I was wrong. Foregrounding Mike and Fi’s dysfunctional love affair over Mike and Carla’s cat-and-mouse game did not make last night’s Burn Notice a better watch. It made it a slow, annoying drama with too much downtime — especially since the episode mostly featured them hemming and hawing, rather than making up, making out, and making mincemeat out of criminals. And whose plan was it to throw hammy Madeline in the middle as their couples counselor? Bad idea jeans. Thanks for turning my favorite TV character into USA’s most annoying mom (that’s counting Cybill Shepherd on Psych). I owe you a (Molotov) cocktail.
Yet, as much as I want to complain about yesterday’s breakup subplot, the other two storylines (Mike getting intel on Carla from a Pakistani spy and the crew saving a mother/son duo from a con artist club owner and some vicious loan sharks) were the season’s best so far. You can’t get more exciting than Michael beating two thugs into submission using just a rolled up copy of Cat Fancy after telling them “guys, wife beaters, so not a good look.” I’m going to have to use that on my little bro, who loves sporting those cheesy tank tops back home in Jersey. I also enjoyed watching Sam (pictured) become more integral to the action: The undercover personas he created, like the bullish textiles entrepreneur at the Pakistani consulate or the priggish trust executor for the mother/son job, were nearly as brilliant as Mike’s. He also had the two top lines of the night. The first, he delivered while pretending to wait on line at the consulate: “If I don’t get these signoffs today, there ain’t going to be nothing on those looms, sugar lips!” The second, he said to Fiona when she described the conman as “smooth, too, in a cheesy Sam sort of way.” His reply? “Hey, smooth is smooth, baby.” Damn straight.
Just one caveat: Where is his girlfriend Veronica? You can’tbackwards a Maris Crane-type character. You either show her or youdon’t. You can’t introduce her and then decide to make her a loomingcipher that everyone always talks about but the audience never sees.It’s unfair. And she’s played by a Landers sister! The site of one ofthem rubbing up against Bruce Campbell is funny just in theory.
More Burn Notice after the jump…
addCredit(“Burn Notice: Glenn Watson”)
Anyway, last week Mike figured out that Carla spent some timein Kurdistan ten years or so ago. I guess he reckoned that since she isa kick-ass broad now, she was a kick-ass broad back then — thus thePakistani intelligence agency, the finest in the area at the time,would have a dossier on her. So, he broke one of the few gentleman’sagreements in covert ops, stay way from embassies and consulates, tosteal some files and use them as leverage against a local Pakistani spy(also the consulate’s security chief) named Waseem. The guy didn’t godown easy, ripped on Mike’s Urdu, and forced us to watch him feedstrawberries to his multiple girlfriends (I will never look at thefruit the same again). Though, when he finally caved, Mike “found outCarla’s cover.” Stay tuned next week to find out what the h-e-doublehockey sticks that means.
As for Mike, Sam and Fiona’s job last night: They helped the mom from Ferris Buellerand her wimpy kid fend off a loan shark the latter owed $200,000 bydouble-crossing the conman who stole the money from them in the firstplace. The fella had a weakness for the ladies, which of course, madeFiona the asset in this situation — and gave her a good opportunity tomake Mike jealous. Or was it an opportunity for her to emotionally moveon by coming on to another dude, no matter who he was? As she toldMadeline, she doesn’t want to be second best in Mike’s life anymore.And I don’t blame her. But I do hold her responsible for that skimpy,white outfit she wore the second night at the club: It was horrendousand obnoxiously short. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I saw her ladyparts at least twice. Then again, it’s pretty hot in Miami, so maybe itwas called for.
So what did y’all think? The most excellent season two episodeso far? Happy that Sam’s role keeps expanding? Want to see more or lessof Madeline? Freaked out by her sideways suggestion that Mike have kidsbecause they saved her from her own loneliness? Hope, like me, thatWaseem returns (I loved their chemistry)? Interested, at all, in thenew Burn Notice tie-in book, The Fix, that hits stores on August 5th?
