Netflix's 'Dexter But Better' Thriller Series Deserves Kudos For Ending At The Perfect Time

Published Oct 8, 2026, 8:15 AM EDT

Mary Kassel is a Senior Writer & Critic who joined the Screen Rant team in 2023. 

After graduating from Emerson College with a degree in Media Arts Production, Kassel started at Screen Rant with a focus on the critical analysis side of movies and television while continuing to work on set in film production. 

At Screen Rant, Kassel primarily writes for the Classic TV section, mining their encyclopedic knowledge of television history for content. However, they also contribute to the Books team and review both film and television as a critic. 

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Dexter flipped the thriller genre on its head in 2006 when the TV show premiered. Contemporary series owe a lot to the dark, twisting story. However, this doesn't mean the crime procedural was perfect. Michael C. Hall gave a career-defining performance as the titular Dexter, a blood-splatter analyst by day and "righteous" serial killer by night. Dexter took the archetype of the antihero to the extreme by centering a killer as the protagonist, cementing the series as a classic.

Thanks to the great premise and success of Dexter, the series has had a long and storied history on TV. The complete Dexter timeline includes spinoffs, prequels, and the next generation of killers and villains, continuously expanding the canon. On one hand, it's exciting that there's plenty of Dexter to watch after finishing the original show. However, it can be argued that the Dexter universe should've come to a close a long time ago. More recent additions to the franchise haven't captured the magic of the original.

For a series that knew the right time to end, Dexter could look to the recent Netflix thriller, You, which initially drew a lot of inspiration from Dexter. Also centering on the series' villain as the protagonist, You is a campier, romance-driven take on the thriller, running for five tight seasons from 2018–2025. You had a near-perfect debut season, and, at first, it seemed like the series had nowhere to go from there. Fortunately, the series raised the stakes in every installment, allowing You to have a perfect ending.

Unlike Dexter, You Knew Season 5 Needed To Be The Show's Ending

Any TV series, no matter how great, can ruin its own legacy by going on for too long. Many iconic shows are remembered as incredible, with the caveat that the last few seasons decline in quality until it's not worth watching anymore. This couldn't be further from the case when it comes to You. It helped that the series' lead, Penn Badgley, gave a chilling yet charismatic performance as Joe Goldberg, anchoring the show as it evolved in later seasons.

Though You remained popular through season 5, if it had gone on any longer, it would have felt forced. Already, by the time Joe returns to New York City in the final season, it was shocking that he had evaded the consequences of his actions. Joe had faced plenty of adversaries and been backed into corners across the world, and You season 5 was primed to challenge Joe. If the show had gone on for even one more season, it would've lost its momentum and become repetitive.

You is even better on a rewatch because the series has a clear identity and doesn't waste the viewers' time. Each season explores a new facet of Joe's delusions and interrogates not only his worldview, but the position of the audience and their relationship to Joe's pursuit and murder of the women in the series. While it would've been fun to spend even more time with the series' characters, You hasn't been forgotten, even though it ended, because it prioritized storytelling over profit.

Dexter Is Still Searching For A Satisfying Finale After Several Attempts

Though Dexter: Resurrections is one of the better spinoffs, the franchise still hasn't found the right conclusion. Dexter season 8, the final installment of the original series, wasn't the high note that fans and critics were hoping for. While the early seasons of Dexter were propulsive TV, the last three seasons slowly declined in quality, introducing outlandish villains and plotlines, like Deb's romantic feelings for Dexter.

It's understandable that Dexter wanted a second chance at a finale since season 8 was widely criticized. However, if Dexter keeps coming back, it's going to be impossible to find a natural end. It seemed the limited series, Dexter: New Blood, was the true conclusion, as Dexter is shot in the finale. Though the protagonist’s death is a tired way to finish a show, it was better than Dexter season 8. However, Hall returned to the screen again for Dexter: Resurrection.

Dexter: Resurrection season 2 likely won't be the last installment of the Dexter franchise, as there seems to be no clear way to finish the story after all these years. At this point, it might be too late for Dexter to cement its legacy with a strong final season like You. However, there's no question that the franchise will have to end sometime, and it shouldn't drag things out any longer than it already has.

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  Dexter Morgan

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  Debra Morgan

Dexter is a television series following Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for Miami Metro Police who secretly leads a dual life as a vigilante serial killer. Released in 2006, the show focuses on Dexter's internal conflict as he hunts down criminals who elude justice within the legal system.