BURN NOTICE Better In SEASON SIX

Article first published as DVD Review: 'Burn Notice Season Six' on Blogcritics.

Burn Notice, USA’s steps up its game in leaps and bounds in Season Six, elevating above the standard case-of-the-week, old-school-USA, fluff summer show. It is now available on DVD.

From the two-parter in which the central team is trapped in a foreign country to losing a major recurring character, to seeing a main player sit in jail for quite awhile, the series comes across with a new energy.

Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan), the center of Burn Notice, grows as a character a lot. We see him run the gamut of emotion in Season Six, from pure, unadulterated fury, proving he is capable of scorching the earth, to deep, soul-wrenching grief, to fiery love, to being helpless. Michael is put to the test in a variety of ways, and it finally gets him out of the pattern he has been stuck in.

The most shocking and jarring development for Michael is probably when his brother, Nate (Seth Peterson), is killed. In the past, the series has avoided removing any of the important players, but despite Nate’s recurring status, he is a vital member of Michael’s family. It’s an unexpected, gutsy move, and one that provides much motivation for Michael moving forward.

We also see the evolution of Michael’s relationship with Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar). It’s a challenge to show it   on screen, especially as she serves time in prison, but there is a strong, passionate bond between them that transcends that. Michael doesn’t open up much, not even to the audience, but Fiona owns his heart. Which leads to him by season’s end to one the most difficult decisions of his life.

With Michael going on revenge missions and getting involved in government work, Sam (Bruce Campbell) and Jesse (Coby Bell) are forced to step up and pick up the slack, while making sure he stays on the proper path. Sam has known Michael a very long time, and it’s gratifying to really see that pay off when Sam sticks by him during the tough times. Jesse enters the game much later, of course, not even being an original cast member, but is now completely intertwined and invaluable to the ensemble.

As usual, Michael’s mother, Maddie (Sharon Gless), is somewhat wasted. Don’t get me wrong, she has some absolutely brilliant moments to play this year in saving lives and losing a son. However, Gless is a masterful actress who really breathes something special into this role. As such, in the episodes where Maddie barely appears fans miss her soulful presence. She is essential to Michael’s humanity, maybe even more so than Fiona, and Gless deserves some serious pay off in the end.

Among the supporting players populating the show, a handful really deserve recognition for their work in Burn Notice Season Six. Jere Burns (Justified, Bates Motel) plays Michael’s greatest foe to date, Anson Fuller, a man who is as crafty as he is ruthless. Meanwhile, Lauren Stamile (Community, Grey’s Anatomy) hits the other end of the spectrum as Agent Pearce, a member of the FBI Michael learns to like and trust. Sadly, both complete their runs during Season Six, but for awhile, they expand the world of Burn Notice in new and incredibly interesting ways, becoming much more memorable than previous guest stars. Also, Sonja Sohn’s (Body of Proof) Agent Riley, while more familiar and less fresh, is still an entertaining addition.

Now, Burn Notice is not counted among the best shows on television, nor even on USA, and Season Six has some mediocre installments. But this is the year where it becomes a show worth telling others about and viewers can actually get invested in the tale, rather than just flip it on randomly some week. If the final season is as good as this one, or even builds upon it a bit, it will be a worthwhile and satisfying pay off.

The extras on Burn Notice Season Six are a little light. We get audio commentary only on a single episode, the standard deleted scenes and gag reel, and a single featurette, “Matt Nix Gets Burned. The latter is six minutes of behind-the-scenes talk about the creator of the show as the Season Six finale is being filmed. It’s an attempt at a humorous mockumentary in the style of Burn Notice, and it somewhat succeeds, though it lacks continuity, which for a short, shouldn’t be difficult to achieve.

If you are a fan of Burn Notice, Season Six is the best one yet, and especially if you have drifted away from the show, I do recommend checking it out. It could be better, but it’s a couple of steps above what has come before it, and regular viewers should be very satisfied.

"Desperate Times" for Burn Notice

USA's Burn Notice has had a heck of a summer. Finally dropping a mandatory case-of-the-week in each episode format, the show commits to an arc and sticks with it, allowing much more movement in the story of Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan) than the first several seasons combined. This is gratifying, even when the onion, which we thought done, peels yet another layer into the conspiracy.

In "Desperate Times," the CIA finds Nate's (Seth Peterson) killer. Tom Card (John C. McGinley) agrees to let Michael take his team down to Panama to hunt the shooter, but only sends them with one agent as back up. Things go awry, of course, and it isn't long before Michael discovers that Card has set them all up to die. The only thing to do is let Card believe he succeeded, leaving the effort of taking down their latest foe for the next run of episodes, beginning in November.

It seems like the agent sent with Michael and company to Panama is only there so someone can be killed off. He gets a bit of development, which is nice, before biting the big one. But that doesn't mean we care about him all that much. This sort of low stakes game is why Burn Notice still ranks a little lower than other summer shows. However, with the recent loss of Nate, perhaps it is too soon to kill another important character. I just wish it hadn't been set up so obviously.

Other than that complaint, "Desperate Times" is fairly great. McGinley makes a terrific villain, even if viewers are growing weary of the deeper and deeper plots against Michael, wanting him to finally catch a lasting break. Maddie (Sharon Gless) gets to let out some of that raw emotion she does so well talking to Card about Nate, even as we know Card is playing her. And Jesse (Coby Bell) having to run around with no shoes is very amusing.

The action is good, too. Lately, Burn Notice has been splitting up the team, which does lend itself to more story and a larger world. But it's great to see the ensemble working together again, because they really do have an entertaining chemistry. Michael, Jesse, Fi (Gabrielle Anwar), and Sam (Bruce Campbell) have such different personalities, and when separated, sometimes that can be forgotten. Seeing them slip back into their familiar roles is comfortable.