Comments (1-30) of 37 Add your comment
Holy crap – that was Ferris Bueller’s mom?
I enjoyed last night’s episode. If they will leave Carla in the wings and not show her, I think I will enjoy it more. She takes away too much screen time from the plot. Just leave her as a voice on the phone.
I defitinely enjoyed the Waseem plot line a lot more than the loan shark one. Why did Zeke (professor Landry) say that Michael was a huge whale when they were getting the same amount as cell phone guy? Also wondering if Michael kept the extra 17k?
I loved last night’s episode. I am digging Sam being more involved…He is hilarious. I like Fiona best when she is taunting and teasing Michael and not emoting. I thought that the Loan Shark was really creepy…and I thought his Mom acted like a lot of mom’s I may or may not be related to.
I love Barry, the money-launderer and Waseem is a nice addition to spy arsenal. Carla would be much better as just a voice on the phone – they introduced her waaaay too early in the season. Madeline is getting way too much screen time and getting very annoying this season. I hope the reason she keeps pushing Michael and Fi together is that she has some sort of terminal disease.
last night’s episode was one of the best – suspenseful, funny, touching… and Gabrielle at her very best. Just terrific.
All I can say is if I can stay awake until 11:00pm then it must be good. Madeline did get a little annoying though; how did she know so much about Mike and Fi’s relationship? Saying Fiona was “the best thing that ever happened” to Mike is odd because I thought their affair was years ago when he didn’t communicate with him Mom. And the current affair was only one night or so wasn’t it?
To Mel: I wondered the same thing. Why not ask for more than $200K from Davis Cullen? He *obviously* had it. And, also, why did Prof Landry (Zeke…whatever) so quickly cough up the cash in the safe in the bar? That part all happened to fast for me.
I love Bruce Campbell
I only discovered this show a week ago on the advice of one of my sons. I LOVE it! I’ve gone online and caught up on the past season and the beginnings of this one. Great characters and wonderful casting. I love the internal dialog from Michael on how to be a spy. I just have a feeling the season will be all too short…
Since watching this from day one – last night’s showing was great. Sam’s role getting wider is awesome and the rest of the crew – beautiful.
cat in mouse?
Love the show! Have it set to record weekly on my vcr.
Professor Landry!!! That’s who Zeke was! I was trying to figure out where I recognized him from.
Last night’s episode was great! I think it would be hard for Burn Notice to be bad. I do hope we see some more Wasseem…I liked the chemistry he had with Mike, so hopefully he’ll be back as a repeat character a la Barry.
I’m also glad that Fi has some female friends…I was worried her life revolved around the guys.
I think its a little dated and funny that people on tv still pretend that “handing over the negatives” means anything in the world of digital photos. Even handing over a memory card doesn’t guarantee those photos haven’t already been downloaded online. Blackmailing with photos = old school…meh
I agree that Madeline is like a lot of mothers. Gless is a very good actress. More of Sam is good. Waseem should definitely return. Another great ep. Love the cast.
I thought the argument between Sam and the Pakistani embassy guyi that kicked off the episode! Classic! Great, fun, upbeat start to the night’s espionage! That’s the classic Bruce Campbell we’d love to see more of in this series! Yeah man!
Sometimes I don’t care what the plot is… I just love Mike’s toothy grin: not nice, more like a shark’s, and it can be icy cold. How could Fi not be attracted to him?
1) Drop Madeline. It slows down the action, four story lines per show is
too much to sustain well (Who burned
Michael (1), who is being helped this
week (2), Relationship with Fiona (3), family complications (4).
2) Why, exactly, does Michael have to
stay in Miami? Because he doesn’t have
a checkable identity? A world-class
spy wouldn’t worry about such trifles.
3) Try to be less obvious that Michael, through his helping people, is gathering a group of “friends” or people that own him that he will eventually use when he needs help
(Female F.B.I. agent last week, guy who does housesitting at various places that could be used for short term safe houses, etc.).
