So with the holiday on my heels I took the time to catch up with my favorite spy without a job. Yes, Michael Westen of Burn Notice has been quite busy. And the 3rd season of the show has not let me down.
When last we saw Michael, his sort of girlfriend Fiona, and boozy buddy Sam the group that put out the burn notice that created the problems for Michael had just decided to give him a taste of what freedom is like. Following the adage of be careful what you ask for, the show is shoveling the repercussions down Michael’s throat. So far, not one has been good.
The reason is that with his unwanted employers gone, and no other Government Agency willing to go near Westen, all protection he had is gone. That means the police suddenly have links to our trio, and so does every Government with a chip on their shoulder for something Westen did to them in the past.
So far, as of the 4th episode, Sam has been audited. Fiona has had her background checked, as have Nate (Michael’s brother) and likely his mom. Michael himself though is really getting it thick. He has been betrayed by a former friend with an inferiority complex, weathered the return of Brennan, and hounded by police officer Paxson at every turn.
I really like the Paxson character. She is a no bull hard-line detective that goes after her suspects like a pitbull. You might even think she could like Michael, if she wasn’t so possessed with busting him for anything. Of course trying to get her fired, and succeeding in costing the job of her partner, in one episode didn’t help smooth things between the 2.
Probably the best episode so far was the one with Brennan. His return was exactly what you might expect. Pissed off for being double crossed last season, wanting to exact revenge and get paid doing it. His weapon of choice? Do what I say or brother Nate dies, painfully.
The episode shows off Westen’s skills and the speed of his mind versus a character virtually as smart and definitely more ruthless. The fact that Michael is smart enough to pull in the help of Sam, Fiona, and recurring character Barry really makes the difference. Though I found his major bluff at the end of the show to be particularly brilliant. It plays off of his obvious compassion for children, a fact it seems that even the bad guys have noticed.
I hand it to the writers for doing their jobs well. Having reached the peak of the initial quest in the show last season there were big questions to what might happen next. Could the show continue and be interesting? What would be the new motivation? Would any of it make sense?
As of the 4th episode all the questions have been answered with a positive. Perhaps the only issue I have with the show so far is that Officer Paxson has been mostly taken out of the picture. She added a complexity that was fun to watch, especially as she timed her entrances to be of the most distraction and hindrance to the crew at work. Though she may play a part in future episodes.
But the new questions facing the trio are interesting, if not as volatile as in the first 2 seasons. Fiona wants Michael to stay in Florida and have their relationship grow. Michael wants to get back to the life he had before, while protecting his family from the huge list of people that really would rather he was dead and grieving their loss. Sam though seems content to have a friend around, especially if he can buy a round or 5 from time to time.
Ultimately though the fact that a spy can’t just stop and not have a major organization behind them will catch up with Westen. His prospective employers from season 1 and 2 have not given up on keeping Westen in their fold. They are simply biding their time to re-enter his life when he is at his lowest and most needy point. And you can see it coming.
It seems highly likely that Brennan will be back yet again, and may be the final key to forcing Michael to submit to Management’s offer.
If the writing keeps the current pace and quality, I expect that the show will have 1 or 2 more seasons before the running plot just gets either too absurd, or repetitive. So if you haven’t had the time to watch the current season, I’d recommend looking out for the repeats. And if you can make the time, catch the first runs as they hit each week.
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