How did you like the 'Dexter' series finale?

I'm really torn on my feelings about the finale of Dexter. In the end, I thought it was fine – but getting there was rough. We had to sit through more Oliver Saxton stuff, which in the end, didn't really matter that much, except the role he played in (SPOILER ALERT!!) killing Deb. We had to believe no one watching that tape of Dex stabbing Saxton would be like, 'Hey man, that looked pretty premeditated to me. Are you sure it was self defense?' We had to put up with more Elroy. And oddly enough, we didn't see any of Masuka's long-lost-daughter, whom the producers wanted us to think was some sort of important character/plot development this season (thanks again for wasting our time, BTW). Worse, we had to sit through flashbacks of Deb and Dex at the hospital when Harrison was born and see Deb in that horrible wig.

We had to believe a hospital would not only just let some random guy walk in in the middle of an evacuation (they even addressed him!! Like evacuating that wing of the hospital was no big deal and that him walking around in the middle of said evacuation was no biggie either! ugh), but that they also wouldn't notice when a patient started coding or that, even worse, wouldn't notice when same random guy starts wheeling her out of the hospital, down the street and on to his boat. Seriously!? Remind me never to go to the hospital in Miami.

I understand that Dexter thought this was an appropriate farewell for his sister. And there is something poetic/justified about her being laid to rest alongside Dexter's other victims (Remember, Deb herself is a killer and his victim as he was the one who drove her down that path). But can we talk for a minute about the complete, utter chaos that is going to cause in Miami?

"Ah what? You lost a body? ... You lost the body of a Miami Metro detective?! How does this happen?!" 
- Said every person in Miami to the hospital when they find out about this. 

And poor Joey Quinn. I can only imagine the pain he evoked on whoever's seemingly responsible for this mishap. Also, when Hannah is reading the news about Dexter's 'death' on her iPad, why isn't there a sidebar about his sister who was dying in the hospital and is now missing too.... That seems like it would have made headlines.

Anyway, like I said, I understand Dexter's motivation.... But it was so selfish. As much as Dex loved Deb (and vice versa), don't you think your beloved sister deserved a traditional police funeral? Don't you think she worked her ass off her whole life to get to that point, that all she ever wanted was to be the best detective and to be respected and to catch bad guys? How could you think she deserved to be dropped in the ocean instead of getting accolades from the city she protected for so many years?

And here is why those actions really don't line up – Dexter's final act is supposed to be selfless. He understands the danger he is to himself and to Hannah and Harrison and wants to free them of that. He's doing them a favor, in his mind. (Although, I have to wonder how good Hannah will be for Harrison... This whole time we're lead to think her killing days are behind her, yet she's still carrying horse tranquilizers around with her? Hmmm.)

So Dexter's final act for Deb is one that comes from the most selfish place, in my opinion, and then his final act to Hannah and Harrison is supposed to be for the good of those around him? It just doesn't add up for me.

Or maybe it is all selfish. Maybe he isn't doing anything for the good of anyone accept himself. Maybe there is no heroism. Maybe he is a coward running away and hiding.

Which brings me to the final scene. Dex is alive and has a sexy beard (yey!). But seriously? Do you think he is still killing? Of course he is. What else is he going to do all day all alone? But how is he killing without the safety net of the police department? I worried all along that Dex would 'escape' somewhere and hide out (be it Argentina with Hannah or elsewhere) and knew that was impossible. His lifestly cannot continue wihtout the cover of Miami Metro. It's one of the reasons Harry trained him to be a splatter analyst to begin with. Let's get real - a quiet bearded guy who lives alone in a shitty house is suspect number one in most murder cases.

As much as I think Dexter had some missteps this season (heck, the past few seasons), there are really only two big things I'd change about the finale:

(a) I wish that Saxton had killed Deb on purpose and not just as he was trying to get away. I wish he had come for her, and not just had her get in his way. I wish Saxton had shot Deb to ruin Dexter's family as Saxton believes Dexter ruined his.

And (b) I wish in the final scene, Dexter had come home, sat down at his table and pulled out a box of blood slides. That would have been the ultimate antihero moment. The realization that all along, nothing – not his sister, not his son, not his love – matter more to him than his Dark Passenger.