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Twitter'Burn Notice': And you thought being an active spy was hard?
Burn Notice, USA's latest summer offering, is a clever, well-acted, generally awesome summer drama. You've got action, you've got comedy, you've got sarcastic narration, and you've got Bruce Freaking Campbell. What's not to love, right? We begin with Michael Westen, a contractor for the CIA who is having a Very Bad Day. You see, right in the middle of arranging a big deal with a warlord wannabe in Nigeria, he gets a "burn notice" from the CIA. Blacklisted. Can't work for them anymore. Ruh roh. Being the super bad-ass spy that he is, he just barely manages to escape with his life. You know, after a fight, a motorcycle chase, and a semi-conscious plane flight back to the States.
We rejoin Michael in Miami (his hometown), where he wakes up to find himself under the reluctant care of his ex-girlfriend Fiona (who used to rob banks for the IRA), and under surveillance by the FBI. After giving the feds the slip, Michael checks into a hotel...or at least tries to, until he discovers that his accounts have been frozen. When the CIA fires a spy, we learn, they remove all avenues by which the spy does his or her job, since the CIA can't really remove the spy's skills. Michael tries to contact his case officer by payphone (do those really still exist?), but the CIA operator refuses to connect him. One fake pipe bomb in the mail later (works for me every time), and Dan the case officer gets in touch with Michael, instructing him to lay low and stay in Miami. Dan can't give him any information on the burn notice, other than to tell him that whoever issued it really wanted to shut him down.
After giving his watchers the slip again, Michael goes to see Lucy, an ex-spy. She doesn't know why he's been burned, but calls the awesomely named Sam Axe (BRUCE CAMPBELL!!!), "The Buddy," to see if he'll share a job with Michael so's Michael can get some cash. Sam, apparently, is a drunk womanizer who also used to be a spy.
The job is for a rich businessman's caretaker, Javier, who seems to be in a spot of trouble. The businessman was robbed of $22 million in jewelry and paintings, and only the caretaker had the security code. The businessman seems pretty sure the caretaker is innocent, and a quick trip to Barry the Money Launderer gets Michael in touch with an art dealer, who puts him on the trail of the real thief. Javier's boss. Who robbed himself for the insurance money, only to set Javier up as the fall guy. Apparently, the rich guy is something of a crook. With a little bit of blackmail, a jury-rigged listening device, a carjacking, and a foiled kidnapping attempt, Javier is safe.
In the midst of all this, Michael finds an apartment with a Russian expatriate landlord who is well-familiar with Michael's reputation. The apartment is apparently above some sort of underground club, and in an angry drug dealer's turf. I smell a prank war! It's all fun and games until someone's knees get shot, man. So yeah, not so much with the drug dealer anymore. Michael's also got a nagging, hypochondriac mother, but I doubt he'll deal with her in the same way.
So basically, we've got a spy who's not allowed to spy anymore (or know why he's not allowed to spy anymore), with three true allies in Miami: Fiona, Sam, and Lucy. Oh, and apparently Sam and Lucy are talking to the feds, but hopefully just enough to keep them off Michael's back. Anyway, seems the feds can be kept happy if Michael keeps his head down and stays out of trouble. Anyone see that as a possibility? No? Okay. Let's all get psyched for next week's episode, then, because Jeffrey Donovan is rockin' this show hardcore. Thursdays at 10 on USA, baby.
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
Great summary! This show is awesome, and I can't wait to see the next episode. Jeffrey Donovan has been one of my favorite actors, and his character is very fitting for him. This is what a summer show should be - action-filled fun without a hint of slowing down. Very refreshing!
Jeffrey Donavan as Michael Weston is arguably, if not undoubtedly, the most interesting character on television since James Garner as Jim Rockford.
Donovan provides simple entertainment, and brings his character to a level that is unprecedented in modern TV.
Politically incorrect and direct, Donovan unapologetically brings forth what many of us feel, but few can bring themselves to articulate.
BURN NOTICE is equally, if not more engaging than Donovan's 2005 series, TOUCHING EVIL.
Donovan is a splendid actor, with outstanding taste vis-Ã -vis his selection of scripts. The only possible explanation for his lack of recognition is that he may be a Republican...which is a virtual death sentence among the most visible group of people that views themselves as "tolerant."
Oh please! *rollseyes* The fact that he "may" be a Republican shows only that he's a brainwashed idiot in real life and has nothing to do with whether or not he can play a part convincingly, nor does it have anything to do with the parts he's offered. Anyone who believes otherwise has no idea how the system works. In other words, there's a lot of competition out there and while he's a perfectly fine actor, he is in no way a superstar.
I found him engaging and believable in the role and plan on adding this show to my summer rotation.
USA comes through again! I really enjoyed the pilot and look forward to learning more about the many interesting characters that people this show.
This may be the closest we ever get to an "Elvis Cole" TV series, since author, Robert Crais, has stated he'll never option the Cole series for film or TV. The first Cole novel was in '89, so it made since for him to acquire his skills as a Army Ranger in Vietnam. The Michael Westen character is too young for 'Nam, though the 1st Gulf War might have worked. But the CIA angle is needed for the whole "burn notice" premise. And like Cole, Westen has "the buddy" he can count on in a pinch, Sam Axe. Cole's buddy is Joe Pike. Both have short, common, 3-letter first names, and short last names which are also the names of medieval weapons of hand-to-hand combat. I'm sure *that's* a coincidence.
The voice-over narration is also very similar to the Cole novels, which are told in 1st person, with plenty of wise-cracking comments, and lots of inside information about private eye work.
Here's hoping they can keep the quality up to that of the pilot, and to more adventures of Elvis, er, I mean Michael.
Jeffrey Donovan has always been hot - hot actor, hot voice, hot attitude, all around hot. And yes, he was awesome in Touching Evil, I own that show and watch the DVD all the time :) Good call, Scott! :)
Let me go out on a limb here, Ms. Pardue, and guess that you are a Bruce Campbell fan.
lol
So is my husband, and he was very excited to find that BC would be on this show. But let's face it, this show lives and dies on the central performance and Jeffrey Donovan was note perfect. (More fans here from the "Touching Evil" days.) The writing was pretty sharp, too. If it keeps on like the premiere, it will be one hot summer.
Jeffrey Donovan?
Tell me, just what is this 'jeffrey donovan' you speak of?
Touching Evil? JABESTGN (Just Another Barely-Existed Series That's Gone Now).
Ennyhoo, I must be honest and say I didn't like Mr. Donovan at first. I don't like his looks, and I didn't notice anything special about his acting.
I do, however, like the show. It really pops, and moves along, and I like the sarcastic narration. That description is textbook for shallow, but this show pulls it off. It's perfect summer fun. And I'm sure I'll get used to Mr. Donovan soon enough.
HOT. GIFTED. AWESOME> need i say more?
Jeffrey Donavan-Burn Notice
And i know a thing or 2 about show business :)
Come on. I love this show and Jeffrey rocks in it. He does an awesome job. And he is adorable to boot. Loved Touching Evil but don't own the series on dvd. It's a summer series anyway. Anything he is in he's great in. And he's a really nice person too.