I like how there were a lot of flashbacks but they did not overwhelm the plot. By having more but still keeping them very short they left me wanting more. Perfect.
Pretty much. i wonder when we will get more interaction between the two.
I do hope we get to see the whole team interacting and working together in the not so distant future. I don't want to go like half a season with Michael isolated and barely interacting with anyone.
To be honest, I went into the episode expecting that Michael would be reunited with the team for the rest of the season. Now I have no idea what to expect. That's unusual for Burn notice. I too want them reunited quickly because we don't have many episodes left.
The issue is how they plausibly either close the Dominican Republic story line or conveniently move it to Miami. I don't see how that can happen quickly. I wonder how many episodes had been written and shot before they decided it was the last season. They had time to play with things if they thought they were going to get their typical extension.
Same here. I'm wondering how they are going to reunite them now since there really is no underlying storyline (Gamble is gone, they know Mike is ok) that is tying them together anymore. They can pretty much go back to where they were at the start of the season. What is going to bring them together? The only thing I can think of is Mike reaching out to Sam since Sam told him to contact him if he needs help and then slowly the rest follow.
The cheesiest way, and what I'm actually kind of afraid will happen, is that after years of staying in the Dominican Republic, Burke will suddenly have urgent business for Mike in Miami. Or possibly Mike takes down Burke in the next episode. There really is no good way to get the team back together right now and they have to get them together soon if this season is going to be a phenomenal end.
Even if they didn't know from the start it was the last season, I can't see them having planned to keep them apart too long. The team working together has always played a big part in the show.
Very good point and that is what makes me the most hopeful. All in all, Burn Notice has been a great ride and this episode rocked so I'm going in optimistic that they have a lot better ideas than I do.
I had a falling out with Burn Notice sometime during season one, schedule conflicts and I lost interest for some reason (I don't know why, I'm in love with it now! Haven't seen an episode I didn't like!).
I saw it was the final season so I decided to watch the Season 7 premiere and then 3-5 days of the Burn Notice marathon going on a channel called CLOO.
I saw most of the episodes and all season premieres/finales. Season 6 I barely missed any episodes. I couldn't pry my eyes away with the whole arch of the team being on the run. My eyes were glued.
Only missed a few for sleep (luckily before the episode with Michael's brother dying). It was a 24/7 marathon and I don't have the ability to record on my TV! Old dinosaur age programming. Or rather - cheap.
I am only sad I couldn't get back into it earlier.
That was some marathon. Glad you got caught up for the finale. Season 6 is one of my favorites. I got a little ho hum about Burn Notice in season 5 and decided to give it one more season. I was astonished by how awesome the show got again. It reminded me of seasons 2-3 Burn Notice.
I watched Burn Notice sporadically for a while but at the end of season 2 I got hooked and watched the first 2 seasons over the hiatus. It's another show where I've seen every episode multiple times. Not as many as SPN mind you, but enough that I fear my DVDs will wear in some places. Long Way Back is my favorite episode as well as tonight's episode. They have an awful lot in common.
I felt so bad for Michael throughout the episode. He was in such a hard place. Generally I think he makes his own choices and thus have little sympathy, but this time there was not much he could do.
I also ignore the Irish accents simply because I have waited so long to see how they met. It was on the top of my Burn Notice wish list and I'm so glad they went there in the official show before signing off.
That was one of my favorite lines also and how he said it in his Irish accent. The fact that he remembered really meant a lot and then to be able to use that memory of the good times to save Fiona just topped it all off. Such a fabulous moment.
I'm not really sure about Michael deserving so much anger with the whole CIA deal. I mean sure, he wanted to rejoin them for a long time, but in the end, did he really have another option anyways?
Wasn't the deal he go back to work and leave them behind and they in return go free from jail?
The CIA was going to let them rot in there from what I understand, if Michael refused.
Loved this episode! I really enjoyed watching Michael struggle against the tide of emotions that he was desperately trying to hold back, but slowly failing to as he surveilled his friends and saw how they had moved on with their lives. It's really interesting to see how Michael chose to save his friends by trying to become the spy he once was, but I think in this episode it became obvious (at least to the audience) that his relationships in the last 6 years, as well as his experiences, have had a lasting impact on the way that he operates and thinks.
