Carstairs Considers....: TV Show Review: Burn Notice

Monday, May 6, 2013

TV Show Review: Burn Notice - Season 2

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Action, humor, fun yet real characters

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Action and suspense

Characters you care about

Seasoned with great laughs

"Brushes with Death are Like Snowflakes. Each One is Unique and Icy Cold."

In a TV world filled with medical shows or police procedurals, there is very little out there to appeal to the action fan. That void has been filled admirably by Burn Notice, and season two was even stronger than the first.

Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan) loved being a spy. That's why when he got burned (aka fired) and dumped in Miami, he refuses to take it lying down. With help from his friends ex-FBI agent Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) and ex-girlfriend and gun smuggler Fiona Glenanne (Gabriella Anwar), he is attempting to clear his name so he can return to his old job. Complicating the picture is the fact that Miami is his old home town, which means that his mother Madeline (Sharon Gless) is back in the picture. To say the two have a rocky relationship is putting it very mildly. And she seems to insist on family bonding moments at the worst possible times.

This season opens exactly where season two left off. Michael is about to learn who burned him. But instead of making his life easier, it has made this former spy's life much more complicated. Now that Carla (Tricia Helfer) has stepped out of the shadows as the organization's mouth piece, he has to do her bidding. She has him on some assignment, and Michael thinks it isn't a good thing. So he's trying to find out all he can about the organization and the big picture so he can try to stop them. Meanwhile, he still doesn't have access to the information he needs to clear his name.

Of course, he needs to eat, so he continues to take on assignments for people in desperate trouble. There's the woman stalked by a drug dealer, the ex-con being roped back into a life of crime, the man who has lost his life savings to medical scam artists, and the football player being harassed by car thieves. Heck, Michael even gets involved in tracking down a Haitian fugitive. Can he balance his need to eat with the demands of his mysterious bosses?

I found the first season of the show a bit slow as it got its footing. That wasn't the case here at all. With the characters already established, season two hit the ground running and didn't let up. The plots are even more complicated this go around, if that is even possible. I often wondered how the three main characters would pull off the impossible.

And the continuing story is more compelling this season as well. As if my simple enjoyment of the show weren't enough, I had to turn in each week to find out if Michael would finally get some information on Carla and the big plot or not.

Yes, this means the action is still top notch. Every episode includes plenty of explosions, chases, and narrow escapes. There is a definite MacGyver element to the show as Michael builds the most complicated things out of ordinary objects.

But this really is more than an action show because the characters are more real this season, too. I complained that Madeline felt tacked on in the first season, but here I really was able to appreciate her character. She brings out the human side of Michael which is rather important since he could come off as superhuman otherwise. I mean, he can go out and beat the bad guys week after week against overwhelming odds, but he can't figure out how to get along with his mother. They also really build up his relationship with Fiona this season, adding romance to the mix.

And everything is spiced with a very dry wit. None of the main characters are above a well placed put down, most of which are hilarious. Michael also narrates the show, and his voiceovers are often as funny as they are informative.

And the show is cast perfectly. I honestly can't imagine any one else in these parts. Jeffrey Donovan pulls so many characters out of his hat as the various alias Michael adopts on assignment it is impressive. Gabriella Anwar is funny as Fiona (and absolutely stunning to look at). Bruce Campbell probably adds the most fun playing boozing but always helpful Sam. These three have amazing chemistry together, which makes much of their banter truly work. Sharon Gless has managed to win me over to Madeline, so she is obviously doing a good job as the fourth regular member of the cast.

The second season consisted of 16 episodes, all of what are collected in this set. The set also contains 3 audio commentaries, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and a couple of Easter Eggs.

If you like action mixed with a generous dash of humor, Burn Notice is definitely for you. Starting with season one is not necessary, but it will make season two even more enjoyable.

Season Two Episodes:

1. Breaking and Entering

2. Turn and Burn

3. Trust Me

4. Comrades

5. Scatter Point

6. Bad Blood

7. Rough Seas

8. Double Booked

9. Good Soldier

10. Do No Harm

11. Hot Spot