 Burn Notice, Season Three (2009)
Our rating: 4 out of 5
Rated: TV14
Reviewer: Rissi C.
As an operative, one gets used to being in uncomfortable situations. Whether it’s resisting foreign interrogation, or swimming five miles to Miami Beach in your suit pants, it’s all a part of the job…
The latter is the position Michael (Jeffery Donovan) finds himself in after opting out of the “protection” of some unknown “higher-ups." Even after they inform him they are all that is standing in the way of former enemies coming after him, still he decides to take his chances. What makes this even harder is arriving at the beach knowing nothing of his surroundings, exhausted and wet. These circumstances make for less-than-pleasant conditions to escape pursuers, but that is exactly what Michael must do when forced to run from local law enforcement. Ducking into a hotel, Michael contacts the woman he shares a befuddled relationship with at best, Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), in the hope of learning what his options are -- only to hear it’d be best if he turned himself in. With no charges filed against him, Michael is submitted to a series of questions that have nothing to do with anything -- even his buddy Sam (Bruce Campbell) can’t work his release. After hours submitting to police interrogation, Michael is released by an old friend, Harlan (Brian Van Holt), something that immediately sets Michael on edge. Thinking it’s just a little too “convenient” to see Harlan in Miami, he discovers Harlan is facing a problem with his Venezuelan girlfriend. Her land is being confiscated by a powerful man with a crooked background... or is that just what Harlan wants them to believe?
Madeline Westen (Sharon Gless) is always happy to meet her sons’ mysterious friends but also lets it be known that if Harlan hangs around Michael too long, he’ll only buy himself trouble. Just as one disaster is averted, two others pop up in the case of a kidnapped boy and a new adversary out to get Michael in the form of a tough-as-nails, sexy female detective (Moon Bloodgood) who probes a little too close for comfort into Michael’s past... Things just keep heating up for Michael and company, becoming more intricate and entertaining on this fabulous show that didn’t even mean anything to me six short months ago. As with each of the seasons, this picks up where the story left off, with new twists and turns that continue to prove why this has been so well received. The writers have given the theme that created this series a bit of a break (for the opening three episodes, anyway) but do answer the burning question of its origins. Instead of being defined by the initial domineering plot, here it becomes the driving force behind the other under-developed stories, giving them room for growth, which is nice considering I love the more personal side of things. Knowing what a determined, strong-willed woman Fiona is, it’s been interesting to see her “rescued” these past couple seasons – she and Sam are so used to watching Michael’s back, it’s a big change for her to accept needing help. Most especially because it opens doors for viewers to realize to what depths the affection she and Michael have for one another. In his mind, their romantic attraction cannot be acted on because he cares. For Fiona’s part, she cannot get a handle on why Michael wants to get back into the spy game – the “benefits” to her don’t outweigh what he has going in this new life. This is played out beautifully in the final moments of “Fearless Leader” and in “Long way back” after a threat may take Fiona.
Michael’s fierce, protective nature is still his greatest trait that often tends to become his demise where enemies are concerned; no one is allowed to get away with threatening his family, so he tends to keep a safe distance in order to protect them. “End Game” shows the strength of Michael’s emotional nature when an old enemy returns to target his brother Nate (Seth Peterson). The actors are cruising here, they've become so greatly engrained in their characters, while guest stars Tim Matheson and Tyne Daley make for memorable turns. Subtle changes have built up that are entertaining. Maddie, we learn, is quite a clever woman and far from the clueless bystander Michael thinks her to be (first seen in “The Hunter,” with hilarious results). She cares but is still as terse with her son as ever. The dialogue is razor sharp with too many witty one-liners to recount. (Using “titles” to introduce the players and having a voice-over laying out each case was just… well, skillful on creator Matt Nix’s part.) One thing that wasn’t handled well is a subplot involving Michael’s latest “problem”; one minute there was a warning to still be “watching,” the next, the threat evaporated. The filming is still great with high energy (thanks in part to the marvelous score) and quick progression shots of sweeping beach (beautiful blue water, too), architectural structures and the occasional overlapping pictures, and multi-box screen – some may find it a bit annoying considering it is very modern, but it also has gone through some changes.
The skills that are incorporated into the scripts are ingenious -- like what characters make with standard items, sometimes at the drop of a hat, while the cons are still laid out with careful preparation and planning, making this trio likely my favorite on TV today (or nearly…); their best impersonations come in “Fearless Leader.” The way the players so easily slip into a character is probably its best achievement (did I mention, the writing rocks?!). Fiona and Michael are most definitely one of the more fascinating TV couples’ who aren’t really a couple because they can’t seem to get their relationship figured out. No further liberties have been taken in the three seasons its aired – luckily for fans who want something that isn’t brimming with off-putting material, this is better than most. Some episodes have next-to-nothing in them where as the next will have more filth. Fist fighting (or whatever opponents can get their hands on) is definitely the main offender for violence; a man is banged around with a rock wrapped in a towel, another makes cuts into his wrist when attempting to free his bound hands (blood is seen covering the floor); some are shot at close range, others abducted; a man has fallen from a towering building, and is shown lying a pool of blood. It’s said a man beats his wife and sons (a 13-year-old attempts to steal a gun to kill him) and another is a child predator. One episode deals with gangs; they wield machine guns; Michael also depicts a character who can seemingly do anything (snapping a finger and things blow up, etc; naturally it’s all a farce).
The camera often finds women on the beach dressed in bikinis; other situations involve suggestive dancers at night clubs; Fiona dresses suggestively. Nearer the end of one show, it’s implied a man and his girlfriend spend the night together; the camera shows her dress falling to the floor (no nudity) and them snuggling a bit the next day (“A Dark Road,” which as it would happen is one of the best of the bunch). Harsh abuses of deity and profanity is probably the biggest downfall, sometimes numerous times in one episode; “Jesus” is used as exclamations. SOB and bi**h, ba****d are freely used, along with GD. Sam and Fiona drink alcohol like most people drink water.
In the heists, lies are fabricated often for the good of others and/or to protect the defenseless. Some viewers may not feel that “justifies” the way Michael goes about completing his jobs but it would be prudent to mention that Michael’s goal is never to use deadly force, only to con them into leaving themselves or turning enemies against each other so they forget or never realize how their feuding came about. However, in one tense, dramatic scene, Michael does kill a man with two shots; someone he loved was being threatened by the man, and that was the only way to ensure it wouldn’t happen again.
One of the most memorable episodes is “A Shot in the Dark.” Not only is the con exciting, but the people they assist are memorable and the climax is dramatic, serious, and well-thought. There is no doubt this packs an emotional punch and the latter half of the season effortlessly connects, so that you could watch them collectively and not feel like there were any “breaks.” Burn Notice is just one of those programs that tends to take on more of the intriguing drama that actually does justice to its genre, particularly here, but there is also a superb balance of comedy that is a subtle sort of laugh-out-loud, becoming quickly recognizable as the sort of amusement that is funny without knowing or trying to be – the wit is as iconic as the snappy wardrobe and Michael’s sunglasses have come to be.
|
|
