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The Showtime hit Dexter is widely criticized for how it mishandled Jennifer Carpenter’s Debra Morgan, especially in the series finale, where she is dumped in the ocean. The ending disappointed not only fans but also Carpenter herself, who portrayed Debra throughout eight seasons of the series.

Since then, fans have been engaged in an endless debate over how the show could have given Debra a more satisfying conclusion. One common theory involves the mishandling of Laguerta’s murder, which, if addressed differently, might have allowed for a more meaningful and redemptive arc for Debra’s character.

What happened to Maria Laguerta in the original Dexter series?

Portrayed by Lauren Velez, María Laguerta begins as a driven and ambitious officer who rises to the rank of Captain at Miami Metro. However, like Debra Morgan, the series ultimately does her character a disservice.

Lauren Velez as Maria Laguerta | Credit: Showtime

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"Dexter" is a show with a history almost as tumultuous as that of its titular antihero. The gory crime drama follows Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a blood spatter analyst by day and vigilante serial killer by night. Season 1 of the Showtime drama debuted in 2006 to positive reviews and reigned as the premium channel's highest-rated series for the next four years. Seasons 2 and 4 are widely regarded as the show's best, with the latter boasting a fantastic performance by John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer, one of TV's most terrifying villains. After the departure of showrunner Clyde Phillips, "Dexter" began a downward slide that ran all the way up to its disappointing series finale, frequently remembered as one of the worst of all time. Eight years after Dexter drove his boat into the eye of a hurricane, the serial killer with a heart of gold returned in "Dexter: New Blood," a...