Customer Reviews

Burn Notice Season 1

5 star:		(188)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Michael Westen: "Most people would be thrilled to be dumped in Miami. Sadly, I am not most people...I've never found a good way to hide a gun in a bathing suit."

When you're a spy, getting a burn notice means that you've been officially deemed unreliable by your covert brethren, and that you're no longer wanted in the cloak-and-dagger community. Always good at rubbing people the wrong way, international spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan, TOUCHING EVIL) is in Nigeria brokering a deal with a terrorist when he learns of his burn notice over a cell phone. Barely skedaddling out of Nigeria with his life, Michael somehow finds himself stranded in his hometown of Miami, with his finances frozen, his options about nil, and former friends and colleagues keeping far, far away.

Michael decides to lay low for a while and, because a man has just got to make a living somehow, becomes a makeshift private investigator and troubleshooter. But, even as he takes on the criminal elements in Miami, his overriding objective remains finding out why he was blacklisted. But it's hard going as, mysteriously, no one will tell him anything. Meanwhile, various spooks are monitoring his every move. So, something's going on...

Yup, I dig this show. The USA Network's BURN NOTICE proved to be one of the more pleasant surprises of 2007. Not having seen a lot of Jeffrey Donovan's work, I'm still quickly becoming a fan. He brings a wry, deadpan charm to the show, and he looks like there's stuff just churning underneath his character's self-contained exterior. And it's exactly because of this distant persona that I appreciate Michael Westen providing a very quotable, "been there, done that" voice-over narration. This device not only engages us further but also makes us privy to Westen's cynical inner musings, as well as giving us frequently amusing first hand advice on various stuff. No, it's not exactly life lessons that he's imparting. Rather, it's more of a tutorial on espionage and breaking heads. Y'know, the cool stuff. For example, Westen, on fighting: "You don't want to break the little bones in your hands, so you look for a bathroom, which has plenty of hard edges and surfaces." On guns: "Guns make you stupid. Better to fight your wars with duct tape. Duck tape makes you smart." Or on setting traps: "A good trap doesn't scare people, it makes them curious." And, so on and et cetera. Dude's often wry observations make my day. Someone should put together a quotation book, because I'd shell out.

Chemistry rears its beautiful head. Donovan's supporting cast is very good, and two of them are very engaging. Westen's tiny circle of trust consists of three folks. There's his sexy and fiery Irish ex-girlfriend Fiona (gorgeous Brit, Gabrielle Anwar). Fi is an ex-IRA agent and into mayhem and violence, and, of her, Westen unequivocably states, "I am NOT hooking up with her. I need her for tactical support." (sure, sure). Slovenly Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell, who's casually let himself go) is Westen's long-time buddy and a semi-retired spy. Now Sam helps Westen out on cases, and vice versa. And then there's Westen's irritating dragon of a mother, Madeline (Sharon Gless, CAGNEY & LACEY), who is a champion emotional blackmailer. Gless is effective at channeling Doris Roberts from EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND. So if you're hating on Gless's character, then she's just being brilliant.

BURN NOTICE, with its first season's 12 episodes, brings it with suspense and some action, and with humor and a rocky romance, even if I could do without the fractured family stuff. It's a well-done lighthearted spy & crime drama, with an element of the sting, and it left me craving for more episodes. Jeffrey Donovan might just have found his breakout role in the glib and uber capable but emotionally detached Michael Westen. Certainly, he makes for a compelling character. I enjoy how he uses his Special Ops training to satisfyingly one-up Miami's teeming lowlifes. And, all along, there's slow progress being made on the whole burn notice arc. The writing is smart, the production values are terrific. And it doesn't hurt that BURN NOTICE is filmed in sun-drenched, visually arresting Miami, so give the show some style points. I definitely don't have anything against babes and bikinis and margaritas and martinis.

Michael Westen, who dislikes his hometown, might beg to differ, but, hey, bienvenido a Miami. And bring on Season 2.

This is a don't miss show for many reasons--including multiple important characters--none of that one person on the screen all the time. Yet the male lead is not only caring, but clever and able to "MacGuyver" and improvise necessary equipment and tools. That adds so much to see inventiveness back on the tube instead of just standing around waiting for the laugh track. Additionally, the female lead LOOKS appropriate. She's an EXPERIENCED, beautiful "agent", member of the spy underground and for a blessed change--she's not some dumb bunny 19 year old. She looks strong, yet there is no fear in letting a little weariness appear on her face. She has earned it. Of course, the always hilarious and smack-on perfect comic timing expert--Bruce Campbell--is the third member of the team. Perfectly slimy, yet dependable in a pinch. This show uses the backdrop of Florida to a "T" and craft their show with good sense. These folks are not always on the right side of the "law". One of my favorite episodes was a notorious, vicious drug dealer received just desserts at the hands of the team. Instead of, once again, watching the bad guys walk away because of legal juggling. Very satisfying.

