There's Symbolism in Dexter's Death in 'New Blood' (SPOILERS)

This article contains spoilers for the finale of Dexter: True Blood.

After the original Dexter ended in 2013, a lot of fans weren't satisfied with the ending, showing the titular Dexter Morgan driving off into the ocean, straight into the eye of a storm. Though his intention was to end his life once and for all, viewers were left with no definitive answer as to his end.

That's where Dexter: True Blood came in. The limited series that aired on Showtime brought back the fictional serial killer, showing him hiding out in a small town in upstate New York. But in the finale just 10 episodes later, Dexter is decidedly dead — done so at the hands of his own son. Why did Harrison ultimately kill Dexter?

When Dexter returned to the small screen, the show's creators knew that he couldn't get out of yet another sticky situation without facing some repercussions.

"It was determined that Dexter must die," Executive Producer Clyde Phillips told USA Today. "We can't turn Dexter into a superhero getting out of impossible jams every season. It has to end, viscerally and inevitably."

As Harrison had begun to follow in his father's murderous footsteps, it was a full-circle moment for the fictional serial killer, and also, per Clyde, one of the first times Dexter felt love.

"And it's for his son and that's as human as he's ever been," he told the outlet.

That said, given Harrison's own killing tendencies, there was also an ulterior motive for him to be the one to kill his father. As it was becoming increasingly clear that Dexter was not going to be able to get away from the authorities for much longer, he began to take some drastic measures.

Dexter ultimately ended up in jail after his girlfriend and police chief Angela Bishop discovered his true identity, and in an effort to escape, he had to kill Sergeant Logan.

Unfortunately, the Sergeant was also Harrison's wrestling coach, which made the death personal to Dexter's son.

In the limited-series finale, Dexter explained to Harrison how to undo the safety on the rifle, explaining to his son that this was the only way out "For the both of us." But after shooting his father, Harrison leaves on his own, never committing to the same self-destruction Dexter determined was necessary for himself.

Though there's discussion of a potential spinoff show following Harrison after Dexter: New Blood ended, Clyde made it perfectly clear that Dexter would not be a part of any upcoming revivals of the franchise.

"I'm just gonna say three words because it's not like that was all a dream or anything like that. Dexter is dead," Clyde told USA Today.

He reiterated that there was absolutely no chance of the entire limited series being a dream, or any excuse to bring the famed serial killer back.

"We're not gonna pull a fast one on the audience," Clyde continued. "I have too much respect and gratitude for them."