Burn Notice s7 so far
Aug. 26th, 2013 11:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
arduinnaContinuing my complete random assortment of daily posts!
I watch Burn Notice in odd spurts, almost never one at a time but letting them pile up for weeks and then marathoning them when the mood strikes. I'm not quite sure why; maybe because every episode aims for intense, and I'm not quite in the mood for that on Thursdays, who knows.
But tonight was suddenly a Burn Notice night.I'm not quite caught up, but I'm watching the 8/15 ep right now, "Things Unseen". Okay, yeah, this is what happens, I had to keep watching.
Random stuff about this season:
I am seriously loving the way splitting up the team is allowing everyone more one-on-one time, right up to Fi and Maddie -- and wow, how much do I love that they really are friends, that they're always there for each other? (And that Fi bonds with Maddie by teaching her how to blow out the side of a building <3)
I feel like they've been wobbling a littttttle bit on Maddie's characterization this season -- over the last few seasons she's made some very specific choices to be a part of Michael's life (and a part of his chosen family, which zomg, so amazing ♥) and while I completely get why taking care of Charlie is going to change all of her priorities, she bizarrely lost some of the -- hm, "knowledge" isn't quite the right word, but close enough - her knowledge about Micheal's life and work, so everything's a scary surprise again, which... it hasn't been for a while now.
But eh, whatever -- she and Fi are still close, Sam and Jesse come over to play with Charlie, and all of that is with Michael off the grid for a year. This is truly a chosen family, even if the original glue isn't around.
Equally happy-making is all the lovely Sam/Mike this season; I feel like they've gotten a lot more together time as they all swirl around in different combinations doing different jobs. I was a puddle at all the amazing Sam/Mike h/c at the end of last season (oh my god, that car ride), and this season I've just been beaming at Sam's unwavering devotion -- Mike needs him, he goes, and he snarks Jesse down if Jesse doesn't move fast enough. And that just never changes: he'll never not be there for Mike. But it's not blind devotion; he's always ready to question Mike if he doesn't agree with something. I love that they haven't forgotten that Sam's a soldier, not a spy. That scene where he had to kill someone for no good reason, man, and was all bitter anger afterward -- that was a thing of beauty.
I love too that that's sort of the theme of this season; how far are you willing to go for your friends, for a cause that you may or may not believe in?
And how Micheal really, truly wasn't a nice guy when he was a spy, and how that darkness is just lurking around; he fought hard to be a better person, especially after he got burned, and Sam and Fi are not wrong about his steady slide back into that darkness doing this deep cover job.
Man, no wonder Dead Larry had such a hold on him, and was so convinced Michael would always love him best. ... For Dead Larry values of "love", anyway. I mean, I knew he was Michael's rubicon, but. Wow. (And seriously, he's as creepy as Scorpius when it comes to living in people's heads.)
Every time Michael talks about deep cover, I flash to Vinnie and Sonny on Wiseguy -- except Michael's not Vinnie. He's on the verge of being Roger. His friends and family are holding him anchored, but man, he has lost his internal compass, even though he thinks he hasn't. He's gone back to believing the mission is the anchor and compass. No, no, no.
OTOH, I do like how none of the superbadguy-villains have been complete super bad guys; Nathan Petrelli turned out to be all principled, James is a psycho who truly believes he's helping the whole world as he goes around having half the world shot.
As soon as James showed up on screen, I knew where everything was going, ish. He's just too good at playing a charismatic cult leader; the last time I saw him, he was on Alphas trying to force the evolution of mankind, with hundreds of worshipful followers. I have no problem believing he's as crazy and as charismatic as he seems here...
It's weird; the show itself is so, so much darker this year - but the relationships are stronger (and healthier), with emotional connections all over the place. Which I'm eating up with a spoon, even as I freak out a bit over how awful everything is. It's jarring listening to the credits; they're way too lighthearted for this season, and make me really miss the first couple of seasons, when you might get an episode about teaching a kid to stand up to bullies. Rather than, you know. Shooting everyone and everything all the damn time. Dear god, the body count this season.
Spoilers for 7x08, Things Unseen:
Sebastian Roche! <3 He will forever be Kurt Mendel to me, from Odyssey 5, in all his shirtless sleazy wonder. Okay also whatsisname from the US Touching Evil. He kept his shirt on in this one, though, which was a good indicator of what was going to happen to him, IMO.
Seriously, Michael, get out, you are in too deep and are an actual bad guy now, wtf. :( He's going to come out of this more broken than he ever has been. (Plus, Sebastian Roche! nooooo)
Unrelatedly, wow I was pissed at Maddie for pulling the "if you don't testify, all future victims' blood will be on your head" with Lloyd -- no, it wouldn't, it would be on Nando's head. Lloyd would probably *feel* guilty about it, but he's not the one killing people, cripes. She knows better than that.
... Okay, I just finished the ep, and wow, go Carlos. I figured he was just a bit of fluff when he was introduced, someone for Fi to be temporarily interested in while she pined for Michael, but he's been winning me steadily over. And man, after this ep, he is the most decent, principled person this show has ever seen. He would have been so much better for Fi than Michael.
