Burn Notice is back for the summer. Good thing, too. There is not much else on the summer schedule that piques my interest. The fourth season kicks off right where the third season finale ended. Michael has been recruited by Management to track down some of Simon’s associates who are part of some big terrorist operation. Normally, I am wary when the major end all, be all uber-villain like Simon turns out to be just the tip of the iceberg. His associates are the ones we are really supposed to be worried about. I have enough faith in Burn Notice to not fret over anticlimactic storylines.
There are two pieces of proof in tonight’s episode of the show’s competence to assuage any fears. One, Michael Ironside made a cameo appearance as an arms dealer who has been supplying the as yet unknown associates of Simon. Ironside is a highly underrated character actor who always plays shady military types to the hilt. It is too bad they made sure we will not be seeing him again. He did go out I a blaze of glory, at least.
The second bit of proof is the semi-cliffhanger. I gathering military files for management, Michael inadvertently made a spy named Jesse porter take the blame. Because of Michael, Jesse has been burned. Jesse will become a regular for at least the rest of the season as Michael tries to help him clear his name. The story ought to add a more personal element to the season long story arc as wellas spice up the dynamics.
The bulk of the episode was not about management’s mission, but Michael coming home in the middle of an assignment that has blown up in thefaces of Sam and Fiona. The two of them have carried on their partnership while Michael was away, but clearly need Michael in oder to hold it all together. I think that was an intentional feel for the audience to get so we can brace ourselves for how jesse fits in with the grup.
Sam and Fiona were hired by a lawyer who has a biker gang after him because he rescued some girl. Whatever he did not appears important as Michael coming up with the clever plan of blackmailing the leader of the biker gang into callg off the hit y making it appear the lawyer was in deep with their business dealings. His death would bring the FBI down on them hard. The plan works, even though there wasa double cross, because Michael was completely in charge.
The tone did diminish Sam and particularly Fiona. Sam was little more than the getaway driver and Fiona was back to serving as bait, either sexual or a moving target. One would hope they would have grown a bit more in Michael’s absence. I suppose we needed to be reminded who the star of the show is.
Michael finally was open and honest with his mother about his job. After all she has been through, he owed it to her. I hope their relationship is less dramatic now than in season three. The strain between the two of them was the least appealing aspect of the series last year.
I have high hopes for the fourth season….
Rating; *** (out of 5)
