How Is Deb Back From Beyond the Grave in ‘Dexter’?

The best shows follow people fighting to have a life despite fundamental obstacles that get in the way of them accomplishing their dreams. Dexter is a perfect example. The titular character is born a serial killer and just can't help his urge to murder. As he tries to find an outlet for his "dark passenger" by focusing on a strict set of rules, but he ultimately endangers those he loves, like his foster sister, Deb. So, does Deb die in the show?

One of the best kept secrets in Dexter was the protagonist's ability to keep his identity hidden from everyone, including his potty-mouthed sister, Deb. In the final episode of Season 6, she witnesses Dexter killing Travis Marshall in his trademark ritualistic fashion and is understandably freaked out.

Deb has a difficult time for the show's remainder, reconciling with the fact that Dexter was The Bay Harbor Butcher through Seasons 7 and 8. Toward the end of the show, serial killer Oliver Saxon catches Deb unaware and shoots her in the abdomen. She then falls into a coma but sustains a stroke while unconscious. During a hurricane, Dexter takes Debra off life support then brings her body out to sea and dumps it the ocean.

If you watched the original Dexter, then you'll be very familiar with Dexter's internal monologue with his adopted father, played by James Remar. Before passing, James knew exactly what kind of person Dexter would grow up to become, he had seen it happen with way too many killers before: Dexter's upbringing fit the M.O. precisely.

So James gave Dexter a set of rules to live by that would allow him to fulfill his lust for killing while simultaneously maintaining a life as a functioning adult. Sure, he's put in tricky situation after tricky situation and everything ends up exploding in his face, but he did manage to keep it up for some time.

The thing is, Dexter's stepfather physically appears to him as an imaginary friend would whenever he's faced with a dilemma.

Deb's character appears to Dexter in the same way in New Blood, and actress Jennifer Carpenter discussed the return with USA Today. "For once, Deb has control ... I realized that it was his hell, not hers. She's resting in peace," Deb said of her beyond-the-grave return to Dexter's life.

She went on to say that she sees her part in the show as "Deb's reward for the suffering that she endured."

Showrunners wanted to keep the Trinity Killer and Deb's return to the series under wraps. "Up to that second, Jennifer Carpenter was a secret. We tore our hair out and then realized, it's better for the show. People have more anticipation," executive producer Clyde Phillips said.

Jennifer also excitedly discussed the "bloody bullet" moment in Season 9, stating that she proposed the move: "That was my idea. It was just to viscerally remind him of the gore. I thought, 'Deb is not real; let's play with that and just rip the bullet out,'" she said.

As for where her character will end up, she leaves Deb's fate in the hands of the production team, which includes her co-star Michael C. Hall. "I trust him, especially when it comes to this character," Deb said.

You can watch new episodes of Dexter: New Blood on Showtime on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST or on the Showtime app. Have you been checking it out? Or do you feel burned, like so many other people do, with the ending of the original series?