'Dexter' panel at Comic-Con: It made Jennifer Carpenter cry
The Project: Dexter, in Hall H!
The Panel: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Aimee Garcia, Desmond Harrington, David Zayas, Yvonne Strahovski, Lauren Velez, Aaron King, Erik King, Julie Benz. Executive Producers Sara Calleton, Scott Buck, Manny Coto, and former showrunner Clyde Phillips.
Footage screened: A goodbye video featuring old scenes and the actors thanking their fans, especially those from Comic-Con. “Everything is a series of lasts,” Hall reflects on the video. “I didn’t imagine how many people (got) on the Dexter train.” Carpenter talked about how the show “made my life” while John Lithgow admitted it was the biggest show he’s ever been on. Next came a clip of Dexter’s best kills which featured lots of duct tape, rubber sheets and cellophane wrap, aka “necessary tools of the trade.” And finally, the Trinity Killer, aka Lithgow, taped a video message that said, in part, “I wish I could be with you but as you all know, I’m dead. Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t recognize me as a psychopath. I have you (fans) to thank for that.”
Snap judgment: Huge panel, but a very sentimental one. Carpenter fought back tears. “The most authentic thing about this show is our relationship to you,” she said. “You deserve good work. So it can’t be wrap until we all here together. It’s a wrap with you all now.” Added Hall, “Just as you all waited in line and are here for us, we have been here for you and we are here because of you.”
The Big Revelations: The show wrapped just last week! The series finale airs Sept. 22. “There’s some unconscious part of us that hasn’t recognized it yet.,” Hall said. Strahovski teased how her character Hannah is coming back, and “who knows if her motivation is for revenge or love. It’s a mystery!” Carpenter still insists that she wants her character to die. “As an actor, it’s because I love her. It’s like Dexter treats his victims. I want her to go to the bottom of abyss to be where all her victims lie.” Hall will take Dexter’s watch and his little lanyard. The final season – and the entire run of the show – will be released on DVD Nov. 5.
Most incisive audience question: How do you relax after shooting an intense Dexter scene? “If we have a foot, we’ll play a little football with it,” Zavas quips. “That’s true,” Hall adds. Hall was asked what he’ll take from the set (Dexter’s watch, his lanyard). Carpenter, for her part, said she took a lot. Oh, and how does Hall handle stress? “I do everything Dexter does but then I just tickle the person.”