Year Released: 2008-2013
Directed by; Tim Matheson
Starring: Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, Sharon Glass, Coby Bell
(TV-PG, 42 min. per episode, 7 season, 111 episodes)
Genre: Thriller, Mystery and Suspense, Drama

“My name is Michael Weston. I used to be a spy.” Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan)

Take one scoop of grim reality from The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, fold in some Ipcress File shenanigans for fun, then Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy betrayal and intrigue to spice it up, top off with some MacGyver crazy inventions to save the day, and you have the addictive concoction of Burn Notice.

My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy until…..

Voice on phone: ”We’ve got a burn notice on you. You’re blacklisted”.

(Sam Axe whistles)

When you’re burned, you’ve got nothing. No cash, no credit, no job history. You’re stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in.

Westen: “Where am I?”

Fiona: “Miami."

You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who’s still talking to you. (Michael Westen laughs). A trigger happy ex-girlfriend:

Fiona: "Shall we shoot them?"

An old friend who used to inform on you to the FBI:

Sam Axe: "You know spies? Bunch of bitchy little girls.”

Family too.

Sam Axe: "Hey, is that your mom again?"

If you’re desperate.

Michael Westen’s mom, Maddie: "Someone needs your help Michael!”

Bottom line, as long as you’re burned, you’re not going anywhere.

You will hear the screech of burning rubber with a Bullitt/French Connection car chase in almost every episode, not to mention James Bond worthy explosions just as often.

Should we mention the B rolls of shapely bikini babes that regularly make their presence, too?

And you better get used to the racking sound of a pump action shotgun, or any of the other guns Michael’s girlfriend Fiona has in her repertoire, ranking just behind Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) and C-4 as the loves of her life.

In fact, however, her refrain, “Shall we shoot them?” although getting solid points from this retired English teacher for the proper used of shall, is mostly rejected by the casualty adverse Michael.

Part of the fun is watching the most elaborate setups go wrong, and how Michael and his rag tag crew almost always manage to escape certain capture, humiliation, or death. They are, starting with their leader…

Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan), ex Ranger and Green Beret, ultimately recruited as a spy for the CIA. Now blacklisted with all his assets frozen, this innocent man is determined to find who has falsely burned him

Sam Axe, alternatively known by his favorite cover name Chuck Finley (Bruce Campbell), a washed up Navy SEAL and current lady’s man

Fiona Glenanne (Gabriella Anwar) who never sees a problem a little c4 couldn’t solve

Madeline Weston (Sharon Glass of Cagney and Lacey fame) is Michael’s mother, a chain smoking Miami retiree whose loop earrings always match her colorful blouses and sunglasses

Jesse Porter (Coby Bell) a counter-intelligence expert unwittingly burned by Michael, who eventually finds a place in this huge dysfunctional family of lovable losers.

Well, lovable they are, but certainly not losers, since as the show progresses, we get beneath the surface and find each of them compelling and yes, even admirable.

Part of that is the unremitting loyalty they all have for each other. Old grievances are finally aired and resolved … until the next time, that is. And they make ends meet by helping out others in a jam, sometimes even pro bono.

***

Then there are the helpful little hints on spy techniques that Michael delivers in his voice-overs. Everything from how to lose a tail, take a punch, impersonate someone who has done time (you never look anyone in the eye), or which vehicle to choose – a heavily enforced dump truck when you know you are outgunned, a light one for a quick getaway. Here are a few more, always accompanied by visual aids and maybe a little sardonic wit as well…

If you can’t outrun your pursuers, you have a choice to make. You have to decide if your vehicle is more useful as transportation or as a roadblock.

In a fight you have to be careful not to break the little bones in you hand on somebody’s face. That is why I like to fight in bathrooms – lots of hard surfaces.

Combat medicine is not necessarily about long-term healing. Civilian doctors try to immobilize injured limbs to make sure they knit properly. Field medics often have to do the opposite and make broken limbs as usable as possible. Walking on a broken, bloody leg isn’t good for you, but it’s better than taking a bullet.

If you’re going to collapse on a plane, I recommend business class. The seats are bigger and if you start convulsing, there is someone to help you. But if you collapse, it really doesn’t matter.

As a spy, you are trained to deal with interrogation. You have to learn to let the disorientation, the sleep deprivation, and the brutal isolation just wash over you and try not to go insane. In the end, though, it’s not so much the questioning as the uncertainty that gets to you, not knowing what the future holds or if you have a future at all.

Road hazards are a key tool in the spy trade. Whether you’re slowing traffic for surveillance, routing cars to set up a tail, or putting yourself in place for an ambush, it all starts with a busted road. For a quick and dirty road hazard that doesn’t take too long to set up, a water line is best. Water can shut down a road without raising eyebrows. It’s just a matter of getting a charge in the right place to bust the pipe underground.

Not all hiding places are created equal generally speaking, a good hiding place is hard to find but easy to access. On rare occasions, for the most sensitive material, you have to go a step further and find a hiding place even you can’t get to.

To rappel down a building, you need something to slow your descent. Usually that’s an anchor point, but a counterweight is equally effective. Although it’s not much fun for whomever gets to be the counterweight

***

For my summer diet, I skip dessert and watch Burn Notice, all 111 glorious episodes, as guilty a pleasure as a Hot Fudge Ice Cream Sundae, but without any of the calories.

You should, too. Right now it is free on Amazon Prime.

–Kathy Borich
🥁🥁🥁🥁

Trailer

Film-Loving Foodie

Film-Loving Foodie:

Everyone knows Michael’s favorite food – yogurt. While he usually eats his simple, spooning it out directly from the carton, we are here to remind him and you as well, that “…this refrigerator staple is the key ingredient in dips, dinners, desserts and more.” The link, 50 Things to Make with Yogurt is mouth watering and just what we need right now in the coming Dog Days of summer.

Some of my favorites are the Tangy Guacamole Mash, the Lemon Hummus Puree, the Cilantro-Lime Yogurt Dip, the Pasta Pesto with Shrimp, and the Greek Meatballs.

But what I am choosing for our featured recipe is the Chilled Cucumber-Watercress Soup. Just the thing to cool things off. And with the Miami heat and Fiona’s predilection for explosions, not to mention her passion for Michael, things are always pretty hot on Burn Notice.

Enjoy.

Chilled Cucumber-Watercress Soup

Our recipe is as simple as it gets. I bet Fiona could whip this up in between setting up explosions.

Puree 1 cup each plain yogurt and watercress with 1 seeded peeled English cucumber and 2 tablespoons each chopped dill, white wine vinegar and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Chill. Drizzle each serving with olive oil.

Food Network.com