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In the absolute shock Season 4 finale, we see Rita bled out in a bathtub at the hands of The Trinity.

Arthur had already found out everything about Dexter at the time he killed Rita. Is there any indication in the show or that the show runners have hinted at, that Rita is told Dexter's truth at the very end?

Rita has really been a breakthrough character, the white for Dexter's black. For her heart to be broken at the very end would be very sad. On the other hand I think a character like that deserves to know the truth, even if it is at the very end!

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This is not revealed on the show.

The only two people who knew if Arthur had revealed Dexter's true identity to Rita are Arthur and Rita. Arthur was killed by Dexter shortly after he'd killed Rita, and he tells Dexter nothing that indicates he'd told her about him (nor does he leave any messages behind indicating it). Rita's last words are in her phone message to Dexter that she forgot her ID, and she's killed by Arthur shortly after that; we never see her encounter with Arthur or her murder.

So it just didn't happen on the show. I have no idea if the creators claimed that it did happen but frankly, even if they did, I'd consider this extraneous retconning, since they could've put it in and chose not to. And ultimately, it doesn't even matter that much:

  • It would make little sense, plot-wise. Consider the scenario: A psychopath about to murder Rita tells her a few moments before he does that Dexter is a serial killer, something she never even suspected. Why would she believe him in the first place?

  • It would barely impact the characters. Rita would be devastated, but she's about to die anyway and we'll never know what consequences that knowledge had. And Dexter would be much more devastated about her death than about her briefly knowing the truth about him before it.

So it might be sad that this detail was never resolved and was left to the imagination, but unfortunately, whatever's not in the finished product is not there for a reason.

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  • Here's when Dexter kills Arthur. youtu.be/_FhAJgn-cUE At around 3:50 Arthur hints something which cause Dexter a couple of extra glances. Thought nothing about telling Rita directly I was wondering if this was a reference to that.
    – Gaurav Ramanan
    Oct 5, 2015 at 22:00
  • Arthur's words barely even hint at Rita's death at all (to keep it a surprise). We can only vaguely interpret them as such ('it's already over') after we find out she's dead. But I don't see how any of his words indicate that he told Rita about Dexter. Her death is enough of a punishment for Dexter, but Arthur doesn't even talk about that.
    – Walt
    Oct 5, 2015 at 22:08
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    @GauravRamanan And really, why would Rita believe him anyway, unless he broke into their house with a box full of evidence? (Added.)
    – Walt
    Oct 5, 2015 at 22:21

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