Imagine if you will a television series with the dry wit of House, the improvised gadgetry of MacGyver, and the spy games of the Bourne Identity. Then you might have an idea of what Burn Notice is like before you watch it.
I have to admit when season one started airing on the USA Network, I avoided it, thinking it would be formulaic and boring. But I caught myself watching when season two began airing last summer. And then it was too late for me. I'd been ensnared by the witty dialog, clever contraptions, and a great pairing of writers and actors. At that point I went to Hulu and began watching all the episodes I'd missed from season one. And then I made sure I caught all of season two when it aired. I was hooked.
Now season three has begun to air and the DVD set for season two just hit the shelves. If you haven't watched, I recommend checking out the first season for some background on the characters. Here's a brief rundown of what's been going on so far...
Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) is a burned spy stuck in Miami, Florida, working to clear his name so he can go back to work for the CIA or whatever agency he'd been working for before he was burned. To be burned is to basically be dumped unceremoniously in a city with no money, no credit cards, no bank accounts, and no belongings beyond what they leave on your person. Westen was burned two years ago and has been doing odd jobs helping people in Miami ever since as he tries to piece together who burned him and why so he can find a way to repay the kindness.
Westen has two friends in town - Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar) and Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell). Fiona is an ex-girlfriend, ex-IRA operative with a penchant for violence, guns, and explosives. She also dabbles as an arms dealer, apprehends bail jumpers, and helps people occasionally. Axe is retired FBI and someone who had investigated and watched Westen in the past for the Feds. Both Fiona and Sam have proven their loyalty to Westen many times over during the last two seasons (though Sam's loyalty was in doubt during the first season).
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