The Deb Scene That Went Too Far On Dexter

The upcoming "Dexter" revival miniseries is taking the serial killer drama in a fresh direction. Showtime is giving fans a new setting, new characters, and a newly adopted identity for Dexter. But that doesn't mean it's totally abandoning everything that came before. A few other characters will be returning, including Dexter's sister Deb (Jennifer Carpenter).

Arguably the most central character to the series other than Dexter himself, Deb was also quite controversial among fans. Her messy demeanor and aggressive potty-mouth were loved and loathed almost in equal measure, as were the ways in which her ascension through the ranks of Miami PD affected Dexter's passion projects. Regardless of how viewers felt, though, Deb was the most important person in Dexter's life, which made his decision to take her off life support in the series finale all the more heartbreaking.

Deb's prickly communication style isn't the only reason some fans don't love the character. There is one scene in particular that, for some, is synonymous with the ways in which the series lost its footing the longer it remained on the air. We're, of course, referring to a moment in Season 7 where Deb makes a confession to Dexter that's so strange and shocking that it forced even her to admit, "You're a serial killer and I'm more f—ed up than you are."

The penultimate season of "Dexter" saw his relationship with Deb facing unprecedented strain. Not only had she stumbled onto the truth that he's a serial killer, but his budding romantic relationship with fellow murderer Hannah (Yvonne Strahovski) threw Deb for a loop. So, we can perhaps cut her a little slack for the truly outrageous news she decided to drop in her brother's lap in the Season 7 episode "Argentina."

After realizing that Dexter and Hannah are more than just serial killers trading notes, Deb breaks down to her adopted brother and tells him that she recently came close to revealing that she was in love with him. And not in the sibling way. Dexter, a man whose favorite pastime is taping people to a table and stabbing them to death, is stunned into silence by the confession.

On one hand, Deb's confession is a deeply human moment that is clearly meant to be more of a testament to her scrambled psychological state rather than a titillating "Game of Thrones" style plot development. On the other hand, it's a wild swerve for the show to take in the home stretch and one that many fans ultimately felt wasn't earned or wanted. Incest is one of the ultimate taboos and if a show is going to incorporate it into its narrative, there's got to be a really strong reason to do so. Unfortunately, "Dexter" really didn't provide one, making the moment feel unnecessarily uncomfortable.

Deb herself says of her feelings, "I know it's weird and it's gross and it's f—ed up." Even many with a soft spot for Deb had to agree.