I am now seriously rooting for her to end the season by walking away from Michael and finding Carlos.
Okay, I think I can fit in one more ep if I kinda live-blog it a bit, because now I have to see what happens next. Things are getting a bit tense.
7x09, Tipping Point:
Okay, at least the second ep running where Michael says something to the effect of "no matter how important the mission is, no matter how much you believe in the cause, it feels like what it is: a complete betrayal" when doing something for the mission.
Aw, and there again - Michael doesn't trust Strong and looks straight to Sam, who's right there with "don't worry, brother, we'll be there to watch your back." ♥ ♥
Strong? Is a GOOBER. WTF random freelance extraction team to go after James.
OH HOLY SHIT IT'S SIMON WTF
I was on the phone withtherienne a few minutes ago and saying how this season, they'd clearly figured hey, final season, let's pull out all the stops, but good GOD. I was not expecting Simon.
(... okay now I kinda want them to bring Victor back from the dead, at least for a few minutes. As long as we're getting everyone else! He could be a hallucination. Or a ghost. Michael Shanks is good at being both of those...)
Seriously, how stupid is Strong, to trust Simon??
Oh, Sam, I love you so. <3 <3 There is no one he won't go nose to nose with when they're being stupid and risking lives unnecessarily. Or calling his best friend a murderer.
.. Okay, I was not expecting actual fisticuffs.
AAAAAAAAAAA OR EYE GOUGING WTF
oh holy crap. *stares at screen* I.
That was freaking brilliant -- he's completely lost his mind, down in the darkness where he kinda likes killing people, but he's there because he can't stand all the killing, and how Simon is his warped mirror image, even more than Dead Larry was. Holy crap.
Oh no -- I can't blame Michael at all for not trusting Strong AT ALL, but walking away from Sam and Jesse :( :(
Okay, this is ALL VERY STRESSFUL AIGH.
Good grief. I need to find some kitten tv or something to unwind from all of that. They're seriously pulling out the stops this season.
in before midnight, woo!
I watch Burn Notice in odd spurts, almost never one at a time but letting them pile up for weeks and then marathoning them when the mood strikes. I'm not quite sure why; maybe because every episode aims for intense, and I'm not quite in the mood for that on Thursdays, who knows.
But tonight was suddenly a Burn Notice night.
Random stuff about this season:
I am seriously loving the way splitting up the team is allowing everyone more one-on-one time, right up to Fi and Maddie -- and wow, how much do I love that they really are friends, that they're always there for each other? (And that Fi bonds with Maddie by teaching her how to blow out the side of a building <3)
I feel like they've been wobbling a littttttle bit on Maddie's characterization this season -- over the last few seasons she's made some very specific choices to be a part of Michael's life (and a part of his chosen family, which zomg, so amazing ♥) and while I completely get why taking care of Charlie is going to change all of her priorities, she bizarrely lost some of the -- hm, "knowledge" isn't quite the right word, but close enough - her knowledge about Micheal's life and work, so everything's a scary surprise again, which... it hasn't been for a while now.
But eh, whatever -- she and Fi are still close, Sam and Jesse come over to play with Charlie, and all of that is with Michael off the grid for a year. This is truly a chosen family, even if the original glue isn't around.
Equally happy-making is all the lovely Sam/Mike this season; I feel like they've gotten a lot more together time as they all swirl around in different combinations doing different jobs. I was a puddle at all the amazing Sam/Mike h/c at the end of last season (oh my god, that car ride), and this season I've just been beaming at Sam's unwavering devotion -- Mike needs him, he goes, and he snarks Jesse down if Jesse doesn't move fast enough. And that just never changes: he'll never not be there for Mike. But it's not blind devotion; he's always ready to question Mike if he doesn't agree with something. I love that they haven't forgotten that Sam's a soldier, not a spy. That scene where he had to kill someone for no good reason, man, and was all bitter anger afterward -- that was a thing of beauty.
I love too that that's sort of the theme of this season; how far are you willing to go for your friends, for a cause that you may or may not believe in?
And how Micheal really, truly wasn't a nice guy when he was a spy, and how that darkness is just lurking around; he fought hard to be a better person, especially after he got burned, and Sam and Fi are not wrong about his steady slide back into that darkness doing this deep cover job.
Man, no wonder Dead Larry had such a hold on him, and was so convinced Michael would always love him best. ... For Dead Larry values of "love", anyway. I mean, I knew he was Michael's rubicon, but. Wow. (And seriously, he's as creepy as Scorpius when it comes to living in people's heads.)
Every time Michael talks about deep cover, I flash to Vinnie and Sonny on Wiseguy -- except Michael's not Vinnie. He's on the verge of being Roger. His friends and family are holding him anchored, but man, he has lost his internal compass, even though he thinks he hasn't. He's gone back to believing the mission is the anchor and compass. No, no, no.