He's no longer the hardened and distanced agent that he once was and that the CIA wants him to be again. I think that as the season goes on Michael will see more of the changes in himself and realize more and more how exactly he's changed. I hope that we get a few more flashbacks that really show the old Michael Westen is different from the current Michael Westen-not so much that they overdo it, but I think seeing more from his past would be great.
And personally I've been getting the feeling that Michael didn't ever fully reveal the threat that was looming over their heads 9 months ago to the rest of the team and why he joined up with the CIA this time. I think it was easier for him to leave with everyone upset with him and he didn't want Fi, Sam, or Jesse trying to save him or sacrifice themselves for his sake. I think that once they learn the reason though they'll forgive him fairly quickly.
But I'm excited to see the rest of the season. I think that mostly for Michael and Fiona it will be a season of figuring out exactly what they want out of life. Michael's got to figure out how much he's changed and how much of the spy life he wants in his life. And Fiona's got to figure out what she wants for her life and why she wants it with Michael and not Carlos or another guy. Regardless of whether that's right, I have very high hopes for the season after this episode!
That was the deal. Although in all fairness they have had people basically blackmail them into working for them before and they always found a way as a team to get out of it. I think it is more that they are hurt that Michael made a decision basically for them without consulting them. It probably reminds them of earlier Michael who was adamant that it was him in the fight alone until he needed others' help. I think it is fear that Michael will revert to his former self that drives the core issues. That and of course the fact that he has been spying on them all.
They'd never all been in jail before with the CIA outside their cells.
Yeah, at least where Sam and Jesse are concerned. Fi I think the anger is three parts that and five parts abandonment anger. Which I can understand too because of how sudden it was.
He didn't tell them he was making the deal so it hurt them more.
Long Way Back was the one with Fi's brother, I watched that one. It was good. I can't say I have any favorites. It's all good. Hard to choose with shows like this. lol Honestly all the shows I watch involving spies (Burn Notice, Person of Interest, Nikita) I am so interested in right now. Nothing ever bores me.
I think on Fi's part, a lot of it is a sense of betrayal too. Michael kept saying that he was done with the CIA for good last season and that he would get out of the spy life so that the two of them could finally be together with no complications. And then she found out that Michael had made a deal with the CIA to get all of them out of trouble and had gone back on his promise to her. I think she believes that there must have been another option or they could have figured something else out.
I'll be very interested to find out exactly how much he told them about the deal in future episodes. I know they knew they were trouble, but I do wonder if he told them the extent of the trouble. He had to make the deal at that time, but you're right that he probably could have worked with Fi, Sam, and Jesse or talked to them afterwards.
I think the group knew the stakes when they were in jail. I think the point was that they had made choices, they were committed to seeing this out to the end and didn't want Michael sacrificing himself for them. Michael took away their choice. I think this was more of an issue for Fiona than the others because it meant more of the same. Instead of facing this as a team, or a couple, it was Michael going off and making decisions for both of them again, and leaving her for more spy work after he promised to be different.
Heartbreaking. Michael needs to really change and really retire for this to end well. This season will be about him finally truly making that commitment to civilian life. I'm not sure if Fi will be there at the end though.
:( Fi and Michael need to end up together....the end was so sad I cried. I did not watch 6 seasons and 2 episodes (and of course I'll watch the rest of the season) of romantic tension for them not to be together forever....and Michael better not die or anything like that. As a film major, the scenes in the bar were nothing short of artwork, I would've given almost anything to work on that set. Plus to see their first meeting was magical.
Maybe Michael didn't talk to them because he hoped they "forget" about him. CIA has him as slave, sort of, so they waiting for him would be useless. In my opinion, what Michael did was the ultimate act of love, letting them to move on.
It was Michael working with CIA or everybody on a hole for the rest of their lives, all because Michael shot that gun and killed that man. He did the right thing by sacrificing, I would have done the same.
Wow, that was completely amazing and sad at the same time. It really was like a punch to the gut... Mike's face after Fiona and What's his face hug and kiss when she was freed... Mike's face after the cheek kiss, oh my... Excruciatingly painful. I literally felt his pain. Extremely well done! Can't wait for next week.
I think Fi is also tired of what she sees as a constant theme in their relationship. After he ditched her in Germany without even a goodbye and they didn't see each other again for years. Fi doesn't like to be put second, even for a job. Especially for a job.
I agree Fi feels betrayed, especially since the last time they were together, Mike left her without saying goodbye and then they didn't see each other for years. It's almost a pattern for them and it's the reason why she was so adamant that he get out. She knows they cannot have a life together if he's with them. I can see all of them thinking they could have come up with a better option if they just worked on it together. After all, they always have.
I am sure Michael is doing what he thinks is best for them. The problem is that he didn't allow them to decide what was best for themselves. Now we know that he was stuck in a hard position, but Michael has always been able to communicate when necessary. That makes it Michael's conscious decision for them and people don't like when you don't give them a choice in their own lives.
This episode did a lot for me too in regards to seeing how Michael has changed over the years. It's been a slow change but doing a rewatch of season 1, it's very clear. I like that we can see more emotion in Michael because in the beginning it was almost as if he were dead inside. Getting close to this team has made him a better person, even if it leaves him less the spy the CIA wants. I think the idea that you're only at your best in the CIA when you are the least you is an interesting concept to play with.
I agree that a lot of it has to do with not being able to choose themselves. They were a team that faced impossible tasks and beat them together. Suddenly Michael was pulling rank and they didn't get a vote. I'm not saying that Michael had much of a choice and I'm not saying he was wrong, but based on all the stuff they dealt with together it had to sting that he didn't even consult them about a decision that would affect all of their lives. Even if he had made the deal, by not contacting them and telling them the game plan, it must have stung even worse. Michael had shown himself to be very resourceful so there is no way he couldn't have gotten them a message. He was reacting like the Michael of old and they had no way to see what it was doing to him as well.
I am so glad you loved it. I worried I was getting your hopes up too high since at the end Mike and Fi are no where closer to be together than at the end. For me this was one of the best episodes of the whole show.
I don't think the show can end without Michael and Fi being together, although they didn't know for sure that it was the final season until late. That does have me worried a bit,
Not necessarily, especially since they made the deal specifically with the Burke case in mind. Once the Burke case is over, they could very well let him walk away. It's not like he's a permanent slave to the CIA. He just happens to be uniquely useful in this case. In the end, I definitely see Michael walking away from the CIA. I certainly don't see him working a desk job there and he will realize that his team, especially Fi, is more important and do something spectacular that gives him the freedom, professionally and mentally, to walk away.
I agree that is the bigger question. The CIA is less of a threat than Michael's own psychology. I think because we are in the last season, Michael will be able to walk way or work as a consultant where he gets to pick and choose what he works on. If it were not the last season, then I think it would continue to be a struggle because that's a large part of the whole series. The character arc kind of needs Mike to be in a place where he can walk away.
I don't think the USA Network would let Mike and Fi NOT be together in the end. They have a reputation to uphold. I also don't see it ending with Mike's death. That would be too depressing for words. I also loved the flashback sense I've been waiting for ages to see it. It was definitely worth the wait.
Burn Notice does bittersweet extremely well and that's what this episode was to me. I'm hoping it will make it that much better when they finally get back together for good.
Michael wasn't ready for commintment with anyone before, but now he's different. People need their time for change, and Michael has been a broken person since his youth.
Sometimes we hurt the ones we love the most because we think we know what is better for them, right or wrong. Michael isolated himself to protect his friends, just like Fiona gave herself to FBI against Michael's wishes, because it was better for him.
This 100th episode was more than just awesome! I love Burn Notice and have faithfully watched it each season through bad story lines and bad acting alike but this was just amazing! Also congrats to Jeffery Donovan for directing an excellent episode!
I've been hoping to finally see a little more storyline of Michael McBride and Fiona when they first met and I thought this was well done. The lighting was perfect so we didn't have to worry that they both looked too old for those scenes. Then tptb threw in those lines at the end and it was just perfect. First we see Michael save Fiona's life and just when we think she is going to forgive him, we get the kiss on the cheek and the explanation behind it! I can't believe that this is the end for the two of them. I have to think Carlos will die somehow and eventually Fiona, and everyone else, will learn what Michael had to do to so they all didn't go to jail forever.
How cute was the little boy who played the grandson!
I'm excited to see where this story line will go now. Here's to a great final season for Burn Notice!!
