Burn Notice

Burn Notice is back... well it's been back for a few weeks now but oh well.

The season premier was a bit of a let down for me. First I guess I had always hoped that if Michael were ever given a chance to get back into the CIA he'd turn them down. As much good as he might do for the CIA and for people, he has done a lot of great work in Miami. I mean how many criminals and crooks has he chased out of town or arrested? But that's not why this episode was disapointing.

It was painful to watch as Sam and Fiona were put in the backseat... but knowing that they could do a better job then the CIA's trained men was a nice moment. Why does Michael need the CIA when he has a trigger happy ex girlfriend and a friend who used to inform on him to the FBI?

But the way the episode ended was just... really really annoying. Michael finally has the guy who burned him cornered. He's ready to ask all the questions he needs only to have him commit suicide. I get that at the end of the day Michael may never know all the answers. But having the big one being left at 'Because your a damn great spy' is a bit of a... annoyance. So I was disapointed that maybe they had thrown out all that build up just like that.

But I had my hopes that perhaps this wasn't the final guy who burned him. In fact looking at next weeks episode it seems like there might be a bigger conspiracy at work... but then with how the recent episode ended and how the preview looks I maybe still disapointed. But this latest episode did give some hope: That it's not over.

Which is fine. I mean hell if they want to explore different storylines for a bit aside from the Burn Notice then that's just great... but I still want that hope that it's not over. Because having an organization exist for how long only to be dismantled in 6 months?(another disapointment. Seems like a whole seasons worth if material was cut down to 1 or 2 minutes)

Now before I get to the latest episode I have to talk about the episode showing what Michael's father was like.

I mean we all knew he was a rotten guy. We heard the stories of how Michael learned to steal cars and fought the bag boy to get food for the family. But the way Madeline reacted when Michael imitated his father was scary. It was a great episode showing just how terrible his father really was and with a moment where Michael hadn't realized he had become him for a brief second. I think it was when Madeline was pretty much saying she had to break that yakuza guy so that she could be taken to the place where the girls were being stashed.

The look on Michaels face when he realized what he had done was well heartbreaking. It was also a nice continuation of that question Simon left with Michael and the fear that he might one day become just like him. While it's not discussed or shown much on the show, but that conflicting feelings of who he wants to be and who he is afraid of becoming is a nice touch.

Now for the latest episode.

If you haven't seen it then there will be some major spoilers.

Michael and the gang really have set up alot of people in order to try and turn people against each other. In fact it's a very common thing to get the Big Boss and the Right Hand Man to turn on each other so that they deal with one another and forget all about the Victim asking for help.

I am surprised it didn't happen sooner, but I suppose it was bound to happen. I mean eventually they were going to have to set up an undercover agent of some sort... or maybe they have already? But in this episode it became somewhat of a bigger part of the story.

Also like many of Michael's characters I loved this one. He goes from this guy who is sorta upbeat and messes up on some part of a common saying to being really violent and serious. But he didn't really have to turn from Nice Guy to Angry Guy except once. Which is a shame because it gave that 'character' something to be scared of. You would never be sure when he might snap.

But I also loved this episode because it put some fears to rest for me. Throughout the episode we learn that not only is Michael suffering from Post Op Paranoia but he keeps going over the files he has on the people who burned him. So with the nightmares, the really cool shots of Miami at night(well I thought they were cool) and the way he was distant from Fiona at the end gave the sense that. No he really isn't crazy.

Personally I am hoping that the next episode reveals that some people within the CIA were behind much of the Burn Notice... or maybe not.


Speaking of the CIA and Covert Affairs... oh wait I guess no one was talking about that show atm...

You know I really wish there would be a Burn Notice/Covert Affairs cross over episode. Not sure how well it would work but it would be fun to see. Burned Spy meets New Spy (well at this rate Michael might not be former spy for long)

A Burn Notice /Covert Affairs crossover would be beyond awesome. I can just imagine Annie with her puppy dog expression when Fiona does something crazy.

Rex wrote:A Burn Notice /Covert Affairs crossover would be beyond awesome. I can just imagine Annie with her puppy dog expression when Fiona does something crazy.

It would be an epic episode like no other.

Of course my only issue with it, even though I would love it to death, is that the feel of the CIA in both series is completely different. In Covert Affairs the CIA is trying to improve its image to the public. While in Burn Notice you have this feeling that it truly is a cloak and dagger type of thing. Maybe thats just me?

I am going to assume you are all caught up. If you are not then either read on and be spoiled or you know GTFO and get caught up.


Though this latest episode, after Max's Death, I was a bit excited when I heard a Case Officer was wanting to meet up with Michael for a chat. I was thinking "Yes this could be it!" and when the Case Officer wasn't a beautiful blonde but instead a beautiful brunette. I realized I had set myself up for a major fall.

But the episod with maxes Death... well wait(which was a great episode. I mean... Barry has a brother??!?! that and that hacker chick was hot and badass... I am sorta hoping she pulls a... wait whats that drug dealers name? The one from the first episode. Well I was also happy to see him back for a short visit. Well you get the idea. lol)

Anyways the end of the episode where Max was killed I was like "Yes! It's not over!" I hope this Murder turns out to be interesting. Burn Notice has a bad habit of ending potential like this too quickly. I guess its just great that I enjoy the X of the Week in this series so much.

Now the episode after Max's death... wait I should probably go back and clean up this post. I feel like I am jumping all over the place here so it will be confusing. Or not. I bet thats like the hundreth time I put a self hating comment in one of these types of posts.

I really enjoyed the parallel between Michael and that Young Guy. I forget his name. I really really shouldn't forget names like that. But it gave an insight into what Michael might have been like when he was that age trying to learn to become a spy. Also the look on Michaels face/general attitude when he learned his record was broken was priceless. Well no. Fiona's smile was priceless. Well it was very fun.

I really was let down and my hopes for this season were starting to decline rapidly after the season premier. But so far I haven't been let down.

Though one episode, I think it was the second one, felt really out of place. It was a great episode. It was the one where we learn more about just how brutal Michael's dad was. That episode, and the one where Michael talks about post op paranoia and keeps going through his files trying to find something, anything. Should have been switched in my opinion.

I wouldnt be surprised to learn that that was the intended order. I can understand giving some breathing room. I really can. But it still just didn't feel natural. Mostly because he goes from seemingly fine to being all out paranoid.

Or wait... were they the same episode? Already this season is blurring into one giant episode. >.<