AOL Talks To Julie Benz on "Dexter"

[JamesG]

The following interview has been cut to only focus on Dexter:



So, let's set the record straight! Is Rita dead or not?

Rita's dead. She's long gone.

I mean, when you lose that much blood, I don't think there's any hope for survival. What do you think?





Yeah, I wouldn't think so. I reviewed that last episode and, oh my gosh, I can't believe all the people still leaving comments on that post.

A lot of them are saying it's a dream sequence. Are you getting that a lot from people? They're like, "Oh, it doesn't add up."

I'm getting people begging me to tell them it was dream sequence. I'm like, "I hate to tell you this, but it's true. It's real. Rita died and I'm dead."

I would love it to be a dream sequence, but I'm released from my contract now. So, it wasn't a dream sequence.





Hopefully, that will appease all of the people still hoping for the dream sequence.

No. I think they're still going to hope for it. I do go on the message boards a lot and look at what people write, and it's always fun to hear their theories and philosophies.

Somebody said that they thought Rita committed suicide. Then, there was a theory that Dex snuck in and killed Rita, which made me laugh.

To set the record straight, Rita's dead and the Trinity Killer killed her.





OK, well, you know it's going to be one of those things that Dexter fans talk about for years, which is pretty cool.

Yes, it's very cool.





So, were you sad to leave the character behind?

Well, I only found out at the last minute, and I was shocked. I found myself kind of defending Rita's life when they told me. I'm like, "You can't kill her. She still hasn't found out what's going on ..." You know? Kind of explore what would happen if she found out about Dexter.

But they'd already made their decision. Yes, it was very tough for me to accept for a while. I really mourned the loss of Rita, because she's still alive in the book, and I felt like somehow I failed this character that's still alive in literature.

Out of all the characters that I've played, I think she's the one I grieved for the most, just because it really came out of left field.





Oh, yeah?

I did not see it coming. But at the same time, now that I've had some time, I've realized that it's the monumental turning point in the story of Dexter and the whole folklore and bible of the show, and one of the things everybody's going to be talking about forever.

It's an honor to be part of that impact. I'm a small part of it, but it's an honor.

http://insidetv.aol.com/2010/02/12/j...-and-uncorked/