Comfortable is what works for Burn Notice. Yes, we want some change and movement from week to week. However, the show is not going to abandon its roots and alienate those viewers who prefer the older style of predictable storytelling. Balancing this with the superior way things are being handled keeps the show from truly soaring, but it does allow improvement, and it was never bad to begin with. Burn Notice is fun entertainment, especially in the summer. And what's wrong with that?

Will Burn Notice continue the new trend of larger arc this winter? Will Michael stop Card, only to find another man behind him? Will something bad happen to Maddie before she can realize that Michael and his friends are still alive? And will Jesse get some new footwear? All of these questions are on hold for now. But I can't wait to find out!

Burn Notice returns in November to USA.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

A "Shock Wave" rips through Burn Notice

Last night's installment of USA's Burn Notice, "Shock Wave," was huge, in terms of plot development. The major characters are split up. Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) and a team go after Anson (Jere Burns), whom they have located. But when Michael's brother, Nate (Seth Peterson), who is accompanying the squad, gets reckless, he and Anson are both killed. Meanwhile, Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) avoids British intelligence long enough to earn her CIA-approved release, and Sam (Bruce Campbell) protects Barry (Paul Tei) from some of Fiona's former gun-running associates.

Make no mistake about it. This is a game changer. Michael is devastated by the loss of his brother, and will surely blame himself for getting Nate involved, even if Nate's own dumb actions led to his demise. It's a good thing Fiona is out of prison, because Michael is going to need a lot of comfort, and he will be driven even more by a longing for revenge than before, so he'll need some reigning in. Otherwise, both Weston brothers could be in body bags before long.

The question is, will Maddie (Sharon Gless) blame Michael? She hides out at home for most of the episode, but "Shock Wave" ends with Michael delivering the tragic news. Because of Michael's character, he will not defend himself if Maddie begins getting accusatory. It's no secret that she doesn't like a lot of Michael's activities, and after this, expect bigger push back from her to bring this whole spy life to an end.

Would that be so bad? With Anson down, yet again Burn Notice reveals a deeper level of conspiracy. Every time Michael catches someone who is involved in his burn notice, that person is killed, and he learns that there's someone else behind them. It's an endless cycle. Fans might be forgiven for thinking Anson was at the bottom of the whole thing, having stuck around longer than most previous villains, and being played oh so well by Burns. But nope, someone has Anson killed, so there's more to discover.

It is supremely disappointing that, after being strung along this long, Anson is not the real power behind Michael's bad luck. It's predictable, of course, given the series's pattern. But it's starting to feel like this will never end for Michael. The best thing he can do now is to try to forget it all and move on. Which won't happen because Michael is not good at letting things go.

But with Nate's death, it really looks like Michael might either have to give up his elusive white whale, or go down like Ahab. Which will it be? It's a decision that cannot possibly be revealed until the series finale, and because of USA's sunny nature, it will probably be neither, with Michael ending up triumphant, no matter how unrealistic that is, or how against the grain it goes with the path that has been revealed. Of course, to be fair, Burn Notice is a hero tale, and that kind of bleak outlook would betray the tone of the series.

That has always been my problem with Burn Notice. No matter how great it is, and trust me, "Shock Wave" is a terrific episode, with lots of action and suspense, there is always some nagging feeling that it's not quite living up to its potential. Perhaps in the age of the antihero, so well played on other networks, the happy ending and lightheartedness seems trite. This episode comes as close to greatness as the show has ever been, with each of the original trio getting their own thrilling tale, and the stakes being quite high. But then, as soon I start reflecting, the larger picture makes the good feelings begin to crumble again. Luckily, it's entertaining enough to survive such doubts, and emerge out the other end, still immensely watchable.

The other problem I have with "Shock Wave" has nothing to do with the episode itself, and everything to do with the impatient culture currently reigning. I stopped watching previews of next week's episode long ago because networks, all networks, have little respect for the surprise twist. But avoiding trailers and clips are not enough to stay in the dark anymore. It was no secret for anyone on the internet that Burn Notice would feature a major death last night before the episode even began.

As soon as I started watching "Shock Wave," it was obvious who it would be. Burn Notice wouldn't dare kill off one of their main characters, who are all pretty popular with fans, because it would be a little too dark for the mood the series sets. And while some theorized that Barry would bite the big one, the longer his story with Sam went on, the more obvious it was that they were both dead or neither of them were. Given rule number one, that made Barry safe, too. Though, the Barry and Sam stuff was beyond cool!

But Nate started making mistakes right out of the gate. He disobeyed Michael, and didn't know at all how to handle himself. Without the knowledge that a death was coming, this might have made me think he would be taken hostage or something, because killing him off really is a bold, unexpected move for Burn Notice to make. However, because of the spoiler that was nearly impossible to avoid, the death was anything but surprising by the time it actually happened. Which is a real loss for storytelling, which was great in this episode when taken alone, without the leaks.

So I guess the lesson is, stay off the internet. Funny for an internet-based reviewer to be saying that, though reviews almost always deal with what already happened, not what is going to happen. Even if it's your favorite show you just can't wait to get some nugget of information about, someone is going to ruin some of the best parts if you're not careful. "Shock Wave" is a spectacular episode when viewed in a bubble, but suffers repercussions because of hype and people who just can't help but share when they have a juicy piece of gossip. It's not tantalizing to tease a big event. It's a slap in the face to regular viewers.

Despite the spoil sports, definitely continue to watch Burn Notice, because "Shock Wave" and the earlier episodes this season have established a new pattern. The show is playing a higher level game than before, and it's working extremely well for it.

Burn Notice airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on USA.

Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Article first published on TheTVKing