4) One episode needs to establish Michael, Sam, and Fiona as hard-core
trouble when they need to be, not just the cutesy, fire a gun – blow something up – beat up two guys at once stuff. Just one episode seals their personas as world class, major
league spy, operative, gun runner.
“That’s my opinion, I could be wrong”
LOL. Having lived in Miami for the past four years, Fi’s outfits are par for the course. No surprise there. Sorry, Aubry.
His name is Prof. Lasky, dumbass.
I agree with CSK–Carla is much better as a voice on the phone, no screen presence.
To all Madeleine haters–get a grip. She’s SUPPOSED to be annoying. Salad spinner? Hysterical. Grasps at anything to get an audience with her son, trying to create a relationship long past due, and she knows full well her blame in this problem. But he’s very distant (for many reasons) and she’s doing the best she knows how. And like others have said: she acts like a mom, especially one from a troubled family history with her sons.
Franky, I think we need a female’s point of view when recapping this show. This dude is so obviously a testosterone carrier and missed the nuances, or outright poopoohs them. (e.g. not getting the Fi thing AT ALL, or the mom dynamic.)
Booo. Hisssssss.
I agree, the action scenes and main plot were excellent in this one, but everything else was kind of just stuck in a holding pattern. We don’t see Veronica, Carla’s a no-show, and the romance with Fi goes center stage again. The romance either needs to be on or off, going back and forth just distracts from the rest of the show.
Minor complaints only, it’s still one of my favorite shows on the air, though.
http://www.reidaboutit.com
I don’t hate Madeline….she just needs to do more than “be an annoying Mom”. The salad spinner thing was funny. Her fixation on her coffeepot from 1967 was hilarious too. I like that she seems to call Mike at the most inconvenient moments.
I thought Aubry was a girl.
Heh. If that’s the case, Aubry is indeed a female, then my apologies.
In any event, the writer of these recaps surely thinks like a guy, writes like a guy, and reacts to the relationship whatzits like a guy.
P.S. What is Madeleine supposed to do? What do Moms of that age with sons of that age, with relationship histories of such, actually do? They’re either not present at all, or they weasel, using any tools they have (nagging, small appliance emergencies, try to force the brothers together) in order to at least get the door open to the sacred family thing she keeps harping about.
If she were to don and apron and attempt to help Fi concoct her bomb recipe, how credible would that be?
Topic change-someone said something about Fi and Carla and cat fighting (in one of these comment fests)–and I totally agree, and think that in the end of this Carla crap, Fi will be the one to neutralize Carla in defense of Michael–putting the one she loves first, before herself.
Enought with the annoying mother who brings the show to a complete slow down every time we have to watch those scenes. And liked seeing more of Sam and his “personas”—they’re always fun to watch. And please, either make Mike and Fi a couple or move on already.
Jen in WI, that’s awfully sexist.
Cindy Pickett, still yummy.
Obviously the mark had never seen “The Sting.” I enjoy the hell out of this show, but like other USA shows, I’m hoping they find another show to pair it with.
I love the writing on this show. It always leaves me hanging til the very end. Yeah, Madeleine does get on my nerves every once in a while (she’s had more than enough time to realize that Michael’s jobs are dangerous, and her harping puts both her and him in danger), but other than that, it’s one of the best shows to come on TV in a long while. Bruce Campbell is a god-send, and spices up the show: he adds levity when needed, yet is highly credible as Mike’s partner/buddy. He’s a sidekick who’s just as capable as the hero. I was bummed to see Mike/Fiona split up, but I think it will give Mike more babe options; however, it is glaringly apparent that Fiona is the only woman on earth who can stand Michael’s lifestyle. Overall, not the best episode in the series, but definitely worth watching.
Aubry don’t be a hater! I thought Fi’s dress was beautiful and she was certainly able to pull it off. I’m actually liking Madelaine a lot more this season. She’s a lot less obnoxious than S1. So far, loving the show. So many great lines last episode. And Sam=love.