No Pants Allowed : Reviewing the Burn Notice Season Two Premiere

Synopsis: I’ve gotten a chance to view this Thursday’s premiere of Burn Notice, and this is my review of the episode. This is written in a way that both new viewers and loyal fans will be able to (hopefully!) enjoy. Hints at spoilers? Oh yes! Let’s begin! (You know you want to see if I say anything about Tricia Helfer - a possible recurring guest star.)

As I sit down to write this, a Lenny Kravitz song is on and part of the lyrics fit so perfectly for the theme of the show Burn Notice. They are: “It you ain’t part of the game, then how can you find a solution. Nobody said it would be fair.” You see, that’s the position that Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) has found himself in ever since he was burned (read: blacklisted) as a spy. Once burned, you are essentially paralyzed, unable to leave your assigned location. For Michael, that’s Miami. He’s our gorgeous leading man. Has a suit ever looked better? You tell me.

There is substance to discuss, so we must do that! When you get a flat tire, after eliminating all reasons that it could be your fault (needed new tires for a year and were just incredibly lazy?) you then consider outside sources - like nails on the road, or even God (looking upwards to the heavens during a rainstorm, if your luck is as great as mine). When you’re a spy who gets burned, you can’t be happy until you know who did this to you. And it wasn’t God. It was someone else, and they have some sort of reason. You just don’t get the benefit of knowing who or why. Unless, like Michael Westen, you refuse to stop until you figure out that puzzle. Whether to ease his mind, for revenge, or both - who knows.

The people who burned Michael have been in contact with him. Unfortunately, he has to play their cruel, cruel games. They want him for doing some jobs (dirty work they don’t want to do) and he has to comply. In the season premiere, Breaking and Entering, Michael finds himself stuck helping a computer tech named Jimmy.

Jimmy looks the part of exactly the kind of guy you’d think would be named Jimmy. Which is to say, he’s endearing, but not all that impressive, and definitely not someone who should be handling guns. But he knows how to get computer data that Michael’s new handler (named Carla - initially just a voice on the end of a series of cell phones) has commanded they obtain. Since pissing her off would be high on the list of things not to do, they have a job to do.

Something I love about the show is that there is voiceover by Michael where he narrates things for us - not just as a guy, but as a spy. So instead of seeing him pull out a gun, shoot something, pull out another gun, and shoot something else (which does happen and typically might seem boring) he tells us what guns he’s using and why he’s using those particular ones (which suddenly makes me care and understand). Insights by a spy are very stimulating to a mind.

I like being in the head of a spy. Although now I realize that I don’t speak nearly enough languages to be one. The benefit of Michael’s narration is enormously helpful to the show. I also believe that sometimes the only person he’s truly being honest with is us, despite the amusing snark and blunt nature in which he delivers his facts.

Here’s a fact for you: In an early scene of the episode, Jimmy has a hilarious moment of futile retaliation towards Michael, involving a tire iron. I’ll let you guess how Jimmy might have gotten access to one of those.

Burn Notice regulars, of course, start to appear. Sam (Bruce Campbell) greets Michael and has this memorable quote, “Mike, how do you fit in these little shirts? They’re like doll clothes.” The visual accompanying that is worth seeing.

Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) enters in a flurry of beautiful anger. There’s something about this character where no matter how pretty she is or how badass she acts - there’s something in her that’s broken, lurking just under the surface. This makes her so interesting to watch, especially when you think she might break a little and spill some of that concealed honesty. When Michael is involved, she seems to have to be very careful with her emotions. Naturally, he would have the most to learn from her honesty.

Speaking of Anwar - I haven’t yet mentioned on Sofachip that I very recently watched (for the first time) the entire first season of The Tudors on DVD. Gabrielle Anwar played Princess Margaret, and her scenes were always enjoyable. This is an actress to watch. She will be in two upcoming movies: iMurder and Driving Lessons.

Back to the episode - Mike gets to use a very charming accent while dong some dedicated undercover work. Accents? Always so hot. Big love for these scenes! During some of this undercover work Sam and Fiona are backup for Mike. A situation unfolds where Fiona gets to have some revenge on him. I loved that scene. In a normal relationship, an ‘ex-boyfriend’ sort might get slapped at most, but on this show, with this reality - you need to understand that much more severe objects can get put into play.

Michael hasn’t forgotten his mother - she won’t give him a chance to do that! (Raise your hand if you have a mother like that.) She has a disaster, which is a valid disaster in her eyes (and mine, too!) but to Michael wants to strangle her and her perception of disaster. But he’s very good at hiding it! He probably has to chant something in his head to keep calm.

What else did I love about this episode?

- Cool split-screen effects used properly = yay!

- Fiona is Sam’s ‘girl consultant’! You’d qualify too, if you have ovaries.

- A bad guy is asked to take off his pants. You get to guess if he does it.

- Michael’s handler is revealed in due time.

- There is also a very exciting guest star for fans of Battlestar Galactica - Tricia Helfer.

More of the Lenny Kravitz song Dig In (which I began this piece with) can be applied about the show, but this time it’s for the viewers:

“…Once you dig in, you’ll find you’ll have yourself a good time.”

Burn Notice premieres on the USA network on July 10th at 10 p.m./9 p.m. central.

Pictures from the USA Network