The crux of the finale was the showdown between father and son. Throughout the season, the show explored whether Harrison had the same "Dark Passenger" as Dexter.
Here is an in-depth look at why the finale of New Blood remains one of the most controversial moments in modern television history. The Weight of Expectation: Fixing Season 8 finale dexter new blood cracked
Argued that Dexter had to die. There was no world where he got a "happy ending" after the trail of bodies he left behind, including Debra. The crux of the finale was the showdown
In the original series, Dexter used Etorphine (M99). In New Blood , the writers switched this to Ketamine so that Angela Bishop could link Dexter to the Bay Harbor Butcher via a Google search. This felt like a "cracked" piece of writing to many—a convenient continuity error used to force a conclusion. The Weight of Expectation: Fixing Season 8 Argued
The reaction to the finale was a repeat of 2013, with IMDb scores plummeting for the final episode while the rest of the season remained highly rated.
Felt that the journey was more important than the destination. They felt cheated by the "Ketamine" plot device and the sudden shift in Dexter’s intelligence. The Legacy of New Blood