Burn Notice - Season One DVD Review

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DVD Release Date - June 17, 2008
Description:

Michael Westen is steamed — or, more precisely, burned. His career as a spy has been nipped in the covert bud since he received a “burn notice,” the spy’s equivalent of a pink slip. Stuck in his hometown of Miami, Michael is determined to find out who did this to him and why, although that’s not easy to do: With that burn notice attached to his name, he has been cut off from his usual contacts, and he also needs to fly under the radar of the spy network lest he tip off his secret enemy. It’s a good thing, then, that he can rely on help from Fiona, his ex-girlfriend and IRA spy, and Sam, Michael’s only close friend and a former spy himself. And, of course, there’s Madeline, Michael’s mom, a raging hypochondriac — but probably not a spy. Probably.

Review

Where to begin?

I seen the advertisments for this show, and I didn’t know what to make of it. I figured it wasn’t going to be any good, it seemed to goofy. For whatever reason, I didn’t notice Bruce Campbell (I’m a fan), I heard he was in on the series, but figured it wouldn’t be good, or it would get canceled.

I was so very wrong. This show is fun, you have this guy, Michael Westen, he used to be a spy, one day in the middle of a job he finds out he’s got a “burn notice” on him. Meaning he ends up where they tell him to be, freezes his money, and forces him to stay where he is, not being allowed to leave the country, or have any contact with the government agencies that he was apart of.

The thing is, Michael doesn’t know why he has been given this “burn notice” and is quite upset about it, this whole season revolves around him trying to get to the bottom of this, to find out who “burned” him, and why.

Accompanying him on his journey is his ex-girlfriend Fiona, and his only friend Sam, who used to be a spy too. Later on we meet his mother, Madeline, and his brother, Nate.

Since his money was froze, and he has no way to move around and find out what happened to him, he decides to take on some “small jobs”, this is where the funs at. Usually someone has a job for Michael and hires him, he works with his friends Sam (Bruce Campbell) and Fiona. Sam is practical, loves to plant bugs, and is quite laid back, Fiona on the other hand, is a firecracker, sexy and deadly. Her idea of having a good time usually involves blowing something up, beating someone up, or a combination of the two.

I have to say, this show is very good, it’s quite informative, and tells you why they are doing what they are doing, and even how. It’s great, it brings me back to MacGyver times. The action is explosive, bodycounts are constantly getting raised, and Bruce Campbell brings aboard some fantastic humor that only he can deliver.

Speaking of Bruce, I have to say, he is really good in this role, he is on screen a lot of the time, and is very likable. Each episode flows together, tying in story lines and items to be brought up at a later time. Many threads are opened, examined, and closed, as well as left open. The season finale is a 2 hour long finisher, and is very good, and sets the pace for season 2. I cannot wait.

Images From the Show

Favorite Quotes -

Fiona: A spy is just a criminal with a government paycheck.

Michael: (voice-over) I don’t like running from cops, but it has its advantages: it builds your credibility with a criminal when you flee a crime scene.

Sam: Hey Mikey. When you read this guys profile you’re gonna kiss me.
Michael: I am not gonna kiss you Sam.
Sam: Look, I’m not saying I’m gonna like it. I’m just saying you’re gonna kiss me.

Michael: (voice-over) Anyone who has handled large amount of cash can tell you; it’s one of the toughest things in the world to move. It’s heavy and dense; dead weight. If it’s on fire of course, that complicates things further.

Michael: (voice-over) Doctors are well known to be the worst patients. Similarly, anyone with special ops training is tough to protect. They think they can handle anything.

Michael: (voice-over) They say you only get one chance to make a first impression with an employer. It doesn’t matter if you’re a store manager or a strong armed guy. You’ve got to put your best foot forward.

Michael: (voice-over) In any kind of covert intelligence operations, it’s important to be careful what you wish for. The information that you fight so hard to get, may be everything you wished for. Or, it may just make your life more complicated.

Barry: You buying lunch?
Sam: Hey, you’re the money launderer for Christ sake, why do I have to buy lunch?

Michael: (voice-over) There’s no way to anticipate every danger. You need a backup plan for when things go wrong. That’s why home court advantage is so important.

Michael: (voice-over) A basic rule of covert ops is let someone do your dirty work, let someone else find the guy you want to kill. It’s a great technique, as long as you’re not the someone else.

Michael: (voice-over) Facts are the hallmark of a good false identity. It is harder to create history than it is to alter it. Plus the more truth to your lie, the easier it is to remember.

Video - 4/5

Looks good, not bad, has some grain and apparently was shot on 16mm film.

Audio - 5/5

Strong sound, good music, great sound effects, and hey, they have subtitles!

Supplements - 4/5

Unlike other shows, this show has this cool featured called Get Burned, which is select commentary on different episodes, for close to 2 hours of material. Very interesting, and highly recommended

Overall - 5/5

Fun release, alot better than I was expecting, and I am now a fan of the show. I hope it lasts a long time.