Burn Notice

[Deathstroke]

I'll have to catch the show on On Demand.

[BYC]

The show is feeling a bit boring since the formula is still going strong. I don't forsee it changing this half-season.

[Global Honored]

YAY! Michael & company are back!

[Typo Lad]

The show is feeling a bit boring since the formula is still going strong. I don't forsee it changing this half-season.
I actully felt that Jesse's actions show a lot of potential for changing the dynamic.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I actully felt that Jesse's actions show a lot of potential for changing the dynamic.

Yeah, but not too much. His actions were mean and spiteful on a certain level, but hardly unjustified. Fi might not agree, obviously...

[StoneGold]

It's funny, every season, I complain how the finale still sticks with the formula of Michael helping random person, even though he should be focusing more on the big plotline for the season.


Didn't happen this time. In the last two episodes, even. Michael being selfish, using his spy skills just for himself with no B plot.

[Vidocq]

Yeah, and this one really made for the best season finale so far. That CIA guy that welcomed Michael back, did he appear in a previous episode? Michael seemed to recognize him.
Michael still has the list of names, Jesse never gave it to the Senator, so does the CIA has it now or is it still with him?
This appears to be the end of the secret organization but I gotta wonder what's going to happen to Management and Simon.

This is the only season not to end in a cliff hanger but none of the others left me more itching for answers than this one.

[Deathstroke]

It was a good finale. Looking forward to the continuation of the story in the summer to come.

[StoneGold]

Yeah, and this one really made for the best season finale so far. That CIA guy that welcomed Michael back, did he appear in a previous episode? Michael seemed to recognize him.
Michael still has the list of names, Jesse never gave it to the Senator, so does the CIA has it now or is it still with him?
This appears to be the end of the secret organization but I gotta wonder what's going to happen to Management and Simon.

This is the only season not to end in a cliff hanger but none of the others left me more itching for answers than this one.

Yeah, does almost feel like a season ender. As to the agent guy, I'm assuming he did show at some point? Actually, he was too young, but for a moment there I thought it was going to be the payoff to a theory I've had about the show since it started, that Michael's father is a spy and burned him for some esoteric plot reason. I've since come to believe that the show doesn't want to go in that cheezy of a personal angle, but it's not like Chuck didn't basically do that.

[Typo Lad]

Yeah, does almost feel like a season ender. As to the agent guy, I'm assuming he did show at some point? Actually, he was too young, but for a moment there I thought it was going to be the payoff to a theory I've had about the show since it started, that Michael's father is a spy and burned him for some esoteric plot reason. I've since come to believe that the show doesn't want to go in that cheezy of a personal angle, but it's not like Chuck didn't basically do that.

Yeah, I had the same theory, actually.

But according to everything I can find, the "you" hasn't appeared before.

I'm assuming they have plans for the un-Burned Michael... or maybe he'll still be burned till he takes down the organization.

One thing's for sure, with two more seasons ordered, they have something planned.

[BYC]

Yeah I avoided most of this half season, and I was right when I thought Jesse would just end up liking Michael again.

I'm very disappointed to see Brennan killed. I marked out when he showed up, and then LARRY showed up. I never loved how Michael seemed to have gotten away with things relatively easily (due to the formula of the show). Brennan and Michael had a good one-upsmanship in the past, and I felt it was good development that Brennan would keep an eye on Michael after their tangles.

Larry fit into that perfectly as Brennan thought he could control Larry, as well as using somebody that Michael didn't like. Larry himself was a bit off that he STILL tried to get Michael on his side. It seemed weird that Larry just keeps trying to get Michael to be the ruthless agent after what happened last time.

I guess I'll watch next season, but I don't think the formula is changing.

[Cthulhudrew]

I didn't much care for the finale; it just didn't feel very Burn Notice-y to me. More like- we need a climactic action finale with Management and so we'll do a standoff scenario and make it look like no one's coming out alive, but have everyone get rescued by the cavalry at the last minute.

That's what it was- a western.

