Mythology: Burn Notice
By Martin Felipe
July 24, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com
The truth is, it does charm me. I love the cast. Jeffrey Donovan is one of those "hey, it's that guy" actors, finally given his chance to shine. And shine he does. He plays Michael Westen, a "burned" spy. That's where the mythology kicks in. I don't know how accurate the terminology is in the real world spy biz, but in the Burn Notice spy world, getting burned pretty much means getting fired. Michael tries to uncover the mystery of the who and the why, all the time providing useful tips of the spy trade in voice-over. Again, I don't know how accurate these tips are, but they sure are entertaining.
He lives with his ex-girlfriend, Fiona, a revelatory turn from Gabrielle Anwar. I remember Anwar from a lot of '90s flicks, aware of her beauty, but not her talent. She seemed pretty bland to me, not to put too fine a point on it, and I wasn't surprised when she faded away from the scene. I was surprised, however, to discover how much I like her on Burn Notice. She taunts Michael's foibles while pursuing him and kicks all manner of ass, yet seems to have a blast doing so, all the while maintaining a subtle vulnerability many badass female characters either seem to lose or indulge in. Anwar has really won me over.
Michael's buddy Sam is an ex-navy guy, and gives the show geek cred, because the actor in the role is none other than cult superstar Bruce Campbell. Campbell doesn't really do anything different than he does here. He plays a hedonistic wiseass. If you have a role calling for a hedonistic wiseass, you could do far worse than to hire Bruce Campbell.
Rounding out the cast, as all television casts seem to require, is the veteran that lends respectability to the project, Sharon Gless as Michael's mother, Madeline. This is a particularly clever element to the show. Michael could easily fall into the always competent, American Bond cliché that so many spies in popular culture tend to do if it weren't for Madeline. It humanizes the character to have a matron - most TV and film spies seem to have come from the spy factory as opposed to the womb. Also, Michael's mother in particular seems unimpressed with his awesome spy abilities, and just wants a son. I acknowledge the mommy cliché here, but since it undercuts the spy cliché and since Gless handles the role so well, it's a fresh take on the genre that I just love.
I like so much about Burn Notice. It really is a very well-done show. So why, when I watch it, do I so often find myself bored, mind wandering? We have an awesome cast, fun characters, and an entertaining mythology. What's not to like? Well, it's my old nemesis, the weekly adventure. The search for Michael's burner is so entertaining and compelling. Why do the show-runners feel the need to give him a mission of the week?
In each episode, save for the occasional two-parter, Michael makes incremental progress in his quest since some poor schlub or damsel in distress needs his spy skills to get them out of some scrape or other, providing him with a few funds to keep his big investigation going. Who cares? There's so little at stake in these mini-adventures. We know Michael's going to save the day for his weekly client at little or no cost to himself or his team. He always does. These week-to-week missions have no consequence. They're safe, bite-sized side stories designed to keep the main arc going as long as they can.
I know why networks do this. It makes the show digestible to in-and-out audiences. Viewer loyalty can wane then return with little difficulty catching up. I get it. Many viewers don't like the commitment that the harder mythologies require. It's just good business. The thing is, once you've dipped into the less episodic realm of television, you begin to discover the real artistry television can provide, and that stand-alone broadcast storytelling is more a financial decision than a creative one. I also understand that serialized mythologies can suck. They aren't good just because they aren't episodic or procedural - Heroes being the prime example. For that matter, "__________" of the week shows can often be quite good - Burn Notice, anyone?
I guess I just hate to see such potential bogged down in what is a tired convention designed to get viewers more than to create a really great show. I know, I know, I'm an idealist. In any case, there's so much good to recommend in Burn Notice, I can't complain...much.