Is it smart to kill Dexter after two more seasons?

Fans of Dexter, Showtime's drama about a vigilante murderer, haven't been thrilled about the quality of the show over the past season and a half. Still, they were largely stoked last month when Showtime renewed Dexter for two more seasons. But that celebration might have been premature. Over the weekend, Showtime clarified what the renewal really means: Dexter will almost certainly end after those two seasons. The remaining episodes of the current sixth season will apparently begin setting in motion events that will resonate through to the series finale. Is the impending end of Dexter a good thing?

This is kind of a bummer: This certainly sours the exciting news that the drama was getting picked up for two more seasons, says Shante Cosme at Complex. While it sounds like Dexter fans "are in for a monumental finale," the show's "impending date of death" will cast a pall over the remaining episodes. "Now when we watch, all we will hear is the clock tick, tick, ticking."

"Upcoming seasons of Dexter likely to be the last"

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Actually, it's a brilliant move: "Finally!" says Michael Arbeiter at Hollywood. A concrete end date means the show can finally take the leap it's long needed to take: "The secret must come out." Dexter Morgan can no longer go on killing without anyone close to him knowing about it. His "two lives must collide," and this news finally gives Dexter's writers permission to make it happen. Expect these final seasons to spark a creative renaissance for the show.

"Dexter writers preparing to end series in season 8"

But only if Showtime follows through with the plan: This is a smart move, says Bloody Disgusting. But there's one worrisome detail. Though having two seasons to build up to the series finale all but guarantees an "epic conclusion," Showtime also says that it's not definitively ruling out the possibility of extending the show past eight seasons. "It concerns me that they're still thinking about leaving the door open for more." It's a disservice to fans to keep the show running past its peak. "Look at what happened with X-Files."

"Dexter building towards series finale, maybe?"