I really love this show. It's one of my 'new' favourites. To be honest, I first started watching it because of Jeffrey Donovan, who plays the lead, Michael Weston. I used to watch him in The Pretender and Crossing Jordan and loved him, so I began to see what this was like. It's a great show and I make sure not to miss any episodes. Speaking of episodes, this is how season 1 plays out;
PILOT - Michael Weston, a contract agent for various agencies including the CIA, finds that a burn notice has been issued for him. Stranded in Miami, he takes the case of a caretaker accused of stealing millions from his boss.
IDENTITY - Weston is roped into helping his mother's friend get back money she lost in a scam, but Fi and Sam may ruin everything with their bumbling and bickering.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT - Michael's landlord, Oleg, is having a problem with one of his waitresses. She hasn't come into work because she witnessed a crime committed by a man who just happens to be a member of a local drug cartel. Michael is (mostly) happy to look into it, as he also continues his investigation into who stuck him with his burn notice.
OLD FRIENDS - Michael's brother is back in town, and he involves him in the search for a friend's daughter for less than pure motives. Elsewhere, an agent with a grudge comes after Michael.
FAMILY BUSINESS - Michael takes on arms dealers for an airport worker, while Nate obsesses about the car and their dad's will.
UNPAID DEBTS - Michael helps out an old SEAL buddy of Sam's who has gotten himself on the wrong side of a smuggler while trying to repossess his boat, and a new agent hits town set on making Michael's life miserable since he won't give up on finding his burn notice.
BROKEN RULES - Michael works to rid a community in little Havana of a crime boss, all the while baiting Jason Bly at the risk of his family and friends.
WANTED MAN - Fiona decides to try bounty-hunting, but then convinces Michael to help prove the man innocent.
HARD BARGAIN - A slightly dim house sitter's fiancée has been kidnapped, and Sam guilts Michael into a rescue while he's negotiating with a D.C. bureaucrat to stop the burn notice.
FALSE FLAG - Michael makes plans to leave Miami, but has to do one last job - locate a woman's missing son - so he can get a new identity.
LOOSE ENDS PART 1 - Phillip Cowan has arrived in Miami, but Michael has to put him off when a job involving heroin and blackmail goes south.
LOOSE ENDS PART 2 - With Cowan's bosses now tracking him, Michael must protect his family and rescue Sam all before his own capture if he doesn't move fast enough.
To elaborate just that little bit more, a 'burn notice' is when a spy is cut off, no jobs, nothing. Jeffrey Donovan is great in this and so is Gabrielle Anwar and the writing for this series is sharp. I was hooked from the first episode and I'm sure you'll be too. It's brilliant and I highly recommend it.

Michael Weston. This is a show I found on USA and looked very intriguing. Former spy, burned by an unknown, left in Miami on his own vices, forced to use his talents to help people while working on finding out the one who burned him and put him on this track. Like a 'Prisoner' with Miami as his village, each time he goes about to find an answer he is stonewalled. At the end of Season 1, Michael got in a car and drove to a spot where he was picked up and I'm assuming will either meet his Burner or wind up in another new location. All in all losing the great support he got from Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell(always welcomed) and Sharon Gless. My favorite ep was the one where Michael and Vi had some what I thought was some harmless hand to hand that suddenly turned serious and then seriously sexy for the two of them. It's twists like those that make this show more than a summertime fling. Burn Notice is definitely a show to pick up on DVD. I can't recommend it highly enough.

What makes this series great isn't just the excellent writing, but the cast. Sure production values, directing, and F/X are wonderful as well, but it is the cast that truly makes this show work. The chemistry between Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, and Sharon Gless makes it worth watching alone. I have always enjoyed spy type TV series, but this is an interesting approach to it. An agent is retired, given a burn notice, while he is still quite young and capable. Him figuring out why is the main focus. Add in the fact his friends and family are trying to find him work which is mostly of a detective nature and you have a good mix of action and comedy. I highly recommend it, especially if you are a fan of series like Magnum PI. Though "Burn Notice" is a bit more "MacGyver"-ish than Magnum PI, you still see the similarity.

