Extinguished: The Rise and Fall of Burn Notice, and why its Series Finale is a disappointment

WARNING: THIS ENTIRE REVIEW EXISTS WITHIN THE SPOILER ZONE.  DOWNKEY PAST THE FOLDOVER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF SEASON 7

Burn Notice ended its run several weeks ago, and I'm still mad.

Not that the show ended, because it was struggling to churn out plot a season ago, and not even for the death of a beloved character who happened to be one of my favorites.  I'm sad for the loss of potential.

It was once a champagne bubble of a show all about a spy who had lost complete control of his life.  Burned by his agency, he was beaten by his final contact and dumped in Miami, where he found himself running a sort of private detective agency with his retired Navy Seal best friend, volatile ex-IRA on-and-off-again girlfriend, eventually an ex-spy who had been trapped a and yes, even his mother.  The show drew its charm from Michael's deadpan observations, the way the crew applied their expertise to their client's problems, and the chemistry between the characters, which was strong and good right from the start.

I know EXACTLY how it went off the rails, and it all started with a gunshot.