DVDs will come packaged in Dexter’s trademark trophy case, while the Blu-Ray set will be available in a collector’s edition of Dexter’s blood spatter mannequin head.

Here were the tidbits shared from the ‘Dexter’ cast and crew from eight years of memories:

• Desmond Harington (Quinn) joked that Michael C. Hall’s intense acting regiment inspired him to shape up during his time on the series, before joking that he was amazed to have lasted as a character as long as he has, given the occasionally moral bankruptcy Quinn displays.
• Yvonne Strahovski could share no details of Hannah’s return, much as she couldn’t speak about the character at the previous year’s panel, though the former ‘Chuck’ star seemed to slip briefly in previewing Hannah’s “revenge,” rather than a less ambiguous motivation.
• Asked about his time spent in character, Michael C. Hall joked that he needs more rituals to get out of Dexter’s frame of mind than in these days. Hall was one of the few to openly admit his more Comic-Con friendly pursuits as well, likening Dexter Morgan to his chance at playing a version of ‘The Incredible Hulk.’
• On Dr. Evelyn Vogel (Charlotte Rampling)’s addition to the story, Hall noted now her role in Dexter’s code reframes the entire origin story, and changes Dexter’s viewpoint on his own internal Harry. “It’s a two-way street, though,” Hall said, as Vogel will have her own views changed by Dexter as well.
• Jennifer Carpenter strongly reaffirmed her belief that Deb should die by the end of the series, though more for her own peace of mind than any ill will for the character. Hall chimed in that he liked the ending of ‘Six Feet Under’ for exactly that reason, putting all the characters to bed.
• Erik King received one of the strongest receptions, despite standards preventing him from using his fan-favorite catchphrase. As far as his season 2 death however, King maintained the death was essential to maintain Doakes’ integrity, rather than spend eight seasons keeping an eye on Dexter.
• Desmond Harington seemed confident Quinn would make it to the end, having lasted this long without succumbing to the stigma of being Deb’s boyfriend. You never know, though…

We’ll continue our coverage of ‘Dexter’s final season in the weeks to come, but what say you? Are you sad that ‘Dexter’ will no longer adorn the halls of Comic-Con? Whatever will the straps around our badges advertise next year? Tell us what you want to see from the final episodes in the comments!