If either of these things happened, especially the second, I would declare Dexter the worst show on television.

Dexter may pride it's often humorous quick fix solutions to stories, but if they tried that with this one, it'd definitely kill the show. They wrote Debra finding Dexter killing Travis, they're going to have to live up to it.

Which, is why it's such a good thing, because they're going to have to prove their salt as writers.

Honestly, if I was writing it, I'd have Debra completely flip out, and try to arrest Dexter. Dexter coerces her into believing that this was his first kill, and talks her out of arresting him. After all, she let Matthews go, why would she arrest her own brother? Maybe even Dexter pulling out sappy melodrama talking about his friend Brother Sam dying, and more importantly the stress of Rita dying(Which is strangely not on his mind at all whatsoever anymore).

As the season goes on, Debra is revealed to new evidence that forces her to reopen the bay harbor butcher case. Finding that Doakes was completely innocent. Possibly something to do with Lily dying in Paris from the second season. While this happens, Masuka's nerdy assistant gradually finds Dexter out more, and more, becoming his admirer/worshiper(as they seem to obviously be doing).

Of course, all the while, Dexter is distracted by another serial killer of some variety. Debra eventually, however, figures out that Dexter was the Bay Harbor butcher, runs into a moral crises, finally deciding to arrest her own brother.

The season ends with Dexter being taken to jail, Social services taking away Harrison. But escaping with the aid of Masuka's obsessed assistant. Leaving for one final season where Dexter is on the wrong side of the law. Capping off the show with him retrieving Harrison, Leaving in incognito with his son, apologizing to his sister, and such.

I doubt that will happen, though. I'd be sorely shocked if they didn't immediately milk the concept of Dexter unveiling his 'dark secret' in a very Machiavellian fashion right off the bat. Still, doesn't mean they couldn't write their way out of it. I'm hoping they do, as if they do, they have some promising television ahead.

Whatever they do, they have to set Harrison between the law, and Dexter. I don't think they can have him kill Debra. Maybe somebody else kills Debra to save Dexter against his wishes, or something of that variety.

So we know that Debra caught Dexter killing Travis. He could very well convince her that it was his first kill, but Debra's not exactly stupid. She's very good at piecing things together (a recent example being her discovery of Matthews and the dead prostitute), and the fact that she's now seen how Dexter's kill room is set up (with all the plastic, tape, knives specifically organized on another table), her first thought could be that this is the work of an experienced killer. Debra knows that first time killers are usually very sloppy with their work, but someone who's been killing for a while has developed an efficient MO to try and cover their tracks.

Now we know that she's actually IN LOVE with Dexter, and that will play a key role in whether or not she arrests him. Debra is going to have an enormous complex to deal with now that LaGuerta has also advised her to make her job the central part of her life so she will be in control. Let's assume that Debra takes LaGuerta's advice. If she really wants to do well at this job, that means putting emotions on the back burner. Debra will have to treat Dexter like every other criminal and arrest him; because she know that if she lets him slide, she'll become an emotional wreck as her discovery will eat away at her.

However, there is a big possibility that this was all Dexter's dream - he dreamt it, and Travis Marshall is still out there because Dexter never killed him. That's one way (or maybe the only way) in which the shows writers can move away from the idea that Debra caught him.

The Dream thing is likely. He does shoot himself up with animal tranquilizer, and seemingly show now effect. I wouldn't be completely satisfied with that, however. At least, not to the climax of a season. If it were midseason, or something, I would accept that.

That seems all too possible, though.

Then again, I'm thinking now more in the possibility of Debra finding out. Not immediately arresting him. Something bad happening to her. Finishing off with Dexter saving her somehow. Debra would however have to somehow lose her chief of police position in order for it to keep sane in that case, though.

Unless they're willing to have Debra die early on in the next season. If a third party were to find out, he or she could kill Debra in order to save Dexter. Maybe Masuka's nerdy assistant. Either he's a useless throwaway character, or he's going that way anyway.

Honestly, I hope they decide to use the next couple of seasons to wrap it up. They're better writers than I could imagine being, but they've had to have written themselves into a corner here, and the show might end up choking itself on it's own branches.

Either:

A) They completely destroy the dynamic of the show.

B) They reveal it's a hallucination or something that completely destroys the impact. Making them look afraid to take a risk.

C) Very VERY meticulously carefully plot this thing to work right.