Which is where I agreed with you. However I don't think we can expect the characters to be happy about. Michael made a choice for all of them instead of it being a team decision. We can't expect people used to having their opinions respected to be okay with that. It's going to take the team a while, and Fiona more than Sam and Jesse, to just get over that.
Where I don't agree with you is the idea that Michael isolated himself to protect them. I would say there is much more ample reason to believe that Michael chose isolation to protect himself using the CIA mandate as an excuse to mentally detach a bit. I don't think Michael would be able to be who the CIA wanted him to be and still have contact with his friends. We saw in this episode that he can't. He rejoined the CIA for the team. He stayed detached for himself.
I loved the lighting also. I made the comment in the third season that they were rapidly getting a point where they would not be able to flashback to Ireland. I'm glad that I was wrong because from the pilot on I have been curious about their early relationship. I'm glad they did this actually in the show instead of just an online comic or something. The flashbacks made the episode for me.
Yikes! I can see why. I have very few shows I watch live (more in the summer than fall actually) but I love doing show marathons and Covert Affairs is one that I watch that way.
I was off Burn Notice when they messed up the chemistry of the group with Jesse, but this season(so far) has been classic Burn Notice and I am loving it. Still wish they would get rid of Mom, she smokes to much and is going to get Michael killed. Don't know why shows have to make moms so pushy.
I agree with all of that. I'm not blaming Mike - he's a victim of an abusive home as you pointed out - but at the same time I'm not blaming Fi either. People often aren't really able to change, and when you're in a relationship with someone who can't seem to be who you want them to be, at some point you may decide you need to walk away.
I agree that his friends can't be okay with this, and they're of course in pain, Fiona the most. Did he stay detached for himself? Did he do for them? Maybe for punishing himself... But now is the moment when he really get that he needs them, and the time of people going to him is done. Now must be the other way around, and I think he will.
Fiona is not to blame in any way, of course, and has the right to stop waiting. Now is the moment for Michael to do the work. He needs to say "I'm ready and I want to be with you, and I want you to be with me and anybody else." And then she needs to kiss him, damn it! I think I'll die if they aren't together in the end :P
I have to say I don't get the Jesse hate. He never bothered me one way or another when he first appeared. He would have if the writers had gone anywhere with the kiss he had with Fiona however. lol
It took me a little while to warm up to Jesse, but he's been one of my favorite parts of Burn Notice for 2 years now. I really enjoy the humor he brings and that humor plays well especially off of Sam.
I think of Jesse as an important part of the team now too. He has connections and resources the others don't have and he's proven to be just as loyal. I was leery at first but in the end, he made a great addition to Burn Notice.
I loved the episode, the ending was so bittersweet. I agree with those saying that the team needs to be back together soon and I want Michael and Fi to sort things out because this is the final season! I want a happy ending :)
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That ending was heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteLoved it. The way they connected the flashbacks to what was going on was well done. That ending was so sad though. :(
ReplyDeleteI love this episode. It had everything I wanted in it and I have been waiting for the flashbacks forever.
ReplyDeleteIt was a punch right in the gut after all the Michael and Fiona flashback goodness. That's what makes it classic Burn Notice and oh so hard.
ReplyDeleteI like how there were a lot of flashbacks but they did not overwhelm the plot. By having more but still keeping them very short they left me wanting more. Perfect.
ReplyDeletePretty much. i wonder when we will get more interaction between the two.
ReplyDeleteI do hope we get to see the whole team interacting and working together in the not so distant future. I don't want to go like half a season with Michael isolated and barely interacting with anyone.
Same here. The season is only 13 episodes (right?) so while they can't do it too quickly, they do need to make progress at a decent pace.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I went into the episode expecting that Michael would be reunited with the team for the rest of the season. Now I have no idea what to expect. That's unusual for Burn notice. I too want them reunited quickly because we don't have many episodes left.
ReplyDeleteThe issue is how they plausibly either close the Dominican Republic story line or conveniently move it to Miami. I don't see how that can happen quickly. I wonder how many episodes had been written and shot before they decided it was the last season. They had time to play with things if they thought they were going to get their typical extension.
ReplyDeleteSame here. I'm wondering how they are going to reunite them now since there really is no underlying storyline (Gamble is gone, they know Mike is ok) that is tying them together anymore. They can pretty much go back to where they were at the start of the season. What is going to bring them together? The only thing I can think of is Mike reaching out to Sam since Sam told him to contact him if he needs help and then slowly the rest follow.
