Dexter Renewed For Sixth Season

[Read only if you have seen the most recent episode of Dexter. No finale spoilers, but I speculate on what's to come...]

Now what?

Sure it's doing gangbusters in the ratings for Showtime and the quality has been top-notch especially following a phenomenal season last season. Michael C. Hall is especially wonderful day in, day out as the titular character Dexter Morgan more so this season as we see how Rita's shocking death affected his whole being. We see him as a father to not only Harrison, but Rita's other children. We see him organically and beautifully move on with kindred-spirit Lumen. All of this while he continues killing those bad guys!

But I repeat my initial question, now what?

Can anyone really expect this show to go on for much longer? And when, not if, it does end, will there be any ending that satisfies everyone? Doubtful. Will other people know about his secret? Will he ever get redemption/comeuppance? Will he die? Will he be happy? What DOES it mean to be happy for him?

All of these questions are there waiting to be answered, not just for next season or the eventual series finale, but also for the upcoming season finale in a couple of days. Already Lumen's fate is all anyone can ponder about ever since she entered his life and made it better. Her death seems logical, right? Everyone who has found out about Dexter in the past have died and a few more people he cared about have also died because of his secret. Lumen is both and thus she is doomed.

But does that have to happen? Is Dexter unable to find real happiness? Of course, we have to get into the whole question "Is Dexter really happy right now with Lumen?" but I would like to believe he is. I personally feel that killing Lumen would be awfully redundant in terms of character development for Dexter and not just because I absolutely love the character and Julia Stiles. I mean how different would her death be to him especially after the deaths of Miguel Prado (partner in crime) and Rita (lover) from the last two season finales?

And then there's the issue of someone else finding out about Dexter aka his sister Debra. I can't be the only person who keeps seeing foreshadowing or even little nudges this season to point to Debra finally finding out about Dexter. If there's one person that needs to find out about his secret before the season (and definitely series) ends, it's her. Even if it doesn't happen in this year's season finale, she must find out and I'm looking forward to seeing how Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter act the HELL out of that scene.

Of course, Lumen could still survive into the next season and Debra could find out about his secret. What would that mean for Dexter and his elusive quest to fill the dark void within himself? We have at least one more season to find that out!