TV Review: Burn Notice a hit

[Spooky]

 

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TV Review: Burn Notice a hit
Written by JohnFN on September 25th, 2008

Once upon a time, television was fun. It was breezy, had action – entertainment was the main purpose. No Law and Order preaching, no reality-show convulsion. The days of shows like Magnum P.I., Riptide and Simon and Simon.

Those are the days that the USA Network show Burn Notice bring back to life - a spy show that is more fun than James Bond and the anti-Bourne in every way shape possible.

Jeffery Donovan, who has a role in the upcoming Clint Eastwood and Angelina Jolie vehicle "The Changeling," stars as Michael Westen. A spy for the good guys, he is suddenly lit with a "burn notice" (hence the title of the show). After out-running some bad guys in a deal done bad (said "notice" was delivered at a really bad time), he wakes up in his hometown of Miami, stripped of all his financial history and no one to rely on except old friends and family.

Donovan makes the show work. He's smooth and suave like a typical spy with a penchant for getting himself into trouble (that seems to be a Hollywood spy's main purpose in life). But Donovan's Westen deals with each problem with smarts, guile and a humor streak. Any secret gadgets are made out of cheap cell phones or stuff bought at the hardware store. This isn't Aston Martin spydome, this is the intelligence world with the heart of a Chevy. This is what makes the series so exceptional.

Bruce Campbell, of C-movie favorites such as Evil Dead, plays Westen's buddy Sam Axe, a former Navy Seal and operative who is living out his pension with any rich girlfriend he can hook up with. Gabrielle Anwar plays Fiona, a former girlfriend and operative herself with a heavy trigger finger and a hell-or-high-water approach.

Together, the three take on cases of locals in need, sometimes for a price but mostly out of heart. Westen uses his friends and his various spy skills, some of which have been proven to work in real life, to take down bad guys and help the little guy. Each episode features a new hand to help, while the main plot of the series goes through step-by-step over the season, with Westen working toward finding those responsible for burning him.

What makes the show work is what it isn't – Jason Bourne. There is no hand wringing or self-loathing with Michael Westen. He loved his job and he wants it back. He believed in what he did, which involved lots of work in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The series also plays respect for the military, with Westen acknowledging in a later episode he may have turned out different if he hadn't joined the armed forced when he was 17.

Campbell is brilliant as Axe, delivering comedy and a wise-ass persona that works well with the dry Donovan. The machinations between Axe, Anwar's Fiona and Westen make the show flow, including Axe's penchant for alcohol and women, Fiona's love for guns and explosives (where are women like this in the real world?) while Westen is more for yogurt.

But don't mistake Westen for a pretty boy – he drives a '73 Charger his dad left behind, a car he rebuilt from scratch. He also gets his hands dirty, something rarely seen in broader "spy genre" work. This isn't hotels in the Riviera, this is a dirty motel in a bad neighborhood.

During various scenes, Westen delivers voiceovers, describing his actions and the world he's viewing through the eyes of a spy. It gives a layer of intelligence to what's going on screen, showing action can be smart and not just cowboy haymaker after cowboy haymaker.

Like Miami Vice and Magnum P.I. before it, Burn Notice showcases its glamorous home with glitz. It's always sunny, always beautiful – makes you wish you were there.

The show has major blue-collar appeal. Unlike highbrow detective shows, anyone can be useful in this world. Westen's clients are often used to help themselves, they aren't just faceless victims or objects of pity, they are genuine people in a bad place who need help but can't get it elsewhere.

The type of help Burn Notice gives to viewers looking for fun and a little action on a Thursday night.

The series, which ended the first half of its second season last week, returns January. Season One of the series is available on DVD.

[Doc Holliday]

I have the Season One DVD set, and I must say, it was money well spent!

[SerenityValley]

>>TV Review: Burn Notice a hit
Written by JohnFN on September 25th, 2008<<

Well, DUH?!  What took him so long to figure this out?  It's already well into the second season and (as far as I'm concerned) it's been a hit from the get-go.

I was watching the "mid-season finale" (I am really starting to hate that term) and Victoria happened to be in the room.  She'd not seen it before so I had to answer alot of questions, but she really liked it.  She also said Jeffrey Donovan was a "hottie"!  So, I guess the series picked up a new fan!  I was really glad to hear that it's coming back in January rather than waiting until next summer.  The Closer and Saving Grace are also gonna have new eps in January.  Like BN, they were previously only on in the summer.

[SerenityValley]

Wow, looks like Burn Notice actually ranks it's own thread now!  Thanks, Spooky!