(S02E10) "Brushes with death are like snowflakes. Each one is unique and icy cold." -- MichaelWell, if you think Michael was ticked off about being burned, you should take his temperature after there's an attempt on his life. This episode, which picked up right after a bomb went off in Michael's loft doorway, had a little bit of everything that makes Burn Notice one of the best shows on TV. In short, it was great to have it back on the schedule. And yes, there was little doubt that Michael would survive the blast. It's good to see the Charger and the loft did, too.
Michael has a lot of reasons to be bent out of shape. Carla's still yanking him around and now she's involved his family by having Nate arrested. In one of the few times I can remember on the show, he really lost his cool when he screamed at her, "I want my brother out of jail. I want my life back!" Carla got the message.
Ironically, before Michael dealt with Carla, he took on a new client. It seemed like an odd choice to me, but as they explained, it was like part of Michael's process. If he could focus on something outside himself, he could get back into the game. This was something he could do.
So it wasn't Carla who was behind the bomb, which means someone else is after Michael. Getting to work on finding that person will probably occupy a few more episodes and as that's slow going, working on the new case was a perfect way to keep the team in play. They were taking down a trio of con artists who were ripping off the parents of seriously ill children. Real scummy types who deserved to be terrorized.
It occurred to me as Michael and Sam and Fi turned the tables on these grifters and forced them to talk and give up their stash and eventually turn themselves in to the cops, that these former spies are much better at this work than say Jack Bauer on 24. Jack could take lessons from Michael in how to extract information without resorting to Gitmo techniques or letting Valencia get hit by a nuclear bomb.
Sam's interrogation, "violence perceived is violence achieved," was painful, but only in the "ouch, that's a nasty cut" way. No broken bones or punctured lungs. But the second step with both Todd and Phillip, or as Michael called it, "It's time to play 'Who talks first?'" was a topper. That was ingenius and effective and I'm sure Todd wet his pants on the way out the window.
Fiona's girl fight with Rachel also was rather lackluster. Fiona was better with the shot gun. However, her playing army men with Jack made the day for me. Who needs Mary Poppins?
Michael's final confrontation -- for now -- with Carla gave him a chance to spook her. Just suggesting that the yogurt was poisoned made her face turn white. The smile on his face was priceless. Score for Michael.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-23-2009 @ 11:01AM
cdawg said...
my new favorite show on television! i'm so glad you review it here. Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar have the BEST chemistry, however twisted it is. And he is just a beautiful man in a very non-conventional way.
I do think there are too many complications, too many questions still unanswered, that I hope they wrap up soon - like who is Carla? who does she and her people work for? is it the same gov't agency that Michael worked for? why did they recruit Michael and the others? Who were they trying to assasinate? and finally of course, who is trying to kill them all? (I'm guessing the same people they were tasked to assassinate...)
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1-23-2009 @ 11:41AM
Kat said...
Are you going to regularly review Burn Notice? I can't remember if it's one of the regular shows. I hope you do, normally I love TWoP for recaps but the Fiona hate over there takes all the fun out of it.
I missed this show so much. Fiona playing army men was so great. I like seeing that softer side of her, and it's not one we see often. I also like that she lost the fist fight. She attacked in the first place because she was emotional, plus she's tiny and her expertise is with weapons not hand to hand, so it made sense to me that the other woman was able to get away.
I love that the characters on BN are flawed like that. They make bad decisions and screw up and don't always win every fight. It makes them seem more like people instead of characters to me.
Loved the title changing from "Fiona's Boyfriend" to "Fiona's Ex-Boyfriend" right after Campbell broke up with her. I think the subtitles should count as their own character, as snarky as they are sometimes.
And as someone who also thinks JD and GA have great chemistry, I'm very glad her boy toy is gone and we can get back to Mike/Fi.
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1-23-2009 @ 12:11PM
Joaquín Abreu said...
I just had a heart attack when I saw Fi in that tiny bathing suit!!! This episode rocked!!!
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1-23-2009 @ 1:15PM
Jason said...
I didn't read this article yet... haven't seen the episode yet... but I'm so glad you guys are reviewing this series in any capacity. Absolutely one of the best on TV!
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1-23-2009 @ 2:05PM
cdawg said...
Oh I'm glad I've never checked out the TWOP boards, cuz I LOVE Fiona. Obviously she's a bit unrealistic, with her love for blowing people up, but at the same time, she's VERY realistic. Just a girl who loves a boy and will do anything for him, but is trying to move on.
Plus she's friggin gorgeous. And the only woman I've ever seen who can get away with wearing a fanny pack (a Gucci one yeah,,, but still)
And Michael... Michael in those Euro trash swim shorts... swoon.
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1-23-2009 @ 2:16PM
RetUSMCGunny said...
Great, GREAT episode! I was dying, waiting for the new season to begin, and this was well worth the wait. My favorite parts about this:
1. I like how Michael was so focused in helping his client and how that focus got him "back in the game."
2. Fiona playing babysitter?!?!? I loved it! Good to see that she has a sensitive, nuturing side to balance out her professional side.
3. Michael and Sam's showdown was priceless. Every guy should have a loyal friend like Sam at his side.
I'm glad Burn Notice is back - Thursdays are complete once again!
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1-23-2009 @ 4:33PM
Midnight13 said...
I was just thinking how all the cable shows I watch have returned within a span of two weeks "Nip/Tuck", "Monk", Battlestar Galactica", and now "Burn Notice", this is really great, or really bad. I hate the thought of watching too many shows at once, but I'd be uber pissed if I missed a single episode of any of them.
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1-24-2009 @ 7:11PM
La-Di-Dah said...
Another thing I enjoyed about this episode was the conglomeration of kick-ass women; yes, two of them are bad (and Fiona v. Rachel part one was not satisfying) but I love! Fiona and her ammo, and I love! Fiona+Michael(+Jack, the kid).
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1-24-2009 @ 7:34PM
Brent Schmidt said...
Why no Leverage reviews?
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2-06-2009 @ 7:29AM
kay vanantwerp said...
Burn Notice rocks, best show on tv, don't care for Sharon, Michaels mother smoking all thru the show, we could do without her part, although I loved her in Cagney & lacey. the rest of characters rock...
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