Burn Notice: Possible Side Effects

It has become standard practice for half the shows in primetime to throw a “some content may not be appropriate… violent and sexual content … parental discretion…. yada yada yada…” type notice before each episode.  Whether this is done out of a sense of moral responsibility or just to titillate 11-year-olds is a matter best left between programming heads and Jesus.  But then along comes Burn Notice, a show that warrants an entirely new sort of warning label: “Caution: this program may cause dizziness, double vision, disorientation, and/or symptoms of epilepsy.  Do not watch if you are pregnant, nursing, or may become pregnant” (since that last bit seems to be in every warning label these days).  The blame for this unique problem lies solely in the hands of the show’s editors, who really need to pop a few Ritalin and realize that when it comes to the art of editing, quantity never trumps quality; week after week, the presence of constant jump cuts, split screens, and freeze frames takes potentially smashing action scenes and turns them into seasickness.

That ever present nag aside, this was actually a fairly good episode.  Mike’s still working at Carla’s behest, on the trail of the mutual enemy who tried to blow him up.  At least until Sam comes along giddy at the prospect of Dolphins tickets on the 50 yard line.  And all they have to do for them is take down a gang of car thieves who’ve been roughing up a promising high school football prospect.  Mike, Sam, & Fi create the illusion of a much larger and more dangerous gang, all the better to scare their targets out of town.  They sell the ruse with the power of matching suits and an amazing first strike tactic involving the baddie’s car, lots of broken windows, shotgunned tires, and a coffee can full of enough thermite to melt straight through an engine block.  Moments like that, perfect fusions of style, action, and technology, are what make Burn Notice so occasionally fantastic, but they just aren’t enough to tip the scales in favor of my committed fanboy devotion.

Stolen car laundering and Bruce Campbell wielding a 12 gauge are all fine and good, but what will really set watercoolers bubbling is what finally happened between Mike & Fiona.  After getting dumped by her BF, Fi took an active role in Mike’s bomber hunt and eventually found herself the victim of an elaborate arson trap.  The notion that she may have perished clearly shook Michael more than he expected, and after a long depressed stroll through the rain our hero was shocked and elated to find his Irish lass chillin’ at his pad like nothing was wrong.  Cue a smoldering “thank God you’re not dead” smooch and some off-camera reconciliation sex.  Whether this reunion will stick long term or if they’ll just become Ross & Rachel with C4 remains to be seen, but I always welcome character development.  Good luck, you crazy kids!

Season 2, Episode 11: Hot Spot (originally aired January 29, 2009)

For another take on this episode, check out Cameron Cubbison’s review here.

For more on Burn Notice, click here.

Thursdays at 10/9c on USA

Photographs courtesy of USA