page_title: The Getaway (Dexter)
section_title: Production
hierarchical_section_title: The Getaway (Dexter) / Production
caption_attribution_description: John Lithgow in Central Park
context_page_description: "The Getaway" is the fourth season finale of the American television drama series Dexter, and the 48th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Showtime on December 13, 2009. In the episode, Dexter goes to great lengths to stop Arthur, who now knows Dexter's true identity. Meanwhile, Debra learns the truth about Dexter's mother, the homicide division closes in on the Trinity Killer, and Rita reaffirms her support for Dexter, even as she acknowledges his hidden demons.
  The teleplay was written by Wendy West and Melissa Rosenberg, based on a story by Rosenberg and Scott Reynolds. Directed by Steve Shill, "The Getaway" marked the conclusion of the Trinity Killer plotline, as well as the final regular appearance of guest star John Lithgow, who portrayed Arthur Mitchell and Julie Benz, a regular cast member since the beginning of the series. To protect the twist ending of Rita's death, Dexter producers imposed strict security measures, which included the distribution of fake alternate endings and forcing staff members to sign non-disclosure agreements.
context_section_description: "The Getaway", the Dexter fourth season finale, was directed by Steve Shill. The teleplay was written by Wendy West and Melissa Rosenberg, based on a story by Rosenberg and Scott Reynolds. It was the final episode helmed by show runner and executive producer Clyde Phillips before his departure from the show to spend more time with his family. Filming on "The Getaway" ended on October 13, 2009, and the episode was originally aired on Showtime on December 13. "The Getaway" marked the conclusion of a season-long plotline regarding the Trinity Killer, which featured John Lithgow as a serial killer and the primary antagonist of the fourth season. The episode also included the death of Rita Morgan, who had been a regular character since the beginning of the series. Although her death is off-screen and the killer is not specifically identified, it is strongly suggested she was killed by Arthur Mitchell, which Lithgow himself confirmed to be true in an interview that aired on Showtime immediately after the episode was originally broadcast. Clyde Phillips said the ramifications "The Getaway" would have on the future of the series had not yet been determined, as brainstorming for the fifth season was not set to begin until February 2010.
  Rita's death was alluded to by Dexter producers, who told media outlets "The Getaway" included a series-changing twist, leading to widespread speculation about the possibility of a character death, or the possibility of Debra Morgan learning the truth about her brother's homicidal nature. Extra security precautions were taken to prevent the finale's secrets from becoming exposed. Network staff members were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, and decoy scripts were drafted and disseminated to protect the twist ending. In one of the fake alternate endings, Dexter learned on the news about a child murderer escaping from prison, and the episode would end with Dexter trying to decide whether to join Rita on vacation or go after the escaped killer. Nobody but essential cast and staff were allowed on the set during filming of the episode, and the scripts and DVDs of the episode were watermarked before they were taken off the set.
  Phillips claimed the Dexter staff did not know how the finale would conclude until late in the season, but Phillips said Rita's death began to feel inevitable as the story evolved.  However, Julie Benz said she had been told John Lithgow knew about it from the beginning of the season. Phillips said the staff felt obligated to do more than simply kill the Trinity Killer in the final episode, especially because he felt the death of the third season antagonist (played by Jimmy Smits) was not handled "as well as we could have". The writers discussed the idea of having Debra find out about Dexter's secret life, but it was decided they could not anticipate how drastically the series would be changed by that revelation. Benz heard rumors from David Zayas that her character would be killed in the episode, but she was not officially notified until late September, when the producers held a meeting with her the day before the season finale script was distributed to the cast. She said, "It was a tough meeting. In a bizarre way, it felt like a scene from Defending Your Life." Benz was unhappy about the news but she handled it professionally. Benz described the death scene as "very poetic".
  Executive Producer Sara Colleton said it was difficult to kill off a long-standing character, but they felt "this is where Dexter needed to be taken". She also felt the motives for Arthur killing Rita were deliberately made to be open to various interpretations, including that Arthur may have killed her "in a bizarre way to trigger Dexter to deal with who he really is". When asked whether Arthur told Rita about Dexter's secret life before killing her, Phillips said the answer had not been determined because the fifth season was not yet planned, but he added, "I would think that he did not tell her". Michael C. Hall called the ending a "really bold stroke" that would reset the stage of the series just
caption: "The Getaway" featured the series' final performance of John Lithgow (pictured), who played the Trinity Killer throughout the fourth season.
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