Burn Notice
Posted on June 12, 2009
Filed Under East meets West, Guest Columnist | 1 Comment
The TV action series, “Burn Notice” starts a third season with its sassy main characters: the handsome and sarcastic ex-spy, Michael Westen (played by Jeffrey Donovan); his sexy ex-girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar); his ex-spy buddy Sam (Bruce Campbell); and his chain-smoking, neurotic mom Madeline (Sharon Gless). The show opens with Michael waist-deep in trouble, though it’s hardly a new position for him. Since someone “burned” him, Michael went from career-minded covert operative to blacklisted, ex-spy stuck in his hometown of Miami, Florida. Michael had freed himself of the people who burned him, which meant taking a giant leap, literally, from a helicopter into the ocean. Unfortunately, that jump from safety also meant Michael was on his own and without protection from any agency. Suddenly, the Miami police and his spy enemies knew exactly where he was in the world, and they wanted to clear up past grievances. Michael lands in jail, while Fiona and Sam scramble to get him out.
Michael doesn’t have to wait long. He’s bonded out of jail by a long lost buddy. The unexpected reunion is short-lived because the buddy has a “job” for Michael. As Michael always runs into people needing help, he certainly can’t say no to the man who got him out of jail. The job won’t be easy, and Fiona and Sam agree to help. They need to kidnap and extradite a powerful crime boss who displaces landowners in Latin America. That’s complicated enough, but the trio need to do it without alerting the police or running into any spy enemies. In between the job setup, they need to placate Madeline and fix half her house that got blown away in their last escape.
Burn Notice is a well-written show. The lovable main characters struggle to tame their inner problems and finish the current “job”, which involves using their spy expertise to help regular folks in unique situations. The plot races with sardonic humor, high speed action, and intriguing spy tools. Michael’s character narrates the show, with odd tidbits from spy’s life. Fiona is an ex-IRA operative who longs to settle down with Michael. She also loves to blow up whatever may be required and even things not required. Sam gathers intelligence, women’s phone numbers, and bar tabs. Madeline smokes and frets over Michael and his friends. Viewers will enjoy watching Michael, Fiona, and Sam spin through life in the only way these ex-spies can: fast, funny, and furious
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burn notice is my favorite show on tv today