Let me get something straight. I never said Doakes was alive. I just said I wanted to see where the character was when the scene flashed and compared it to when he was following Dexter back in season two. I also think it is a fantasy, but, I said it was fun to speculate.
Anyway, the show's producers were pretty adamant that season 8 is it. They said they have been planning a two-season finale and this episode sets it all in motion. Plus, they had a little salary issue with MCH about his pay. He is getting $1 million per episode for this season and next and that almost didn't happen. Plus, I've read that MCH wants to focus more on Broadway and film.