I couldn't help but make some comparisons to that series with a handsome hero narrating his thoughts, good dramatic stories, interesting and often resourceful friends, beautiful locations, and some very funny comedy thrown in at the right times. I think Donovan is perfect for the role. I recall when I saw CSI the first season why William Petersen was so good in the role. If you had seen him in "Manhunter" several years prior it was like the role was designed for him. I swear this role in "Burn Notice" is designed for Jeffrey Donovan. Don't miss the best new series of 2007. You can bet I pre-ordered it. The box is mediocre but the DVDs are excellent. I am a little disappointed there were not more episodes, but the price is quite reasonable. I highly recommend this series and give thanks to USA channel for having the intelligence to properly support it unlike some of the other major networks that often fail good TV series.

This is the best show on television. Period. It's funny, it's sexy, it's full of espionage and intrigue, and the characters completely grab your attention. Each episode is action-packed, and I love the narrative by the main character, explaining little bits and pieces of the spycraft. And, of course, the best part of the show has to be Gabrielle Anwar. Is this the most beautiful woman in Hollywood, or what? It is impossible to take your eyes off of her. This is an exceptional series, all the way around. I've been waiting for the first season to be released on disc, and will be one of the first in line to grab a copy. Do yourself a favor and get into this show.

Burn Notice hooked me from the first episode. It is fresh, clever, fun, light and entertaining with plenty of action. Most of the mystery genre shows are the same in plot structure/formula. Burn Notice is different. All of three of the main characters are great. I can't wait to have season one on DVD. It is one of the best TV shows out there.

Last Summer's Smash Hit Burn Notice is Jeffrey Donovan's Second tv project with USA Network (The 1st being the Cult Smash Touching Evil) This time around this Series was given the Proper promotion, time slot, and attention
Starring the Under-Rated Jeffrey Donovan,(Who is without a doubt in the same league as the likes of Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jr. among others)
Bruce Campbell, Gabrielle Anwar, and Sharon Gless make up a 1st Rate Cast!
MIX MacGyver and La Femme Nikita and you get this Stylish Action-Drama with Plenty of twist & some great humor
A "Must See" Series 10/10

Who would think with all the spy movies and tv shows out there USA could come up with a new one that's keeps you laughing through every episode? Burn Notice is incredably funny with its voice overs usually boring but the lead charactor is so funny with his wry deadpan wit all from his own perspect which is hilarous. Michael was a spy right up until he was burned and the only place he can go is home to Miami with no job, no money and nothing except being watched constantly and haressed by his mother. Michael keeps him busy with various PI jobs from helping senior citzens who've been cheated to a store owner who's been threatened by the local mob each ep. is extremely funny and half the fun is watching how Michael goes about completing each job its hard to pick the best one. All along the way he gives advice like the right time to bail out of a car before the police show up. Michael has the help of his friend Sam a semi retired spy and his ex-girlfriend Fiona who's lethel. All the while Michael keeps trying to find out who burned him and why. Everyone should be watching this show.

Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan) is a spy and very good at it. Or at least he was. One day, while in the middle of a covert mission, he is burned. For us civilians, that means fired. Barely managing to escape with his life, he passes out and wakes up in Miami with no money and no idea what happened. Worse yet, Miami is him home town, and that means dealing with his Mother (Sharon Gless) who he hasn't seen in years.

Michael is determined to figure out who did this to him and why so he can get back to work. So while he slowly gathers pieces of that puzzle, he picks up odd jobs as a private investigator. When he needs back up (which is often), he teams up with ex-IRA weapons smuggler (and ex-girlfriend) Fiona (Gabriella Anwar) and friend and former FBI agent (who is reporting on him to the FBI) Sam (Bruce Campbell).

And together the three of them take on plenty of hard cases. They deal with kidnapped sons, drug dealers, smugglers, arms dealers, and assassins. Meanwhile, Michael is piecing together why he was burned. All this leads to a gripping and explosive season finale with a great cliffhanger.

I passed on this show originally, but based on the buzz gave it a chance. I'm glad I did. This show manages to fix suspense, action, and humor in the perfect dose. Michael, Fiona, and Sam have excellent chemistry, which makes their jokes better. And Michael's narration adds some fun, too.

But yes, this show is about the action. Every episode leaves me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how they will deal with the problem. There are lots of explosions and shooting. This is a show for those who love spy stories.

I will admit, the show took me a few episodes to fully appreciate. But I usually find the first few episodes are the weakest of many shows as everyone is figuring out the characters and storytelling.

After that cliffhanger, I am really looking forward to the start of the second season. If you missed this show when it aired, get the set now.