OTOH, I do like how none of the superbadguy-villains have been complete super bad guys; Nathan Petrelli turned out to be all principled, James is a psycho who truly believes he's helping the whole world as he goes around having half the world shot.
As soon as James showed up on screen, I knew where everything was going, ish. He's just too good at playing a charismatic cult leader; the last time I saw him, he was on Alphas trying to force the evolution of mankind, with hundreds of worshipful followers. I have no problem believing he's as crazy and as charismatic as he seems here...
It's weird; the show itself is so, so much darker this year - but the relationships are stronger (and healthier), with emotional connections all over the place. Which I'm eating up with a spoon, even as I freak out a bit over how awful everything is. It's jarring listening to the credits; they're way too lighthearted for this season, and make me really miss the first couple of seasons, when you might get an episode about teaching a kid to stand up to bullies. Rather than, you know. Shooting everyone and everything all the damn time. Dear god, the body count this season.
Spoilers for 7x08, Things Unseen:
Sebastian Roche! <3 He will forever be Kurt Mendel to me, from Odyssey 5, in all his shirtless sleazy wonder. Okay also whatsisname from the US Touching Evil. He kept his shirt on in this one, though, which was a good indicator of what was going to happen to him, IMO.
Seriously, Michael, get out, you are in too deep and are an actual bad guy now, wtf. :( He's going to come out of this more broken than he ever has been. (Plus, Sebastian Roche! nooooo)
Unrelatedly, wow I was pissed at Maddie for pulling the "if you don't testify, all future victims' blood will be on your head" with Lloyd -- no, it wouldn't, it would be on Nando's head. Lloyd would probably *feel* guilty about it, but he's not the one killing people, cripes. She knows better than that.
... Okay, I just finished the ep, and wow, go Carlos. I figured he was just a bit of fluff when he was introduced, someone for Fi to be temporarily interested in while she pined for Michael, but he's been winning me steadily over. And man, after this ep, he is the most decent, principled person this show has ever seen. He would have been so much better for Fi than Michael.
I am now seriously rooting for her to end the season by walking away from Michael and finding Carlos.
Okay, I think I can fit in one more ep if I kinda live-blog it a bit, because now I have to see what happens next. Things are getting a bit tense.
7x09, Tipping Point:
Okay, at least the second ep running where Michael says something to the effect of "no matter how important the mission is, no matter how much you believe in the cause, it feels like what it is: a complete betrayal" when doing something for the mission.
Aw, and there again - Michael doesn't trust Strong and looks straight to Sam, who's right there with "don't worry, brother, we'll be there to watch your back." ♥ ♥
Strong? Is a GOOBER. WTF random freelance extraction team to go after James.
OH HOLY SHIT IT'S SIMON WTF
I was on the phone with
therienne a few minutes ago and saying how this season, they'd clearly figured hey, final season, let's pull out all the stops, but good GOD. I was not expecting Simon.(... okay now I kinda want them to bring Victor back from the dead, at least for a few minutes. As long as we're getting everyone else! He could be a hallucination. Or a ghost. Michael Shanks is good at being both of those...)
Seriously, how stupid is Strong, to trust Simon??
Oh, Sam, I love you so. <3 <3 There is no one he won't go nose to nose with when they're being stupid and risking lives unnecessarily. Or calling his best friend a murderer.
.. Okay, I was not expecting actual fisticuffs.
AAAAAAAAAAA OR EYE GOUGING WTF
oh holy crap. *stares at screen* I.
That was freaking brilliant -- he's completely lost his mind, down in the darkness where he kinda likes killing people, but he's there because he can't stand all the killing, and how Simon is his warped mirror image, even more than Dead Larry was. Holy crap.
Oh no -- I can't blame Michael at all for not trusting Strong AT ALL, but walking away from Sam and Jesse :( :(
Okay, this is ALL VERY STRESSFUL AIGH.
Good grief. I need to find some kitten tv or something to unwind from all of that. They're seriously pulling out the stops this season.
in before midnight, woo!
no subject
Date: 2013-08-31 08:25 pm (UTC)Oh, yeah, this is a view I can completely sympathize with. The show really has gone on too long repeating the same ground over and over, using shifting goalposts to imitate forward motion, and: seriously.
Although I do think that part of the reason none of them have walked is that they're all adrenaline junkies, and Michael's their pusher. *g* And I appreciate that they all clearly have lives they like a lot outside of his endless missions, even if they're willing to put them on hold for him. Also that they're all questioning him more, to the point that I don't think Jesse would have gotten involved this time if Sam hadn't pushed it, and Fi had to be blackmailed by the CIA, pretty much. (Sam will never not get involved, his loyalty kink runs waaay too deep. <3)
But really, Jesse's the example Michael should be following: burned spy, got angry, got over it, got on with his life. Hey look, healthy!
no subject
Date: 2013-08-31 11:34 pm (UTC)Although I do think that part of the reason none of them have walked is that they're all adrenaline junkies, and Michael's their pusher.
Ha! Fair enough. I suppose they'd all look a lot crazier without Mike to stand next to.