Which is cool- I like westerns- but Burn Notice isn't a western. It's more cerebral and fun and slick. This finale felt like- "we're not too sure we're going, so let's just end it here." And that sucks, because it's such a good show otherwise. Been re-watching seasons 1 and 2, and the contrast here is just so glaring. It's kind of been that way off and on all season. I don't want to say it's just because of the Jesse character- more like the character itself is a symptom of the disease.

Speaking of, I was really hoping they'd go the obvious route and have Jesse make some kind of heroic sacrifice. It wouldn't have ended his role cleanly, but at least it would have ended it. Even if the character actually brought a needed dynamic to the team (he doesn't), even if they actually made some creative usage of the character (they don't), the actor is just too much of a dud to pull it off. There's no chemistry between him and Fiona- so much for the attempt at a love triangle. Coby Bell doesn't have the chops to pull off inner conflicts like Michael Donovan; no sense of pathos for Jesse. He's just a dud of a character.

That said, I did enjoy the penultimate episode, and the return of Dead Larry. I thought it was kind of abrupt how they killed Brennan, but his character never really appealed to me too much, so I can deal. It was kind of unbelievable that Sam didn't just take the shot and kill Larry, given his dislike of the guy and the situtation, but I'm glad he escaped to come back another day.

Things I'd have liked to see this season:

1) Michael has to team up with Larry to get the list back from Brennan- played out differently. Brennan knows Michael and his team- they need someone unpredictable to help get it back. Would probably have played out similarly, in the end, I suppose. I'd really like to see Larry's dangerous side sometime- if he really taught Michael so much, he should be similarly crafty; we usually only see him shooting or stabbing or killing, though.
2) Jesse's character could have really brought an interesting dynamic- Burned spy; he should have been the Anti-Michael. When he found out Michael burned him, he should have turned on the team. I don't see him trying to kill them or anything, but he shouldn't have trusted them anymore, and with him being unable to trust them, he'd have gone after the Knock List himself. Now you've set up a burned spy who knows Michael's operation from the inside out and can use that intel to counter their moves. He starts to assemble a team of his own, and you've got them playing against each other; both good guys, trying to do the right thing, but getting in each other's way out of distrust. The romance triangle could have worked out so much better, too, if they'd played up the notion that this guy could almost have been Michael if he'd stayed in one place and been able to commit to Fiona- gotten an office job or something. Instead- we got what we got.

(Really, if they were going to add a fourth character, they should have just brought Barry in full time; he adds something to the team.)

I honestly thought when Michael first got the Knock List and was speechless about how to proceed that they might have him decide to not try and get back into the spy biz, but be happy to stay in Florida with the family/team he'd created, doing good works. I was disappointed that he didn't, after all he's been through. And that's why the finale was so lackluster to me.

Anyway, I'll be back next season- I love the show and characters too much not to. Very curious to see where they'll take things from here.

[Toreador]

Michael now seems to be questioning on whether to go back or not. In past seasons Michael had always been full-speed ahead on almost doing whatever it takes to get back in but in the past few episodes he's been telling his mom and Fi that now he wants to clear his record and have the choice on going back in or not.

I don't think he'll be immediately offered back in, they will still need to get the truth from Vaughn and Simon about Michael's burn notice. And as a way of redemption/trial basis they will probably have Michael go after the agents on the NOC list to determine if they went willingly into the group or were forced into it like Michael and Vincent.

[Holacik]

Yeah I avoided most of this half season, and I was right when I thought Jesse would just end up liking Michael again. Yeah, I'm not really liking how that happened really.


I'm very disappointed to see Brennan killed. I marked out when he showed up, and then LARRY showed up. I never loved how Michael seemed to have gotten away with things relatively easily (due to the formula of the show). Brennan and Michael had a good one-upsmanship in the past, and I felt it was good development that Brennan would keep an eye on Michael after their tangles.Yeah I was disappointed that Brennan died as well.


