'Dexter' finale postmortem: Find out why they [spoiler alert]!

Warning:Stop reading if you have yet to watch tonights killerDexterseason finale.

Everyone else, see below for my exclusive postmortem with executive producer Clyde Phillips.

Among the hot topics discussed: When (and why) was the decision made to whack Rita?

Will she return as a ghost?

What was thealternatecliff-hanging twist?

And when the hell will Deb figure out the truth about Dex?

When was the decision made to kill off Rita?

CLYDE PHILLIPS:I would say we made the decision pretty late in the season.

We didnt quite know what we were going to do [in the finale].

PHILLIPS:The story evolved and it kind of became inevitable.

We knew that we had to do more than kill Trinity.

Its a little bit of a corner that we paint ourselves into.

How did Julie Benz take the news that she was leaving the show?

PHILLIPS:She wasnt happy.

She loved being with us.

We loved having her with us.

She took it… professionally.

She was greatly disappointed.

She works in television.

She knew that this was a possibility.

Did Trinity tell Rita about Dexter before he killed her?

PHILLIPS:I dont know the answer to that question.

We havent talked about next season.

But [my gut says] I would think that he didnottell her.

Might she return as a ghost like Dexs dad?

PHILLIPS:The answer, at the moment, is no.

However, had you asked me two years ago if Lundy was coming back I wouldve said no.

We didnt know he was coming back until this year.

It just seemed expedient to the story to Dexters story and to Debs story.

Some people thought the game-changing twist was going to involve Deb figuring out that Dexter is a serial killer.

How much longer can you stretch out that story before you pay it off?

PHILLIPS:Weve bounced that around the [writers] room.

But once we do that… want to talk about game-changers?

Will next season be about Dexter juggling serial killing and single fatherhood?

PHILLIPS:He is a single father.

But, beyond that, we dont know.

I understand you wrote two endings to throw people off.

What was the other ending?

Either escaped or fallen thru the cracks.

That wouldve been disappointing.

PHILLIPS:[Laughs] Yeah.

Got moreDexterseason finale Qs?

Then be sure to read Part 2 of my Q&A with Phillips.

And dont forget tocheck out Ken Tuckers thoughts on thefinale.

Oh, and this just in: Michael C. Hall speaks!