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Comic-Con 2013: Showtime’s ‘Dexter’ Cast Has Emotional Farewell In Final Con Panel

I’ve been there for every edge-of-your-seat moment, every kill, inside Dexter’s most intimate thoughts, watching him transform before my eyes. Now, after eight amazing seasons, it’s time to say goodbye to America’s Favorite Serial Killer and most importantly for me, I was finally able to see the show’s Comic-Con panel for the first and unfortunately the last time ever. I must say this will go down as one of the most exciting days of my life. Read on and see how it all went down Thursday evening in the massive Hall H at Comic-Con 2013 in beautiful downtown San Diego, CA.

This Thursday, the cast and creators of Showtime’s Dexter came into San Diego Convention Center’s one and only Hall H to meet with thousands of fans to say goodbye to America’s favorite serial killer.

It was an emotional panel discussion consisting of the show’s top producers, cast… and a few surprise guests. Stars Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jennifer Carpenter (Deb), Yvonne Stahovski (Hannah), and David Zayas (Batista), joined executive producers Sara Colleton and Manny Coto, as well as current and former showrunners  Lauren Velez (LaGuerta), Erik King (Doakes) and Julie Benz (Rita).

“Everything is a series of lasts.” “We’re going out the way we want to go out.” Those were the words of stars Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter in the farewell video that opened Dexter‘s final panel.

Jennifer Carpenter and Lauren Velez held back the tears as they expressed their gratitude to the fans that gathered inside the San Diego Convention Center. “You’re the reason we show up every day,” said Carpenter, who plays Deb,  “We want to do right by you because your standards are high, and you deserve good work, so it can’t be a wrap until we’re all here together, especially for those who waited to be in this room.” The cast and crew were tightlipped on how the show will end later this year… Well not everybody was so tightlipped. There may have been a slip up from none other than Yvonne Strahovski. After saying, “I’m coming back…We don’t know if her revenge…” And with that, a noticeable oops was noticed by the audience, she attempted to backpeddle and say “We don’t know if her motivation is revenge or love.” Whether or not her initial comment spoiled Hannah McKay’s purpose on the show is yet to be seen. “I’m just gonna hide,” Strahovski said in the end.

When asked by an audience member what set pieces they kept for themselves once production wrapped last week, Hall stated he took Dexter’s watch and lanyard (the only true original) as well as a 9 foot piece of railing from the front of Dexter’s condo that he will be putting it in his backyard, he wanted to take some blood splatter paintings from Dexter’s wall, but Carpenter beat him to the punch. Harrington joked he took all of Quinn’s fake gold; Garcia kept Jamie’s necklace; Strahovski took home the black orchid that Hannah gives to Dexter. Carpenter, meanwhile, could only say “I took a lot!”. Zayas, says he kept one of Angel’s trademark shirts and hats.

Among other highlights of an especially entertaining Q&A:

• Dexter Season 8 wrapped production last week. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet to the cast that they will not be returning to the set.
• Velez said on her final day of shooting: “I couldn’t wait to do it, and I just kept walking around. I wanted to stay in The Zone. It was hard knowing it was going to be the last one, but it wasn’t hard doing the work.” She was aware since Episode 10 of Season 7 that LaGuerta would be killed off. 
• We found out that November 5th will be the release of both Dexter‘s final season on Blu-ray and DVD, as well as the entire series collection!! DVD’s 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.  

When a fan asked if there could be a show centered around Dexter’s young son, Harrison, Hall came up with a hell of a response: “In 25 years there’s going to be a new series called Harrison, and Dexter will have died and I’m going to be his dead, internalized father.” All I can say is Hmmmm, bet Showtime is taking notes.

The emotional cast closed the panel by each sharing what the show and Comic-Con has meant to them. I have to admit I may have had a tear or two run down my cheek when they were saying their goodbyes. What a great end to an AMAZING 8 years of Dexter. My Sunday nights will never be the same. I will be preordering my collector’s edition Blu-ray set so I can relive every riveting moment whenever I feel the urge.

GOODBYE GUYS 🙁

The final season of Dexter airs Sundays at 9:00 ET/PT only on Showtime.