Regarding finishers: some are first-person and some are third-person. Seems to me Beth couldn't decide which they wanted, so they just did both. I don't really like that, I'd prefer them to be one or the other. And I actually do like the finishers, but I am going to mod at least one set out, likely the third-person restricted finishers while leaving in the first-person ones. Assassinations are the exception, however. If there is a way, I will leave the assassination animations alone. Kills to be savored should be savored, after all.
I agree about the guards, they sound really canned with that obviously fake accent. I'd have preferred it if good ol' Wes did them all again this time, he did a good job with the guard voicing in Oblivion.