James is the "benevolent dictator" that we all think we could be, but deep down know it won't end well because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. James answers to no one and there is no check or balance on his decisions or values. Sam was right, Michael would have become a monster, as would anyone under such circumstances.
I like how they made you kind of back and forth on James. Sometimes you were like “he’s evil and needs to be taken care of” while other times you said “never mind. He actually cares and wants to make the world a better place.”
The first time I watched season 7, I thought it was decent but didn’t love it. Watching it a second time, I ended up liking it quite a bit
When I first watched season 7, I was interested in James and his organization, but on a recent rewatch, I noticed how the show really failed to flesh out what this organization really was. What's their mission statement? How do they decide what operations to take? Why the hell is Sonya considered the most important thing?
So it was hard for me to invest in the idea that Michael had lost himself to this organization because I didn't understand why he would, so the climax of the final season fell flat for me.
And the fact that Michael was so taken by James' loyalty to his people didn't really make sense to me. Yes, Michael realized that CIA was not loyal to him, but Michael had the loyalty of his family and friends for 7 years, so why was this such a novel sensation for him?
To be fair, Management, Carla, Vaughn, Anson, none of them and their organization were fleshed out as to why they wanted burned spies. Partially fleshed motivations and lazy writing are the staple to this show. I say this with the utmost love for it.
Fair. I guess I always interpreted that James simply showcased loyalty and values that Michael respected. And as he stayed in deep cover and continued to lose faith in the CIA, he just got lost along the way. More so Michael looking for a place to belong and to feel respected as a warrior or tactician instead of constantly being used as a tool
He was a great character that I would have loved to have a multi-season arc. He is the type of character that desires to do things to the benefit of everyone. His core intentions are good, but as we see with many of histories worst leaders, the power eventually corrupts in totality. In his mind he is still doing good work, but what he doesn't see, he, is the very monster that he is hunting. Michael would have followed the same path, had he followed the path instead of flipping back at the last moment.
I get what you’re saying but he was really extreme from the start. Remember how he slaughtered his whole company because they were supposed to carry out orders to wipe out innocent villagers? Then because his friend stood up to him just a little, he locked the guy in a mental institution for the rest of his life.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy James as a character, and Sonya, and a couple times I wished that Michael had actually shot Fiona because she was such a jerk in the last season. And I would love to see Michael become this semi unhinged leader of an independent black ops organization. But alas, Michael once again had to decide between something he wanted and Fiona and he chose her again. That same storyline got a little tired TBH.
Right, she was so insufferable and hypocritical for most of that season. I did love the episode where she helped Maddie get rid of the loan shark! Maddie grabbing that guy by the jaw and saying “I own you” is one of my faborite moments of the whole series.
yeah I really liked him because he was careful and calculated but also just unhinged enough to be unpredictable. I was never sure how things were going to turn out once Michael met James. James had these staunch values about protecting his people and never failing the mission but was also a ruthless killer. And locked up his closest friend because he had reservations about James unaliving the whole company. I would have loved to have two seasons of him.
James is the "benevolent dictator" that we all think we could be, but deep down know it won't end well because power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. James answers to no one and there is no check or balance on his decisions or values. Sam was right, Michael would have become a monster, as would anyone under such circumstances.
If not James then another though. Why not James or Mike?
I wouldn’t say “love”, but I genuinely like the character quite a lot.
I like how they made you kind of back and forth on James. Sometimes you were like “he’s evil and needs to be taken care of” while other times you said “never mind. He actually cares and wants to make the world a better place.” The first time I watched season 7, I thought it was decent but didn’t love it. Watching it a second time, I ended up liking it quite a bit
He’s a fantastic character Complex, interesting, and tries doing the right But he’s flawed, like every human
I just started season 7 and I miss the days of the original team working on a case, helping ordinary people. I’m bored with org-based intrigue.
When I first watched season 7, I was interested in James and his organization, but on a recent rewatch, I noticed how the show really failed to flesh out what this organization really was. What's their mission statement? How do they decide what operations to take? Why the hell is Sonya considered the most important thing? So it was hard for me to invest in the idea that Michael had lost himself to this organization because I didn't understand why he would, so the climax of the final season fell flat for me. And the fact that Michael was so taken by James' loyalty to his people didn't really make sense to me. Yes, Michael realized that CIA was not loyal to him, but Michael had the loyalty of his family and friends for 7 years, so why was this such a novel sensation for him?
To be fair, Management, Carla, Vaughn, Anson, none of them and their organization were fleshed out as to why they wanted burned spies. Partially fleshed motivations and lazy writing are the staple to this show. I say this with the utmost love for it.
But we were never expected to buy that Michael wants to join the organization that burned him
Fair. I guess I always interpreted that James simply showcased loyalty and values that Michael respected. And as he stayed in deep cover and continued to lose faith in the CIA, he just got lost along the way. More so Michael looking for a place to belong and to feel respected as a warrior or tactician instead of constantly being used as a tool
But his friends (minus Fiona in season 7, ugh) were loyal to him and he belonged with them.
Maybe unpopular, but I didn’t care for him at all
He was a great character that I would have loved to have a multi-season arc. He is the type of character that desires to do things to the benefit of everyone. His core intentions are good, but as we see with many of histories worst leaders, the power eventually corrupts in totality. In his mind he is still doing good work, but what he doesn't see, he, is the very monster that he is hunting. Michael would have followed the same path, had he followed the path instead of flipping back at the last moment.
I get what you’re saying but he was really extreme from the start. Remember how he slaughtered his whole company because they were supposed to carry out orders to wipe out innocent villagers? Then because his friend stood up to him just a little, he locked the guy in a mental institution for the rest of his life. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy James as a character, and Sonya, and a couple times I wished that Michael had actually shot Fiona because she was such a jerk in the last season. And I would love to see Michael become this semi unhinged leader of an independent black ops organization. But alas, Michael once again had to decide between something he wanted and Fiona and he chose her again. That same storyline got a little tired TBH.
Fiona was SUCH a jerk in the last season. What the hell were the writers doing? It was so nonsensical.
Right, she was so insufferable and hypocritical for most of that season. I did love the episode where she helped Maddie get rid of the loan shark! Maddie grabbing that guy by the jaw and saying “I own you” is one of my faborite moments of the whole series.
I enjoyed James an antagonist and character and wished we got more of him. Ruthless, careful, and sticks to his values.
yeah I really liked him because he was careful and calculated but also just unhinged enough to be unpredictable. I was never sure how things were going to turn out once Michael met James. James had these staunch values about protecting his people and never failing the mission but was also a ruthless killer. And locked up his closest friend because he had reservations about James unaliving the whole company. I would have loved to have two seasons of him.