Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

I knew they would survive. Because of closure to the audience, they lived.

But am I the only one who would have preferred Michael and Fi to die in the explosion? It's a dark conclusion but they would have gone out together. Concluding the love story if you will.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

Just finished and I'm kinda with stopgap. Michael and Fi perishing was a huge oh shit, what a sendoff, and I can't believe they did that moment but.... I was prepared to accept that. It's a finale, not everyone needs to live. It was such a stellar finale that having them outrun an explosion and collapsing building like a cartoon lessened it. It would have been dark for sure, but man, it would have been way more powerful.

It definitely overstayed its welcome, but that's simply because of the never ending rabbit hole that was the 'burn notice' plot. Had the show evolved into more of a procedural I doubt there would have been many complaints. The case of the week was always the show's strong suit.

This season was a complete waste until the final 3 episodes, IMO. I wasn't vested in any of it. Didn't really buy James as a big bad or care about him or Sonya and her disappearing accent. I didn't like that they turned Maddie into a complete idiot this season and relegated her to babysitter. Just a lot of things just rang hollow this season. The two episodes leading up to the finale were good, but the finale was Burn Notice at its best.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

Although I noticed they screwed up his uniform the same way as they did in the "Sam Axe" movie.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

I think they might've had the guts to kill off Michael and Fi if they didn't have the stupid kid. I think once they introduced him, there was no way they were killing them off.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

I've said it before....Burn Notice was never the best show or anything but it has charm and that was always enough for me.

The finale was perfrect - I loved how it ended and I love how they all got use their lines from the opening sequence (although Jessie's was a bit too modified but rightly so).

I was actually a bit choked up at the end of it - it was always just fun to see the gang interact with one another.

The best part for me though was not even realizing I was watching the last two episodes....I don't follow the shows I watch online I just get home and order them through vudu - seeing how BN usually goes 16-17 episodes a season...that's what I was expecting here....it made the finale that much better for me.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

The last season or two dragged a bit but it was almost always a good popcorn show that rarely tried to take itself too seriously.

Other than having Michael truly turn rogue over the last 2 episodes which I think would have been ballsy and awesome (but is way too dark an ending for a show like this); this was about as good an ending as I think possible. They really nailed the finale, right down to the opening monologue tie-ins throughout the show.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

Well it was a nice run, I enjoyed the show. The very end was pretty lame though (the slow motion running, holding hands and gazing at each other as a building is exploding around them). Speaking of the exploding building, I'm guessing they had no budget for the CGI because that was 90's level bad.

Still...overall it was a really fun show. The foursome of characters worked really well together. We know Bruce Campbell will always get work, but I hope to see Donovan, Bell, and Anwar in future shows or movies.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

Finally catching up to this after being on vacation. A little too neat to be wrapped up the way it was without explanation of James' motives for creating his group.

Had they the balls to kill Michael and Fi after letting Maddie die like a hero would have served a better ending, but that would have left out Charlie.

And it's kind of hollow considering that Sam and Jesse got to say goodbye since they had to hand over Charlie.

The final few episodes of build up felt rushed without anymore character/plot development of James or Sonya. They had started off the season rather dark and bleak and then ran out of episodes to really come up with an in depth ending. How rather convenient that it came down to what Sam escaped with that held all of James' secrets allowing him to die without repercussion.

At least it leaves the future open for something down the line.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

The "wrapped in a bow" resolution bugged me too. Then I remembered this was not intended as the final season and they were told they were cancelled mid-production of this season. So I have a funny feeling James and Sonya were meant to survive into another season, with Michael having crossed over. Only to have Fi, Sam, Jessie, and Maddie struggling to bring Michael back. And then we'd finally get the missing backstory on James and his group.

Then again, given this show's history, it was probably something stupid like James was the real person who burned Michael. Which doesn't seem outside of the realm of possibility given his conversation with Maddie earlier in the season.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

This show turned into utter nonsense, and it was a real struggle just finishing this final episode.

Seriously, no one's motivations made any sense; not James', not Michael's, not even the CIA's. What was once a fun show, turned into overly-serious, convoluted melodramatic bullshit in it's final couple seasons. Good riddance.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

Used tonight to finish off the last 3 episodes, including the series finale.

It was a good ending to the series and I think it perfectly set up a potential spinoff for Sam and Jesse if USA wants to buy it.

Of course Michael and Fi were going to live. Obviously the special effects with them escaping the explosion was cheesy, due to budget limitations, but who the hell cares at this point?

:thumbsup: Maddie went out a hero. Very strong and emotional scene when Michael said goodbye to her on the phone.

James was definitely not the strongest season baddie, but I thought John Pyper Ferguson played him well and made him menacing enough.

The cases of the week that were part of the early seasons were fun, but overall I think the show developed a stronger narrative when it went full on serialized around season 5.

Probably no one here knows what Matt Nix, the creator of Burn Notice, looks like. But, I thought his cameo in the episode was neat.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

What was his cameo?

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

He played a TV news reporter.

He was the guy with curly hair who announced on air that Michael was at large.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

Was it ever explained what happened to Michaels brothers wife? The kids mother? I cant remember ever seeing anything about that and was wondering why she would just give him up.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

Nate's wife went into rehab and lost custody to Maddie.

Re: Burn Notice -- Series Finale -- "Reckoning" -- 9/12/13
 

Per wiki: