(S02E11) "The one who burned you is closer than you think." -- Fiona
A year ago, the idea of anybody doing anything for a pair of 50-yard line tickets to watch the Miami Dolphins play football would have been a joke. Fortunately for Burn Notice, the Fins won the AFC East and are relevant again. Therefore, Sam's Good Samaritan act -- which got a major boost when Fiona got involved -- had a decent payoff, beyond the idea of them doing something nice for a friend.
Were you thinking Men in Black when you saw Fiona, Sam and Michael in their uniform black suits complete with sunglasses and heavy weaponry? They really do find a way to make the three of them seem like a much more formidable force. Even more than the old Mission: Impossible team, Michael, Fiona and Sam are like the IMF trio deluxe, with each of them more than able to handle adversity. More on that adversity after the jump.
As much as this episode got into the push-pull between the increasingly annoying Carla and Michael, it was really Fiona who showed her true colors in this episode. Her reaction to hearing about the case touched off her sympathetic nerve. There have been other clients who were taken advantage of or conned, but clearly Fiona was more passionate about the brother and sister being bullied by the gang. It made me think that Fiona was once in their shoes, perhaps back in Dublin. Her mentioning Michael's cover from that time, Michael McBride, underscored the point.
You got to love the resourcefulness of these guys. The sequence in which Sam and Michael cleaned and cloned the stolen Maserati was sweet, also later, it was terrific the way they armored the SUV with telephone books and plexiglas. I have no idea if what they did really works or not, but it sure seemed smart, didn't it? And they did put it to the test because they were in the car when it was shot up. Oh, and the initial assault on Felix's red GTO was brilliant, as well as the blitzkrieg with the explosives.
Playing mind games with Tony, outfoxing Felix, and giving their clients freedom from fear that was relative child's play for Michael's team. Digging up the truth about the bomber for Carla is proving more complicated. Fiona should have known better than to investigate the bomber's house on her own; it was a case of her impetuousness getting the better of her, but once she was in the fire trap, I was really glad they didn't leave that as a cliffhanger. Michael's reaction and her reaction to realizing his reaction was emotional the best scene in the show.
Other points of interest
-- Michael Irvin, NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver and ex-ESPN commentator, was more than adequate as the football coach. It wasn't much of a stretch, and since he's a University of Miami grad, he fit in nicely.
-- Did you catch the afternoon snack at Michael's? Pickles! No yogurt.
-- Beanbag rounds from a shotgun -- ouch!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-30-2009 @ 10:43AM
Kevin said...
Great episode, but for the first time, the voiceovers upset me
There was a long voiceover about how fire escapes are great entry points... and then they didn't use one. They just blew the back door on the first story
K
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1-30-2009 @ 11:22AM
Jason said...
Michael was saying this about fire exits, not fire escapes. Fire exit doors don't have handles or locks and for the most part cannot be opened from the outside. They can only be opened via a push bar inside the building.
1-30-2009 @ 10:49AM
Arnold said...
Good show, but can someone start reviewing Psych again, its too funny and filled with so many jokes to be ignored.
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1-30-2009 @ 11:28AM
bc said...
"brother and sister being bullied by the gang"
I think Fiona's reaction was more about the underage girl being molested by an adult than it was the brother, but it does suggest there is something in her background that made her take it personally.
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1-30-2009 @ 11:43AM
Kat said...
"Fiona should have known better than to investigate the bomber's house on her own; it was a case of her impetuousness getting the better of her"
To be fair, it wouldn't really have made a difference if she'd waited for Michael. One, she's the explosives expert not him, and two, as the voiceover explained, the trigger plate for a fire trap like that is undetectable until you've stepped on it. The only thing that her waiting would have accomplished is both of them being caught and escaping, which would have robbed us of that wonderful end scene.
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1-30-2009 @ 12:22PM
Jwonghealy said...
Excellent episode! Loved not only the action but the emotion roiling underneath.
BURN NOTICE rocks!
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1-30-2009 @ 12:47PM
Boomstick said...
Clique Clack made a point that I thought for a minuscule second during last nights episode. Is Fiona the one who burned Michael?
http://www.cliqueclack.com/tv/2009/01/30/burn-notice-did-fiona-burn-michael/?src=twitter
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1-30-2009 @ 6:07PM
Richard Lawler said...
I noticed subtle "fiona did it" hints as well, I dunno tho.
1-30-2009 @ 12:50PM
dukrous said...
Allison, I thought you lived in S. Florida. :) The Dolphins are always relevant for Dolfans! Even when we're 1-15, we're still wishing for good seats.
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1-30-2009 @ 12:56PM
MacGuffin said...
Every episode is the same set-up and predictable, so no matter what happens, you can count on the formula to give a modicum of entertainment.
Still, it's a pretty good show. B+. Because the characters are so good and the actors fun.
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1-30-2009 @ 1:57PM
cdawg said...
I totally noticed the pickles and ever rewound the show to show the hubby that they were having difficulties getting the pickles out of the jar- just like in real life. HILARIOUS.
Best episode of this show in a while (all are great, but this just was a whole nother level, IMHO). I'll always love the sexy chemistry between Michael and Fi, and I love when they get together (hopefully though they wont get back together for real, but he's so sexy when he cares!)
Jeffrey Donovan, still the hottest thing out there. Although Jason O'Mara is climbing the charts too.
Oh and I agree, lets please review Monk and Psych too. USA is the best station!
Btw - did you remember Jeffrey Donovan in Mr. Monk and the Astronaut?
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1-30-2009 @ 1:59PM
cdawg said...
omg Fi might have burned Michael to get him back to her! BRILLIANT theory!
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1-30-2009 @ 5:23PM
viper5dn said...
Nice to see Wallace from "The Wire" again!
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2-02-2009 @ 3:10PM
fsu120 said...
I couldn't remember where I knew him from. That was bugging me since I saw this epsiode.
1-30-2009 @ 8:36PM
Noreen P said...
why did Michael call Fi's cell phone again at the end?
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1-31-2009 @ 12:57AM
aaron said...
"Were you thinking Men in Black..."
No, I was thinking bad ass professionals scaring the shit out of people. I always had that image associated with sharp suits and gun (the Burn Notice book reinforces it). Men In Black was a good movie, but has aged poorly. I remember that dorky director Barry Sonnenfeld. Well overrated at the time, but I see he was the exec. producer of Pushing Daises though.
Allison, you get major kudos for bringing up the original M:I team. Now that is a good comparison...
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1-31-2009 @ 5:05AM
Kim said...
What kind of car did Michael and Sam clone? It was very nice!
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1-31-2009 @ 4:06PM
Rob said...
It's a Maserati Quattroporte. Doesn't some of the styling cues of the 2009, so I'm guessing 2008.
2-01-2009 @ 11:50AM
La-Di-Dah said...
This episode had everything - style, great tricks, a pizazz of emotions, great acting, great writing, etc. I am guessing though, that Fi and Michael aren't settled yet.
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2-02-2009 @ 12:38PM
Jim said...
That's two weeks in a row now that Fiona has let her emotions get the better of her. How long before we find out that she's pregnant? Pickles indeed.
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