Why Lumen Was Written After Season 5

DexterLumen was launched as an intriguing new character in Season 5, earlier than making a stunning exit within the season finale. Dexter offers with the titular Dexter Morgan, a vigilante-type serial killer who additionally works for the Miami Metropolitan Police Division as a blood spatter analyst. Over the course of 8 seasons, Dexter adopted a strict code given by his police officer father to solely kill different deserving killers, keep away from getting caught, and keep away from emotional attachment to victims - a rule he broke in his intimate involvement with Lumen.

Julia Stiles has signed on to Dexter in season 5 as Lumen, a task that earned her Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. The addition of Lumen additionally occurred within the first season, after Dexter's spouse Rita was shockingly killed off within the season 4 finale. In some ways, Lumen appeared like an ideal character to fill this position in Dexter's life. This made it all of the extra stunning when Lumen left the present so shortly, by no means to return. Though many followers of the sequence have been unhappy to see her go, Lumen's departure was at all times deliberate and made sense for her character.

Who was Lumen on Dexter?

Dexter helped Lumen on his private mission of revenge

The lumen is launched into Dexter first episode of season 5. When Dexter tracks a serial killer named Boyd Fowler to his dwelling and kills him, he encounters Lumen, one in every of Boyd's doable victims. After Dexter helps her regain her energy and it turns into clear that she just isn't going to show him in to the police for the homicide of Fowler that she witnessed, she reveals that Fowler was a small half of a bigger evil entity.

Lumen reveals that she was the sufferer of a gaggle of males, finally often called the Barrel Lady Gangwho seize, abuse, torture and kill ladies earlier than throwing them in barrels. Though Lumen escaped the group, she suffered vastly at their palms and needed revenge. When Dexter informed her about his “darkish passenger” and his assassination code, she turned his companion in taking down the group of assassins one after the other. Over the course of their work collectively, Dexter and Lumen fall in love and in addition start a romantic relationship, with Dexter feeling a kinship he has not often skilled.

Lumen left to indicate that Dexter may go away his life behind

Lumen obtained a uncommon upbeat ending to the sequence

Lumen appeared like probably the most suitable of Dexter's love pursuits and there was a mutual bond that fashioned between them. Nonetheless, after killing the final member of the Barrel Lady Gang, Lumen determined that she may go away this lifetime of violence behind now. Sadly, this meant having to depart Dexter as nicely. Dexter govt producer Sara Colleton stated electronic warfare There was at all times a chance that Lumen would return as a result of she is alive and her relationship ends amicably with Dexter.

Nonetheless, the rationale behind his departure was that they needed to indicate that somebody can have their darkish passenger for some time and abandon them to guide a comparatively regular life. Lumen's ending implies that Dexter can cease killing, however his darkness has clearly consumed him for for much longer than Lumen's. Lumen's arc left Dexter with an optimistic future for him and Harrison, contemplating Dexter may be seen for who he really is and nonetheless be beloved and Harrison doesn't have to be condemned to a lifetime of darkness after his trauma.

Lumen may have returned for brand new blood

Lumen may have been Dexter's likelihood at a traditional life

Though Lumen by no means appeared on Dexter once more after leaving on the finish of Season 5, the actual missed alternative for her return was within the sequence' sequel. Dexter: New Blood. After the a lot ridiculed ending of Dexter during which he fakes his personal demise to reside as a lumberjack within the forest, New blood it was seen as a manner for the present to make up for this lackluster conclusion. The sequel sequence discovered Dexter dwelling underneath a brand new title in a small neighborhood, just for his shadowy passenger to develop into wanted once more.

Nonetheless, the sequel sequence created an ideal setting for Lumen's return. On the finish of the sequence, Lumen was one of many few individuals who knew about Dexter's darkish passenger. It might make sense that, If he was hiding, he may attempt to reconnect with the one one that really understood him.

Lumen's involvement in New blood It may have been very fascinating, with them dwelling a peaceable life collectively along with her pleased to depart the violence behind and him struggling to suppress these wishes. Though the sequel sequence was seen as an enchancment to DexterWithin the authentic ending of, Lumen's presence may have made every thing even higher.

Eliminating Lumen was a mistake

Dexter misplaced one in every of his most fascinating characters (and suffered for it)

Dexter has a loyal fan base and has loved a subsequent revival within the type of New blood and the prequel Unique sin after its completion. Nonetheless, the Showtime drama additionally has many features which might be repeatedly criticized, even by followers. The principle one is that Dexter misplaced a lot of its greatest characters in a short time. Alongside names like Frank Lundy, Doakes and Rita, Lumen is likely one of the most cited Dexter followers of the characters needed to see extra and really feel the present was too wanting to be scrapped.

As Lumen leaves Dexter in season 5 helped illustrate that he wasn't a slave to his Darkish Passenger and will abandon his lifetime of serial homicide if he actually needed to, that alone wasn't justification for her leaving the present. Regardless that it was an essential level about Dexter's character, the present nonetheless suffered vastly from the lack of Lumen. What's extra, her presence was additionally not felt due to her romantic ties to Dexter.

Over the course of Lumen's time on the sequence, it turned clear that having one other character with a Darkish Passenger was a key plot aspect that Dexter extraordinarily obligatory. It offered unparalleled alternatives for Dexter to replicate on his actions and life decisions, his actions as a serial killer, and whether or not his personal Darkish Passenger was really the uncontrollable beast that solely Harry Morgan's code may hold underneath management. When Julia Kinds left the present, this treasure trove of narrative potential was left along with her, and there's a robust argument to be made that Dexter I by no means actually recovered from that.

There was additionally the truth that Lumen and Dexter's relationship may have led to a way more dramatic manner. For instance, as an alternative of Lumen exhibiting Dexter that it was doable to stroll away from his personal Darkish Passenger, it may need been extra satisfying if Dexter had woke up an insatiable want inside Lumen herself. It might have pressured him to come back to phrases with the influence his nature had on others and will have made for some fascinating character improvement.

The tease that Lumen was nonetheless round and alive when she was talked about within the Season 7 episode "Do the Flawed Factor" solely cemented the view that Dexter discarded Julia Kinds' character in a short time. Not solely did this create a nostalgic pang for a lot of viewers, however it additionally identified a significant flaw in the way in which her character's arc ended. Regardless of his emotions for her, Lumen was a unfastened finish for Dexter, and leaving her alive went in opposition to every thing the present had established about its chilly, calculated strategy to overlaying its tracks.

Realizing that there was somebody on the market who knew his secret didn't go well with Dexter as a personality. The connection he had with Lumen would have (and, realistically, ought to have) ended very in another way if she had stayed. Dexter for longer.