Pardon the dreadful grammar of that headline, but you know what I mean: Did we witness the lifting of Michael Westen’s burn notice last night?
You knew this was a key episode in Burn Notice‘s history since it was written and directed by the show’s creator, Matt Nix. He undoubtedly wanted the tone to be just right, and I think he succeeded. After killing off Gilroy (good riddance), we got Simon, a stone psychopath right up the alley of the always superb Garrett Dillahunt. Along with the revelation that the crimes and misdemeanors Michael has been “burned” for was actually the work of Simon, and like any good super-villain, he wants full credit for his work. “I want my life back.” Both he and Michael subscribe to that sentiment, in different ways.
The Nix touch was everywhere, from the terse dialogue, to the neat details about using liquid nitrogen to freeze the detonating device on a bomb. Fiona and Sam acted as though they were performing an abbreviated intervention when they told Michael, “No more lone-wolf crap” — i.e., that he had to start sharing with his friends for the sake of his own life. For the first time in a while, Sharon Gless wasn’t used as comic relief; her scenes being interrogated by the FBI were finely shaded moments in which the actress let us guess whether her character was truly upset by what the G-man claimed was the truth about Michael’s violent past.
If John Mahoney’s Management has seemed in the past less like a human character than a plot device used to get Burn Notice to this point in its third season, he became flesh-and-blood this night, calling out attention to his age and to his power. “You have a big future… See you soon,” were his parting words, less a threat than a tantalizing puzzle.
And in the end, Nix cut back and forth between Gless’ Madeline in distress and Michael — shackled, hooded — taken down a dark hall. Final shot: Michael not in the dank torture chamber we were prepared to expect, but in a very nice, well-appointed room.
Where do you think this is? What do you think is Michael’s future? Did you like this Burn Notice season finale?
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Management probably still wants Michael to do some work for them before lifting the burn. And what happened to Simon? Michael should have shot him when he had the chance.
Yeah, we know why Michael was burned, but nothing that transpired last night would get Simon’s info out of his file. Management still needs to do that, and I suspect asking nicely won’t get it to happen.
This was def on par with the season 1 finale. Nothing will beat Michael driving the caddy in to the trailer at the end, but ill be damned if it wasnt close
I agree.
I dunno, Dustin. Driving the caddy into the trailer was suspenseful, but finding himself in a tastefully decorated study (when he expected to be in some rendition hellhole) was a pretty big “Whoa!” moment for me.
I don’t know that it was as good as last year’s finale [which I still regard as the series' best] but it kept me guessing, entertained and the scenes with Maddie were spectacular. It had a little bit of everything [especially the great ending segment] and Donovan was pretty astounding. I haven’t held my breath in suspense at a TV show for a long time but Michael voluntarily dropping down that chute? Incredible.
Whenever I see one of those chutes, I wish I could jump down it like a chutes & ladders game. So it was fun to watch Michael do it.
I’m shocked that I found this info so esaliy.
Sounds like a good place to end the show. I have completely stopped caring about the show. I hope that USA will not renew this show. It is a waste of money and screen tie.
Thanks Kim… glad you wasted my 10 seconds to add nothing of value here.
yeah…if the show sucks so bad, why waste your own precious time reading the review and commenting? BTW: it’s some of the best stuff on TV right now.
This show is fabulous! Great suspense, excellent writing and acting, and a beautiful setting. Can’t believe you go cruising on message boards of things you don’t like just to let strangers know that.
What’s Burn Notice?
I have news that may upset you Kim, it was renewed earlier this year for 2 more seasons. Now go and complain to someone who cares. This show is awesome!
@Kim – so why are you on this site???
definitely awesome. haters should go watch Lifetime.
Marc;
the show was really renewed for 2 more seasons? i heard just 4th season
but that is awsome.
def. best show on tv by far..
Fantastic news, Marc! Much love…
What the hell is your problem – it is one of the best show’s on TV!! I hope you get burned.
kim…did you ever think tht while this show is worthless to you…you are worthless to all of us die hard fans.
