The Show

Burn Notice, typically described as a comedy-thriller, is less jocular, but more entertaining than you might expect. The second season of the USA Network series is solid summer fare, delving into the tired fictional world of spies and espionage with a fairly fresh approach that keeps the series extremely watchable as it moves at a fast pace.

Jeffrey Donovan (Changeling) stars as former government operative Michael Westen. Westen’s been issued a burn notice, and dumped in Miami, leaving him without money or an identity. He’s forced to rely on any friendly figures he can find — ex-girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar, The Tudors), FBI informant Sam (Bruce Campbell, My Name is Bruce) and his chain-smoking, clingy mother, Madeline (Sharon Gless, Queer as Folk).

Burn Notice follows the tried and true television structure of having the main character deal with smaller conflicts that are generally wrapped up within one episode, while a larger story arc runs throughout the entire season and beyond. It’s a standard formula, but it works well as Michael uses his crack covert skills to help people solve problems each episode while continually trying to track down the person that burned him throughout the season.

Even though the show is filled with comedy and quirk, it still follows standard procedural drama rules.  It actually seems to embrace that format wholeheartedly -- small details of how you can make an incendiary device out of gunpowder and non-dairy creamer or how to trick a security camera are explained in a near-constant stream of voiceover narration from Michael. Whether these methods would work in real life or not is debatable, but the inside perspective this element gives on the spy world is undeniably interesting.

The show also benefits from strong performances from its principal cast, specifically Donovan and Campbell, who have great rapport and lend the show a snarky edge that ensures things never get too serious, even though they nearly get killed every episode.

All 16 episodes of the second season of Burn Notice provide just the kind of escapist, yet smart, entertainment that a summer series requires.

Article Author: Dusty Somers

Dusty Somers hails from Seattle, and is a journalism student at the University of Oklahoma. He enjoys spending time and watching films with his wife, and looks forward to their imminent return to the great Northwest.

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