Larry fit into that perfectly as Brennan thought he could control Larry, as well as using somebody that Michael didn't like. Larry himself was a bit off that he STILL tried to get Michael on his side. It seemed weird that Larry just keeps trying to get Michael to be the ruthless agent after what happened last time.

Larry is an old Spy who has no friends left that is desperately trying to relive his glory days, and they were with Michael. It makes perfect sense in the end, mainly as dude is quite a bit off. I'm hoping that when Larry is finally offed they let Sam do it.

[Anna]

Some scoop on the prequel and how it might affect next season: http://insidetv.ew.com/2010/12/17/burn-notice-csi-gossip-girl-spoilers/

[BYC]

Wasn't somebody suppose to die this season? Who did?

[Stressfactor]

A couple of things....

1) Is it me or does it look like maybe Bruce Campbell has shed a few pounds? I kind of hope so. I know he'll never be a 'hard body' but less weight just looks better on him in general.

2) If they ask Michael back into the business there is another consideration he needs to make -- the fact that he now knows that bascially the entire espionage organization is riddled with corruption. Vaughn had guys high up in the FBI, in Homeland Security, in God know what all else -- you don't just get that by waving your hand -- that's long-term, deep seated corruption... and Michael would have to go back knowing that it happened and that it could happen again.

3) There is potentially another twist here -- I could see it being revealed that there were those in the business who had some sneaking suspicions of corruption and bascially threw Michael in front of Vaughn in hopes that what would happen did happen -- that he would blow everything sky high. And if they just kept giving Michael a trail of breadcrumbs to follow that, eventually, he would do what they wanted him to do -- tear stuff up and break the bad guys' toys. If that proved to be true I could imagine Michael being very, very angry and deciding not to go back.


In the end, though, if they at least clear Michael's record it might give the show a change to visit some other locals. Miami is fun and all but it's starting to feel claustrophobic that Michael is always stuck there. I'd like to see a chance for the show to visit some other places.

[The Cool Thatguy]

So how many recurring bad guys does Mike have left now, that are of any note? I think this season pretty much sealed them all up.

[Holacik]

So how many recurring bad guys does Mike have left now, that are of any note? I think this season pretty much sealed them all up.

Larry is still alive, and Simon is somewhere....

[Eivion]

1) Is it me or does it look like maybe Bruce Campbell has shed a few pounds? I kind of hope so. I know he'll never be a 'hard body' but less weight just looks better on him in general.
He is probably losing weight for the prequel movie focused on Sam.

[Cthulhudrew]

One of the things I'd have really liked to see, vis a vis Michael apparently finally nailing the guys who burned him- I'd have liked to see some of the various allies Mike has made over the past several seasons come to help him out. Calling in some favors- Agent Bly, the FBI guys, Seymour the weapons dealer- it would have been nice to see Mike get some assistance from all the people he's helped over the years, rather than just have him and his team playing lone wolf against Vaughn's army. Give it some nice closure that way; a reminder of what he's done since being burned, and that it wasn't all wasted time.

[Anna]

Larry is still alive, and Simon is somewhere....

Simon is wherever Vaughn put him; I'm wondering when and where "Management" will surface.

[BYC]

I'm also wondering if Vaughn is going through what Management did to Carla...and if the CIA guy is also in Management...

[Cthulhudrew]

Having just finished watching season 2 again, I can't help but wish they'd kept Victor alive and added him as a cast member, instead of Jesse. Even with the "never quite going far enough with the possibilities" writing of Jesse's character, I think a stronger actor might have been able to redeem the role. Coby Bell is just such a non-entity compared to the rest of the cast (and even usually the guest stars).

[Anna]

Having just finished watching season 2 again, I can't help but wish they'd kept Victor alive and added him as a cast member, instead of Jesse. Even with the "never quite going far enough with the possibilities" writing of Jesse's character, I think a stronger actor might have been able to redeem the role. Coby Bell is just such a non-entity compared to the rest of the cast (and even usually the guest stars).

You're not alone there.