Michael C. Hall brought his time as the lead in Dexter to a close with the revival that ended things on a definite note. Dexter Morgan’s stay in Iron Lake, New York, pitted him against the Runaway Killer and demons of his past, which ushered in more than several moments took viewers by surprise.
With the series now having definitively concluded, it’s worth looking back at the times when Dexter: New Blood used its narrative for shock and awe. The show delivered these moments in such a way that they were equally shocking to those who were glad about the way the show played out as well as those who weren’t.
Dexter's Killing Of Matt Caldwell
Arguably the best kill by Dexter in the season, Matt’s demise was a surprise for how quickly Dexter abandoned his restraint. Up until that point, he’d spent the premiere episode keeping the urge to kill at bay, only to attack Matt after the latter had shot the deer that Dexter had been attached with.
Most viewers would have expected Dexter’s first kill in a decade to be a big-time convict or antagonist, so Matt filling that role wasn’t what many would have predicted. It was also surprising to see Dexter come up with a makeshift kill room since the teaser trailer had implied otherwise.
Angel Batista's Return
Batista can pop back up if looks to create a spinoff in the future, but an appearance didn’t seem to be on the cards until he showed up in New Blood. The revival had established that of the original cast weren’t in the picture, which is why Batista’s presence was shocking.
Even if people did expect him to appear, not many would have thought Batista would interact with Angela instead of Dexter. Angela came across Batista by accident during the police conference she was on, ultimately establishing a connection that got Dexter trapped when Batista recognized his picture.
Dexter's Killing Of Logan
Dexter was never supposed to be a good guy and the revival sought to confirm this. Still, it didn’t seem as if he would abandon his code after abiding by it for so long, yet he did just that when he claimed Logan’s life in order to free himself from captivity.
Logan was the last person who could qualify as a victim of Dexter since he embodied all the good tropes of being a loyal friend, confidante, and pursuer of justice. Dexter’s decision to kill him off for his own freedom shocked more than a few viewers who couldn’t believe he crossed the one line he had.
Harrison's Attack On Ethan
Harrison was clearly a troubled boy and it was expected to see him manifest a dark enger of his own. What didn’t seem likely was Harrison attacking his only friend, Ethan, since the two bonded over being outcasts and not buying into the high school drama around them.
Harrison not only brutally accosted his friend, but he also framed him for wanting to instigate a school shooting. It became more shocking by the end of the series when it turned out Harrison didn’t have a dark enger, as his decision to destroy Ethan’s life just doesn’t add up.
The Reveal Of Kurt's M.O. Toward His Victims
There aren’t that many Dexter: New Blood, especially where the villain is concerned. The series generally packs a punch during reveals of its antagonists, with Kurt’s being just as shocking when it was shown that he would capture runaway women, free them, and shoot them down.
The main aspect that would have shaken audiences was watching it unfold from the victims’ perspectives, as they had a camera watching them during their captivity and had to run for their lives with Kurt pointing a sniper at them. It was of the heart-thumping variety before Kurt’s reveal as the killer, as viewers were unaware who this monstrous person was.
Dexter's Disposal Of Kurt Caldwell's Body
There was never an outright depiction of Dexter’s methods of disposing of his victims in the original series, at least not to the level of Kurt’s death. Here, Dexter was shown sawing into Kurt’s body, with his arms getting cut off right as Harrison watched in horror.
It turned out to be the last time Dexter got around to butchering someone up, so the depiction was justified. However, even the most ardent Dexter fans would have been left squeamish at the sight of the main character chopping a person’s body up in such detail.
Elric Kane's Capture Of Dexter
Good jump scares are hard to come by and Dexter managed to pull one off at the end of an episode when Kurt’s goon Eldric Kane captured Dexter. It came at a point when Dexter and Harrison were having familial issues and viewers wouldn’t have seen an attack coming.
Kane appeared right at the last moment of the episode, with Dexter not realizing a stranger was right behind him and was captured. Kane was an insignificant character prior to the attack and some fans would have even been shocked by who he was supposed to be.
The Reveal Of Molly Park's Body In Kurt's Possession
Molly came under Kurt’s radar when she started to close in on the killings he was responsible for. There was a scene where it seemed predictable that Kurt would off her when he lured Molly to his lair, but Dexter interrupted to save Molly’s life, and she appeared to be done with the story.
However, a shot of Molly’s corpse encased among many other victims of Kurt was shown right before Dexter caught the villain in the penultimate episode, with both Dexter and Harrison reacting with the same kind of shock that viewers had. Molly’s demise was the last thing that fans would have on their minds at the time.
Kurt's Outing Of Dexter As Matt's Killer
The chilling words on the note Kurt sent to Angela were among Dexter: New Blood and few would have seen that coming. Dexter appeared to have got off scot-free when he disposed of Kurt and cleared the evidence against him, only for Angela to learn of Dexter’s true nature.
It took place at the conclusion of the penultimate episode, leaving things on a shocking note for viewers to tune in for the big series finale. It was also surprising for the fact that Kurt didn’t seem such a shrewd man, as he turned out to have a contingency plan to get revenge on Dexter even if he was unsuccessful at killing him.
Dexter's Demise
It was speculated that Dexter might bite the dust at the end of New Blood, but the idea of killing off the main character still seemed hard to believe. That’s exactly what happened, as Dexter was not only killed, his life was brought to an end by his own son.
Having followed Dexter and Harrison’s relationship progress for the whole series, it was the ultimate shocker to see the latter reject his father and shoot him in the heart. No matter how people felt about - many were angered by how Dexter died - there’s little doubt that this moment had every viewer thunderstruck.