ReplyDeleteThe cheesiest way, and what I'm actually kind of afraid will happen, is that after years of staying in the Dominican Republic, Burke will suddenly have urgent business for Mike in Miami. Or possibly Mike takes down Burke in the next episode. There really is no good way to get the team back together right now and they have to get them together soon if this season is going to be a phenomenal end.
ReplyDeleteEven if they didn't know from the start it was the last season, I can't see them having planned to keep them apart too long. The team working together has always played a big part in the show.
ReplyDeleteBest scene: "Time to be brave little angel"!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking when Fiona kisses him on the cheek!!!
Very good point and that is what makes me the most hopeful. All in all, Burn Notice has been a great ride and this episode rocked so I'm going in optimistic that they have a lot better ideas than I do.
ReplyDeleteI loved that he remembered that. :)
ReplyDeleteI had a falling out with Burn Notice sometime during season one, schedule conflicts and I lost interest for some reason (I don't know why, I'm in love with it now! Haven't seen an episode I didn't like!).
ReplyDeleteI saw it was the final season so I decided to watch the Season 7 premiere and then 3-5 days of the Burn Notice marathon going on a channel called CLOO.
I saw most of the episodes and all season premieres/finales. Season 6 I barely missed any episodes. I couldn't pry my eyes away with the whole arch of the team being on the run. My eyes were glued.
Only missed a few for sleep (luckily before the episode with Michael's brother dying). It was a 24/7 marathon and I don't have the ability to record on my TV! Old dinosaur age programming. Or rather - cheap.
I am only sad I couldn't get back into it earlier.
That was some marathon. Glad you got caught up for the finale. Season 6 is one of my favorites. I got a little ho hum about Burn Notice in season 5 and decided to give it one more season. I was astonished by how awesome the show got again. It reminded me of seasons 2-3 Burn Notice.
ReplyDeleteI watched Burn Notice sporadically for a while but at the end of season 2 I got hooked and watched the first 2 seasons over the hiatus. It's another show where I've seen every episode multiple times. Not as many as SPN mind you, but enough that I fear my DVDs will wear in some places. Long Way Back is my favorite episode as well as tonight's episode. They have an awful lot in common.
I felt so bad for Michael throughout the episode. He was in such a hard place. Generally I think he makes his own choices and thus have little sympathy, but this time there was not much he could do.
ReplyDeleteI also ignore the Irish accents simply because I have waited so long to see how they met. It was on the top of my Burn Notice wish list and I'm so glad they went there in the official show before signing off.
ReplyDeleteThat was one of my favorite lines also and how he said it in his Irish accent. The fact that he remembered really meant a lot and then to be able to use that memory of the good times to save Fiona just topped it all off. Such a fabulous moment.
ReplyDeleteI just watched the promo for next episode, seems one of my general theories is correct:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.spoilertv.com/2013/06/burn-notice-episode-703-down-range-promo.html
I wonder about that ending with Michael yelling...seems he might be yelling at his boss? Don't tell me yet another not so good guy. :I
I'm not really sure about Michael deserving so much anger with the whole CIA deal. I mean sure, he wanted to rejoin them for a long time, but in the end, did he really have another option anyways?
ReplyDeleteWasn't the deal he go back to work and leave them behind and they in return go free from jail?
The CIA was going to let them rot in there from what I understand, if Michael refused.
They usually go on sale at Amazon around Christmas. It could always make a good present for you.
ReplyDeleteLoved this episode! I really enjoyed watching Michael struggle against the tide of emotions that he was desperately trying to hold back, but slowly failing to as he surveilled his friends and saw how they had moved on with their lives. It's really interesting to see how Michael chose to save his friends by trying to become the spy he once was, but I think in this episode it became obvious (at least to the audience) that his relationships in the last 6 years, as well as his experiences, have had a lasting impact on the way that he operates and thinks.
ReplyDeleteHe's no longer the hardened and distanced agent that he once was and that the CIA wants him to be again. I think that as the season goes on Michael will see more of the changes in himself and realize more and more how exactly he's changed. I hope that we get a few more flashbacks that really show the old Michael Westen is different from the current Michael Westen-not so much that they overdo it, but I think seeing more from his past would be great.
