Burn Notice first aired in 2007 and found instant success with audiences smitten from its tongue-in-cheek mix of comedy and the serious life of a down-on-luck spy holed up in Miami.
Jeffrey Donovan’s plays hansom rogue Michael Westen, a successful spy who is given the “burn notice” by his handlers. All ties to his work are severed and he is left stranded in Miami with no money and no explanation as to why he was “burned.” Westen is forced to use the limited resources he has left and asks for help from his ex-girlfriend (Gabrielle Anwar) who herself had ties with the Irish Republican Army, and a semi-retired intelligence officer played by Bruce Campbell. Making up the ensemble cast is Sharon Gless (Queer as Folk) as Westen’s nagging mother.
What makes Bunt notice a pleasant romp is the humor throughout and the star quality charisma of its leading man. Burn Notice’s wit comes from Westen’s drier than Martini voiceover delivery and his interactions with his mother, the latter of which bring Westen’s cocksure delusions of grandeur crashing down to size. Think of James Bond squirming from questions about settling down with his mother over a cup of tea and then you have some idea of the premise. Yet Burn Notice is certainly not a James Bond movie, nor is it trying to be. Television dramas thrive on strong ensemble characters that are likeable and express our every day lives if they were cool and interesting. There’s nothing every day about being a spy, you might say, but there are enough spy stories shopping around Hollywood to know that viewers are intrigued by the “real” lives of spies and the romantic fantasy that James Bond continues to deliver.
The first season of Burn Notice covered Westen’s desperation in finding out why he was given the burn, his adjustment to real life, and his new job as a private eye. The second season continues with Westen’s search as he fights with every low life crook, arms dealer, and murderer in Miami.
Burn Notice Season Two is out on DVD.
