The controversial series finale of Dexter could have had a different ending if the producers were given more creative control.

The series finale ended with serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) surviving a hurricane and moving to Oregon to become a logger, inciting outrage from longtime fans of the series.

Dexter executive producer John Goldwyn spoke with Vulture recently and revealed that Showtime did not allow the producers to kill their main character in the finale.

"They won't let us kill [Dexter]," Goldwyn explained. "Showtime was very clear about that. When we told them the arc for the last season, they just said, 'Just to be clear, he's going to live.' There were a lot of endings discussed because it was a very interesting problem to solve, to bring it to a close."

The producer also opened up about Dexter's fans, suggesting that he and his fellow producers wanted to give them a proper ending.

"People have a relationship with Dexter, even if it doesn't have the size and the ferocity of the fan base for Breaking Bad. But it has a very core loyal following," he noted.

Critics from organizations like Variety and The Huffington Post panned the series finale as "sloppy" and "a disappointing, desperate conclusion."

Showtime entertainment president David Nevins has expressed the possibility of a Dexter spinoff series on Showtime in the future.

"I hope that whatever we do will feel both original and in keeping with what people expect out of Dexter," he said in late September.

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