And personally I've been getting the feeling that Michael didn't ever fully reveal the threat that was looming over their heads 9 months ago to the rest of the team and why he joined up with the CIA this time. I think it was easier for him to leave with everyone upset with him and he didn't want Fi, Sam, or Jesse trying to save him or sacrifice themselves for his sake. I think that once they learn the reason though they'll forgive him fairly quickly.
But I'm excited to see the rest of the season. I think that mostly for Michael and Fiona it will be a season of figuring out exactly what they want out of life. Michael's got to figure out how much he's changed and how much of the spy life he wants in his life. And Fiona's got to figure out what she wants for her life and why she wants it with Michael and not Carlos or another guy. Regardless of whether that's right, I have very high hopes for the season after this episode!
That was the deal. Although in all fairness they have had people basically blackmail them into working for them before and they always found a way as a team to get out of it. I think it is more that they are hurt that Michael made a decision basically for them without consulting them. It probably reminds them of earlier Michael who was adamant that it was him in the fight alone until he needed others' help. I think it is fear that Michael will revert to his former self that drives the core issues. That and of course the fact that he has been spying on them all.
ReplyDeleteOh.My.God. This episode was amazing. Action. Flashbacks.Ireland. Angst. More Angst.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but my Christmas List is already very long. lol
ReplyDeleteThey'd never all been in jail before with the CIA outside their cells.
ReplyDeleteYeah, at least where Sam and Jesse are concerned. Fi I think the anger is three parts that and five parts abandonment anger. Which I can understand too because of how sudden it was.
He didn't tell them he was making the deal so it hurt them more.
Long Way Back was the one with Fi's brother, I watched that one. It was good. I can't say I have any favorites. It's all good. Hard to choose with shows like this. lol Honestly all the shows I watch involving spies (Burn Notice, Person of Interest, Nikita) I am so interested in right now. Nothing ever bores me.
ReplyDeleteI think on Fi's part, a lot of it is a sense of betrayal too. Michael kept saying that he was done with the CIA for good last season and that he would get out of the spy life so that the two of them could finally be together with no complications. And then she found out that Michael had made a deal with the CIA to get all of them out of trouble and had gone back on his promise to her. I think she believes that there must have been another option or they could have figured something else out.
ReplyDeleteI'll be very interested to find out exactly how much he told them about the deal in future episodes. I know they knew they were trouble, but I do wonder if he told them the extent of the trouble. He had to make the deal at that time, but you're right that he probably could have worked with Fi, Sam, and Jesse or talked to them afterwards.
I think the group knew the stakes when they were in jail. I think the point was that they had made choices, they were committed to seeing this out to the end and didn't want Michael sacrificing himself for them. Michael took away their choice. I think this was more of an issue for Fiona than the others because it meant more of the same. Instead of facing this as a team, or a couple, it was Michael going off and making decisions for both of them again, and leaving her for more spy work after he promised to be different.
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking. Michael needs to really change and really retire for this to end well. This season will be about him finally truly making that commitment to civilian life. I'm not sure if Fi will be there at the end though.
ReplyDelete:( Fi and Michael need to end up together....the end was so sad I cried. I did not watch 6 seasons and 2 episodes (and of course I'll watch the rest of the season) of romantic tension for them not to be together forever....and Michael better not die or anything like that. As a film major, the scenes in the bar were nothing short of artwork, I would've given almost anything to work on that set. Plus to see their first meeting was magical.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Michael didn't talk to them because he hoped they "forget" about him. CIA has him as slave, sort of, so they waiting for him would be useless. In my opinion, what Michael did was the ultimate act of love, letting them to move on.
ReplyDeleteHis deal with CIA is not a choice anymore, he can't just walk away.
ReplyDeleteIt was Michael working with CIA or everybody on a hole for the rest of their lives, all because Michael shot that gun and killed that man. He did the right thing by sacrificing, I would have done the same.
ReplyDeleteWow, that was completely amazing and sad at the same time. It really was like a punch to the gut... Mike's face after Fiona and What's his face hug and kiss when she was freed... Mike's face after the cheek kiss, oh my... Excruciatingly painful. I literally felt his pain. Extremely well done! Can't wait for next week.
ReplyDeleteYou should try Covert Affairs next then.
