‘Dexter’: The Worst Episodes of All Time, According to IMDb
When we talk about Dexter, the series finale almost always comes up. The show infamously ended with the titular vigilante killer faking his death and starting over as a lumberjack, leaving many questions unresolved. The episode was released in 2013 and was widely panned by fans and critics, with some deeming it one of the worst TV show endings ever. But there are earlier episodes that weren’t exactly winners, either.
Here, find the top five worst Dexter episodes, based on IMDb ratings.
‘Goodbye Miami’
The tenth episode of Dexter Season 8 found Dexter Morgan and Hannah McKay planning their escape to Argentina. Before they could leave, Dexter had several things he needed to do, including killing Oliver Saxon.
Dexter couldn’t immediately find him, but with help from Dr. Vogel, he set up a trap. Only Saxon caught on to the plot. He got revenge by killing Vogel, who died in Dexter’s arms.
The episode continued to build toward the events in the series finale, “Remember the Monsters?” — which, for the record, has the lowest score of all the episodes at a 4.9. This one did a wee bit better, getting a 6.9 rating on IMDb.
‘Monkey in a Box’
In the next episode, Saxon had just escaped and was still being hunted by Dexter. Acting on a hunch, Dexter visited an old hospital and was able to determine that it was where Saxon performed his kills. At the same time, law enforcement was coming down hard on Hannah. She and Debra Morgan both felt they needed to leave immediately, but Dexter was determined to get Saxon.
When he finally caught him, he wasn’t as enthused as he thought he’d be. He decided that instead of killing him, he would have Debra come to arrest him — but things went wrong. Debra was shot, and Saxon got away, reigniting the cat and mouse game between Dexter and Saxon. The episode earned a 7.2 rating.
‘Make Your Own Kind of Music’
In the ninth episode of the final season, Dexter discovered the connection between Dr. Vogel and Oliver Saxon. It’s also where he mentioned for the first time moving to Argentina to Hannah.
When he told Vogel of his intentions to start a new life with Hannah and Harrison, she responded with skepticism, which he felt was hypocritical due to her ties to Saxon. Upset, she sent him away and told him not to bother them again. But of course, he didn’t listen. The rating for this episode is 7.4.
‘Dress Code’
In Dexter Season 8 Episode 7, Dexter and Debra had just realized they had been drugged by Hannah. Dexter tracked her down and learned she was now married and going by “Maggie.” Debra wanted to see Hannah in jail, but she was also worried she’d tell on her brother.
In a conversation with Dexter, Hannah admitted she never meant to cause any harm — she just wanted him to kill her mean husband. Ultimately, she was the one who wound up doing it. This episode earned a 7.6 rating.
‘Nebraska’
Back in the seventh episode of Dexter Season 7, Dexter was told The Trinity Killer was back and had killed his family. Believing Trinity’s son Jonah was actually responsible, he drove out to Nebraska to murder him. Brian served as his conscience this time and, as WhatCulture notes, some viewers felt he was much more annoying than Harry. In the end, Dexter got rid of him, but he decided to let Jonah live. The episode got a 7.8 rating.
Now, Dexter is coming back with a 10-episode limited series showing what he’s been up to since the end of the show. It premieres on Showtime on Sunday, Nov. 7.
