"I too will miss them both. both were great characters but had to die.
Remember Rule #1... never get caught. Both Doakes and Lila knew of Dexters true addiction and he had to nip that in the bud... loose lips sink ships.. "Slice of Life" stays afloat!
-TP"

"Say Dex comes clean..life in prison or death row (Florida has the death pen. right? or no). I am a writer, but this show has me scratching my head as to possible scenarios (ps- not a writer for the show-just a writer). "

"Killing Lila was a show killer.

The strength of any story are its characters. They simply wrote Lila too well. By forcing us (viewers) who have no say in the matter (except to stop watching) to watch the show kill off the best characters (his brother, Doakes, Lila) and leave us with Rita (the character is boring, but the actress is extremely talented) is a recipe for suicide. Dexter needed Doakes just as Batman needs the Joker. Without a counter-balance to make the protagonist's life Hell, a story weakens.

We don't need another run-of-the-mill "cop" story, even if this one is a serial killer. I realize that serial killers "kill" but professional writers "write.' they don't savagely butcher stories until the audience walks away. I for one am gone. I was a HUGE fan of Dexter (Seasons One and most of Two), but I feel they really f****d up this time. They painted Lila as a true soulmate whose crime as to fight for what she believed in. Also, if you go back and watch carefully, you will see how positive an effect she had on Dexter. It was because of her that he has been able to process so much of the pain and confusion that he has been experiencing in Season One.

As to Rita (not the actress, who is again "amazing") but the character. Is anyone silly enough (Dexter) to believe thats he will accept even a hint of who he is? She dumped him for having sex AFTER he dumped him. She dumped him (rightfully so) for thinking he was "another Paul," and she sure as hell would freak completely to find her children were bing coddled by "The Bay Harbor Butcher."

They dropped the ball by removing the very characters that drive the story, and now the writer's strike has stolen the momentum the show was building. How long until we see a new dexter (I know I said i was "done" but I might peek). Unfortunately as Dumbledore told Harry "Dead is dead." Goodbye Lila."

"ok, I guess this Lila thing needs hashed out since so many people have such strong feelings about it. I guess I just watch it in a different way. LIla is the beat down house wife, and let me tell you thier are millions out thier that are trying to just get a nice normal life back and become a little something. Notice the pamplet about Hotel Management classes she was looking at when she was making pudding? Thier are tons of women out thier who would love to be Lila and meet a man like dexter that would'nt beat them up every night and take the grocery money at the same time. that's a big story right there and it's a side story to Dexter's main story. Thier is excitement every season. right now he has the top DA of Fla and the top renegade cop of Dade county breathing down his neck. And its for so much as he can investigate and figure the wrongful death (his first, something he never wanted to do) of thier baby brother. So now this season Batman has two Jokers.

Oh just realized as I am catching up on this thread a new season has started but this was started before. Still what I am eluding too, is thier not going to take away Dexter's enemy's and Danger and excitement without replacing it with more. And usually shows try to get better as they go along, not worse."

"I watched seasons 1 and 2 leading up to season 3 premier (and I cheated and watched it online a couple weeks ago) ... there's been so many great characters ... but folks, got to tell you, even though it is embedded earlier in this long-running thread ... I MISS LILA! She's awful; nothing but trouble for Dexter and anyone else; petulant; dangerous; lovingly cruel ... but OH MY, WHEN SHE PURRRRS DEXTERRRR .... something happens inside of me!

I love Jimmy Smits. But he can't purr like Lila!"

"I am glad Lila died too. You can sit and say that she and Dexter are the same because they are both serial killers but they aren't. Dexter has standards. Lila tryed to kill kids which is something Dexter would never do. I am not the biggest fan of Rita but i'm glad Dexter ended up with her rather then that slut Lila. "

"Rita is Dexters Yang. In a Ying/Yang for those who don't comphend my meaning. She equals him out and gives him normalness, both to society and otherwise in the storyline. She's suppose to be boring. There will be more Lila's come along. They are a dime a dozen remember! The show is just plain awesome and I don't believe how fast the season goes."

"Hey Mark, I cant believ you said something bad about Lila. I have to agree with you though, she is exactly how you said it. Awful for Dexter and others, But when she Purrrrrs, it does unleash something primal.

Jimmy maybe he can purrr but it is not the same...."