Kim, thanks for sharing. Now go away and don’t ever watch another Burn Notice again, ever.
Kim….people like you make me appreciate good TV even more! I’m glad your types exist so the rest of us can feel good about our tastes in television! Go watch Keeping Up with Kardashians and let us be…
Hey girl…I’ve been watching TV since 1952 and I know good TV, you don’t know the difference between dandruff and parmesan cheese. Go to your room and play with your dolls…..dweeb!
i don’t think Micheal’s burn notice is going to be lifted. i think Management may want to try to pull him back inside one more time first, but they may give him more free space than last time though, especially since he saved Management’s life.
i was hoping that Michael would have enough courage to tell Fiona that he loved her, but he did’t (which is ok since its classic Michael fashion). but i almost thought he was going to say it.
and i have to say that i love Fiona and Sam and Madeline.
this show deserves to have its own TV Watch as well EW!!!!
I totally know what your talking about Maire- I could picture Michael telling Finona that he loved her, right before he left, but of course he didn’t! Typical.
What a great season finale. I am so excited about next season. I love this show.
I know! I was like come on Michael! But of course he couldn’t say it. That’s the way he is. Maybe one day.
But it was a terrific season finale. I cannot wait until June!
I was thinking the same thing Marie about Michael tell Fi I love You but he got stick with words I was scare for him in all this hot mess season 4 is going to be a Bang!!!!! can’t wait I’m counting the month of June that’s when My Brother B-Day is June, any way glad U like the show too.
AWESOME series finale. (suck it kim!) I think what we saw at the end was meant to be misleading. When you see the man in the leg and arm cuffs with a bag over his head being led down a nasty hallway, I think it was Simon not Michael. I think they wanted us to believe he was going someplace awful.
Nice one, Pink – I hadn’t thought of that. Hope you’re right!
I was thinking that, too. We’re clearly shown Michael wearing a blue and white plaid shirt when he had the gun to Simon’s head. The prisoner is also wearing a blue and white plaid shirt. However (at this point I should state I’m watching it on the computer, which is less than ideal for details) when it stops being obviously prison-y and the hooded person is being walked through a hall with red lights on the sides, his shirt looks like a solid dark color, much like we see Michael wearing once the lights come up. Two different times? Two different people?
Good Pink, I thought the same thing… that it was Simon, not Michael in shackles… the arms were pretty thin for Michael. I think Michael is in Management’s office. I’m hoping they let him mastermind some “do good” stuff.
yeah i figured it has to be simon because he was limping as he was walking and obviously simon has a good reason to limp
I keep rewinding to the office…and a part of me almost makes it seem like he is at the White House!
Naw – couldn’t be Simon! I think Simon has to be loose in the world to give Michael something to work on for the next two seasons! I think Michael is going to be dragged into the Management organization now, whether he likes it or not! And of course – he’ll have to drag Sam and Fiona and Mom along with him – whether THEY like it or not! But it would be cool if it took a couple of episodes for them all to find out that Michael is ok!
I believe that whether the man in shackles was or was not Michael, that he is in a good looking cell. YOu know doors locked, fake views from windows, alone…
I’ve always maintained that Burn Notice contains more than a few elements of the original series of “The Prisoner”. The denouement of last nights finale was thrilling and convinced me even more that Matt Nix is a Patrick McGoohan fan. Season Four of the best show on US TV (I live in the UK) can’t come soon enough in my opinion. I’ve followed it from the beginning (being a lifelong Bruce Campbell fan) and it’s been interesting to see it’s popularity finally burgeoning (especially since SNL’s lampoon).
Michael’s dive from the helicopter was the best finale for me, but this one definitely had intrigue. He can’t be unburned yet (see: series title). Looking forward to the comeback in summertime, when dedicated viewers — at my house — watch the show w/ mojitos in hand!
Lyn you might be wrong there about the series tittle. Prisonbreak was titled that well after they broke out of prison so maybe micheal might just be un-burned.
