Burn Notice

7 Seasons are not bad.

Yeah, I would have wrapped it up with season five. I don't believe in flogging things for ten years just for the sake of habit.

The two major milestones in successful television shows is 100 episodes and 7 years, and they'll reach both this year. I can say my interest hasn't waned in the last season but I think this is a show that will benefit from knowing a definitive end-point rather than stalling as long as possible. I still haven't seen the last three episodes of season six for various reasons, although I would like to (legally).

Indeed, it's better to end the show when it should than keep it going longer and see it drop in quality. Look at the last two seasons of That 70's Show.

I prefer to look at EVERY season of That 70s Show to see a drop in quality. That show stunk.

I mean, I guess I can't complain too much. Arrow's getting 10 seasons(allegedly), Defiance got a greenlight for season two, Longmire's starting up again soon........but endings always hurt. And this one's REALLY gonna hurt.

Knowing it's the final season ahead of time really, really, really makes the news much better than if they decided to end it mid-season. Even better if the decision is before production begins. Though I'm not familiar with Burn Notices production schedule, have they started that yet?

They usually finish the entire season (or at least half-season) before the first episode airs, but since this is being advertised as the final season it is likely the crew knew this long before.

In all honesty I think they did a lot of padding to get things to last this long. Multiple seasons where the only time being spent progressing with the overarching plot was the first and last 5 minutes of each episode. Too often that felt false and artificial, a way to increase the episode count. I felt that the way they handled season 6 was generally much more organic, and would have been a better way to do it throughout, even though the show would likely have been both shorter and darker.

I would be fine with fourteen or so episodes. It does well in syndication, it's shot in the summer. People want quality; not outdated benchmarks to wave around.

Jesse was the final blow for me. He's settled into a "friend on the force" role, which used to be filled by Kramer—I mean Sam's anonymous "buddies". Never felt he had much to offer. Out of all the colorful characters (minorities included) introduced on the show, he's a regular?

edited 14th May '13 4:08:08 PM by johnnyfog

I like Jesse. It was cool seeing him go through his dark arc and then come through the othe side as a friend, even while technically keeping his word. He DID shoot Mike, just not lethally. Honor was served.

I'm glad this show's ending. It kind of dragged for me. I'll miss it, but there were sections I had to catch in reruns because I just didn't have the attention span for them when they aired.

So what did everyone else think about that season premier? I'm not sure I like the changes.

I wonder how long Mr Rebound-Relationship...I mean Carlos...is going to be a thing.

Carlos WILL stab Team Westen in the back. WILL. I'd bet large amounts of money and vital parts of my anatomy on it.

I missed a few lines here and there; where did Maddie get this kid from?

Nate got married back in the third season to a Vegas blackjack dealer named Ruth (played by the actors actual wife), though we've only seen her on camera in that episode. About the only thing we know about her is that she tries to be friendly but can be vindictive and didn't get along with Madeline very well. The fourth season revealed that they were expecting a baby and the fifth season showed the infant Charlie. The beginning of the sixth season revealed that her and Nate split up, probably in part due to Nate's gambling problem. They specified that Ruth apparently had a drinking or drug problem and got put in rehab, with Charlie being put in Madeline's custody. It is nice they didn't completely forget that plotline and Charlie is an appropriate age now.

As for the season premiere, Burn Notice is a show that sticks to a formula and can be quite repetitive, even predictable because of that. But the formula works well enough to be interesting despite its flaws, if only because the myth arc moves at a pace just fast enough to not completely stall. It is interesting that they did a rather significant Time Skip here and everyone else has moved on with their lives while Michael is in a deep cover operation.

My god Maddie held the Idiot Ball firmly this episode. She's smarter than that.

People get stupid when it comes to kids. Having said that.....

Maddie will get killed, and Michael and Fiona will get custody of Charlie.....and get married.

Hoping for a happy ending to the series.

Hasn't Fiona already gotten a new boyfriend or is she just trying to fill the void.

A happy ending for me will involve Fiona making some sort of Heroic Sacrifice

edited 9th Jun '13 5:38:53 PM by Thorn14

You mean Mr Rebound? Yeah. Like that is going to last.

Yep, sure solved that problem of "repetitiveness" eh, Mackey?

A) Not sure what you mean by that (sincerely or sarcastically) and B) why is it no one catches the "L" in my name?

Oops, apologies.

On past occasions, we have disagreed on a few plot turns, and your refrain has usually been, "Well, the show is repetitious, so it makes no difference". And Well, now we're repeating the Time Skip cliffhanger and the disposable boyfriend of Fiona, and you present it as a break from formula. Do you realize what I'm saying?

I don't recall any "disagreement" with you or anything you're claiming that I said about the shows formula (I even looked back through this thread to make sure I didn't miss anything). Maybe this was something you thought personally and never voiced, but all I've ever really said is that the show is formulaic on an episode-by-episode basis but excels in the Wham Episodes. I didn't say Fiona's new boyfriend and the Time Skip broke the pattern.

As for the Time Skip itself, it's merely interesting because it was so extreme. Past season breaks have Michael go away for maybe a few weeks and the crew are anticipating his return. Here they have gone on to completely new lives without him, which shakes up the status quo but hasn't altered the Burn Notice pattern.

Well, alright. That makes sense. (Must be getting paranoid)

So, any bets on how long Michael is going to be able to sneak around in Miami before running across his friends.

edited 10th Jun '13 2:00:04 PM by 3of4

Vegas has the line at 20 min. into the show. I'm taking the under and the points.