ReplyDeleteI think Fi is also tired of what she sees as a constant theme in their relationship. After he ditched her in Germany without even a goodbye and they didn't see each other again for years. Fi doesn't like to be put second, even for a job. Especially for a job.
ReplyDeleteI agree Fi feels betrayed, especially since the last time they were together, Mike left her without saying goodbye and then they didn't see each other for years. It's almost a pattern for them and it's the reason why she was so adamant that he get out. She knows they cannot have a life together if he's with them. I can see all of them thinking they could have come up with a better option if they just worked on it together. After all, they always have.
ReplyDeleteI am sure Michael is doing what he thinks is best for them. The problem is that he didn't allow them to decide what was best for themselves. Now we know that he was stuck in a hard position, but Michael has always been able to communicate when necessary. That makes it Michael's conscious decision for them and people don't like when you don't give them a choice in their own lives.
ReplyDeleteThis episode did a lot for me too in regards to seeing how Michael has changed over the years. It's been a slow change but doing a rewatch of season 1, it's very clear. I like that we can see more emotion in Michael because in the beginning it was almost as if he were dead inside. Getting close to this team has made him a better person, even if it leaves him less the spy the CIA wants. I think the idea that you're only at your best in the CIA when you are the least you is an interesting concept to play with.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a lot of it has to do with not being able to choose themselves. They were a team that faced impossible tasks and beat them together. Suddenly Michael was pulling rank and they didn't get a vote. I'm not saying that Michael had much of a choice and I'm not saying he was wrong, but based on all the stuff they dealt with together it had to sting that he didn't even consult them about a decision that would affect all of their lives. Even if he had made the deal, by not contacting them and telling them the game plan, it must have stung even worse. Michael had shown himself to be very resourceful so there is no way he couldn't have gotten them a message. He was reacting like the Michael of old and they had no way to see what it was doing to him as well.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you loved it. I worried I was getting your hopes up too high since at the end Mike and Fi are no where closer to be together than at the end. For me this was one of the best episodes of the whole show.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the show can end without Michael and Fi being together, although they didn't know for sure that it was the final season until late. That does have me worried a bit,
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily, especially since they made the deal specifically with the Burke case in mind. Once the Burke case is over, they could very well let him walk away. It's not like he's a permanent slave to the CIA. He just happens to be uniquely useful in this case. In the end, I definitely see Michael walking away from the CIA. I certainly don't see him working a desk job there and he will realize that his team, especially Fi, is more important and do something spectacular that gives him the freedom, professionally and mentally, to walk away.
ReplyDeleteI agree that is the bigger question. The CIA is less of a threat than Michael's own psychology. I think because we are in the last season, Michael will be able to walk way or work as a consultant where he gets to pick and choose what he works on. If it were not the last season, then I think it would continue to be a struggle because that's a large part of the whole series. The character arc kind of needs Mike to be in a place where he can walk away.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the USA Network would let Mike and Fi NOT be together in the end. They have a reputation to uphold. I also don't see it ending with Mike's death. That would be too depressing for words. I also loved the flashback sense I've been waiting for ages to see it. It was definitely worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteBurn Notice does bittersweet extremely well and that's what this episode was to me. I'm hoping it will make it that much better when they finally get back together for good.
ReplyDeleteMichael wasn't ready for commintment with anyone before, but now he's different. People need their time for change, and Michael has been a broken person since his youth.
ReplyDeleteHa, er no. I have over 30 shows I watch year round. I try to keep myself out of the temptation of watching shows nowadays if I can help it. lol
ReplyDeleteSometimes we hurt the ones we love the most because we think we know what is better for them, right or wrong. Michael isolated himself to protect his friends, just like Fiona gave herself to FBI against Michael's wishes, because it was better for him.
ReplyDeleteYeah the way they filmed the flashbacks were fantastically done.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure... Were they talking about prison for life, for the five of them, or a single undercover case for Michael? Hmm...
ReplyDeleteJeffrey Donovan twitted that the end was wrapped and all story lines finished. I hope he's not bluffing...
ReplyDeleteThis 100th episode was more than just awesome! I love Burn Notice and have faithfully watched it each season through bad story lines and bad acting alike but this was just amazing! Also congrats to Jeffery Donovan for directing an excellent episode!
ReplyDeleteI've been hoping to finally see a little more storyline of Michael McBride and Fiona when they first met and I thought this was well done. The lighting was perfect so we didn't have to worry that they both looked too old for those scenes. Then tptb threw in those lines at the end and it was just perfect. First we see Michael save Fiona's life and just when we think she is going to forgive him, we get the kiss on the cheek and the explanation behind it! I can't believe that this is the end for the two of them. I have to think Carlos will die somehow and eventually Fiona, and everyone else, will learn what Michael had to do to so they all didn't go to jail forever.
How cute was the little boy who played the grandson!
I'm excited to see where this story line will go now. Here's to a great final season for Burn Notice!!
Which is where I agreed with you. However I don't think we can expect the characters to be happy about. Michael made a choice for all of them instead of it being a team decision. We can't expect people used to having their opinions respected to be okay with that. It's going to take the team a while, and Fiona more than Sam and Jesse, to just get over that.
ReplyDeleteWhere I don't agree with you is the idea that Michael isolated himself to protect them. I would say there is much more ample reason to believe that Michael chose isolation to protect himself using the CIA mandate as an excuse to mentally detach a bit. I don't think Michael would be able to be who the CIA wanted him to be and still have contact with his friends. We saw in this episode that he can't. He rejoined the CIA for the team. He stayed detached for himself.
I loved the lighting also. I made the comment in the third season that they were rapidly getting a point where they would not be able to flashback to Ireland. I'm glad that I was wrong because from the pilot on I have been curious about their early relationship. I'm glad they did this actually in the show instead of just an online comic or something. The flashbacks made the episode for me.
ReplyDeleteYikes! I can see why. I have very few shows I watch live (more in the summer than fall actually) but I love doing show marathons and Covert Affairs is one that I watch that way.
ReplyDeleteI was off Burn Notice when they messed up the chemistry of the group with Jesse, but this season(so far) has been classic Burn Notice and I am loving it. Still wish they would get rid of Mom, she smokes to much and is going to get Michael killed. Don't know why shows have to make moms so pushy.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't smoke at all this season. She gave it up to get custody of Charlie.
ReplyDeleteThat will be a pleasant change, she was like a diesel truck.
ReplyDeleteMine are mostly in the fall, but I like keeping minimum shows in the summer because I tend to travel more when college is out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of that. I'm not blaming Mike - he's a victim of an abusive home as you pointed out - but at the same time I'm not blaming Fi either. People often aren't really able to change, and when you're in a relationship with someone who can't seem to be who you want them to be, at some point you may decide you need to walk away.
ReplyDelete:D I love angst, and I am glad that they didn´t reunite Mike and Fi yet. To soon.
ReplyDeleteI agree that his friends can't be okay with this, and they're of course in pain, Fiona the most. Did he stay detached for himself? Did he do for them? Maybe for punishing himself... But now is the moment when he really get that he needs them, and the time of people going to him is done. Now must be the other way around, and I think he will.
ReplyDeleteFiona is not to blame in any way, of course, and has the right to stop waiting. Now is the moment for Michael to do the work. He needs to say "I'm ready and I want to be with you, and I want you to be with me and anybody else." And then she needs to kiss him, damn it! I think I'll die if they aren't together in the end :P
ReplyDeletelol It is true.
ReplyDeleteYay, no more second hand smoke for the rest of the team.
I have to say I don't get the Jesse hate. He never bothered me one way or another when he first appeared. He would have if the writers had gone anywhere with the kiss he had with Fiona however. lol
ReplyDeleteIt took me a little while to warm up to Jesse, but he's been one of my favorite parts of Burn Notice for 2 years now. I really enjoy the humor he brings and that humor plays well especially off of Sam.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I like him. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I didn't really mind him one way or another, but I did s
ReplyDeleteI think of Jesse as an important part of the team now too. He has connections and resources the others don't have and he's proven to be just as loyal. I was leery at first but in the end, he made a great addition to Burn Notice.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised at how much I am enjoying Jesse this season, before I could not stand him.
ReplyDeleteFor me he was part of the reason I loved last season so much. His combination of humor, loyalty, and courage make him someone I can really root for.
ReplyDeleteI loved the episode, the ending was so bittersweet. I agree with those saying that the team needs to be back together soon and I want Michael and Fi to sort things out because this is the final season! I want a happy ending :)
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