Listen I really like the show, but I really think it’s time to end the whole “I have to clear my name” crap. I know the name of the show is Burn Notice!! I just feel that the show is at its best when Michael and the gang are helping clients. I hope they just go ahead and lift the Burn, so we can see him helping the little and kick some @$$.
I love this show … not because of the action .. just the chemistry between all the actors… but they will be together in nexts seasons couple of episodes… and why didn’t micheal tell fi he loved her… was i the only one waiting for that?
I really enjoyed last night’s episode, just sad that we have to wait a while till it’s on again. Maddie’s interrogation at her house were very well done. Sharon Gless made it seem like she was unsure if Michael really did all those things, but in the end she seemed not to care about what Michael did (or really didn’t do) she just loves him regardless and wants him safe. And Maddie was right, if Michael had wanted that FBI agent dead – he would have been dead! I can’t wait til Burn Notice comes back!
I think this scene was significant. Maddie has pretty much kept herself ignorant of Michael’s activites. Here she demonstrates that she knows a lot more than she has let on. “… if Michael had wanted that FBI agent dead – he would have been dead!” Now how does she know that? She has been holding out on us and Michael.
I am not sure what I am going to do on Thursday nights now. June is so far away. I loved every minute of last nights show(Kim u know not what u speak of). Can’t wait to see how he gets himself out of this one
I think it would be nice to believe that the burn notice has or will be lifted but I doubt it. I think “Management” is far more devious then that & came up with the whole burn notice to get Michael into the fold. After Michael jumped out of the helicopter at the end of last season, he wasn’t “free”; Mgmt. just wanted to punish him & make him see how hard it would be for him so he’d come crawling back to them, but that backfired on Mgmt… So, they spent the whole season concocting this scenario with Gilroy & Simon to force Michael back into the fold, using his obsession with “getting his old job back” to lure him back (it also doesn’t help that mgmt. set all of the agencies on Michael so he has no where else to go, except guess who? that’s right: Mgmt — seems pretty convenient to me). I’d even go as far as to say that Gilroy, Simon, & others along the trail of this past season, may have also been burned spies who were promised a lifting of their burn notice if they were able to reel Michael in — Gilroy failed & look what happened to him. Besides, now that Mgmt. has seen how good Michael is (i.e. outsmarting several so-called top “bad-guys”, I highly doubt they want to let him go (esp. now). Mgmt. was plotting the whole thing from the very start, in my opinion.
I kinda agree with your theory. I have a feeling that this is management’s plan all along, because didn’t Simon pay Gilroy 10 mill to free him? That kind of money coming from one man who was supposedly being locked up somewhere by management? You gotta wonder… the theory that management is behind everything makes more sense.
And yes, the show is called Burn Notice so I think it’ll only be lifted in the “final” finale, which I hope will still be a few more years down the road cuz I love this show too much! ;p
And on another note, I was hoping for Michael to say “I love you” to Fiona, and typical him he didn’t… but from the way they looked at each other, I think he did say it without saying it and I think Fiona knows that. Or maybe I’m just imagining things because I want it too much. lol.
One last thing: Sharon Gless showed that she still is an amazing actress. I love that Maddie is FINALLY not just a comic relief, I love the relationship between her and Michael, especially when she said, “He did it for me.” – powerful stuff.
I agree with you, Jason. Management telling Michael not to kill Simon seemed unusual as Simon is a big liability. Management is using them both like pawns. This show is great.
After a fairly disappointing 3rd season, I was very pleased with last night’s finally. Michael without the Burn Notice at issue is a boring A-Team-for hire. Intrigue is what was missing this season but now its back.
I have loved this show since it first started and it just keeps getting better and better. One of the best shows on tv. I thought it was interesting that Michael left his friends once again to go it alone after they asked him to let them in. And Madeleine standing up to the FBI, truly a great scene showing how far Michael and his mother have come in their relationship. An awesome episode, can’t wait until June!!!