When I first saw the promos for
Burn Notice, all it took was for
Jeffrey Donovan's face to flash on the screen and I knew that I would be giving this show a look. I first discovered Donovan on the short-lived show
Touching Evil, which also aired on the USA network back in 2004. The man makes an impression. He is a leading man with the facial expressions of a character actor. No matter what he does, he is fun to watch. After seeing the pilot episode of
Burn Notice last week, I see that my memory served me correctly.
From the looks of the numbers for the pilot episode,
Burn Notice attracted other USA watchers as well. Donovan's character, Michael Westen, a government spy who has been "burned" (ex-communicated by the agency), is a refreshingly different take on the spy business. Michael has been burned, but he doesn't know why and he doesn't know who burned him. He got dumped off in his hometown of Miami with all of his accounts frozen and the Feds tailing him. He desperately wants to clear his name, but has no money, no clues, and a blacklisted reputation.
Each episode is set up with Michael using his spy skills and knowledge to help other people who have problems that they can't (or would rather not) bring to the police. In this second episode, "Identity," the hapless victim is a neighbor and friend to Michael's estranged mother, Madeline (played by the fantastic
Sharon Gless). The neighbor, Laura, is an older retiree who received a prize notification in the mail. She called the number and some people came to her house, beat her up, and took all of her bank account information and credit cards. Michael only agrees to help because his mom has information about two guys that came to her house looking for him, but she won't give the information to him unless he helps Laura. Ahhh…the life of a disgraced and broke spy.
For help, Michael turns to his good friend, Sam Axe, who is played to perfection by
Bruce Campbell (
The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr.). Sam was formerly in the spy game, so he's an asset – even though the FBI is using him to keep tabs on Michael. Sam says he'll help him find the place that printed up the fake prize notification letter, but he needs a place to crash for a few days. Michael finally agrees to let him stay for five days, but as fun as these two are as roommates, I hope they keep Sam wandering around Michael's loft in his boxers (he works better when he can "breathe down there") for a lot longer.
When Michael arrives back at his place with Sam, Fiona is there. Fiona (
Gabrielle Anwar,
Scent of a Woman) is Michael's ex-girlfriend and formerly with the Irish Republican Army. In the pilot, she had a heavy Irish accent, but now she is talking more like an American and has a sleeker look. When Michael comments on this, she says that she wants to blend in around Miami and she can't do that while "talking like a leprechaun."
She and Sam obviously have a history as well, because as soon as she sees him she jumps up to attack him. Michael holds her back as she accuses Sam of costing her a lot of money. We don't get the details, but it sets up the vibe that these two don't get along – which plays out numerous times during the episode. As Michael's voiceover tells us, "There is a reason spies never have parties – every body's got a history with everyone else." Michael tells her that he has to talk to Sam about a job, and she decides she wants in.
Fiona is enlisted to sweet talk the print shop guy. When she flashes the fake prize letter, another guy at the shop (the "frightened amateur") gets scared and runs out the back door. Michael follows him to a swanky yacht – the home of the cons. We meet Quentin, who is the lead con artist who scammed the little old lady. Another quoteworthy voiceover from Michael tells us: "Con artists and spies are both professional liars. Cons do it for the money – spies do it for the flag, but essentially the same thing." Quentin's accomplices are a young couple – Greg and Bonnie – who are tagged as "apprentice con artists." Michael takes some pictures, then leaves.
Sam tells Michael that Quentin hangs out a club called Onyx in South Beach. He got Michael a cover as "Peter Jordan." The real Pete Jordan was a cellmate of Paco, an ex-partner of Quentin's, and had jumped parole about a month ago. Michael goes to Onyx pretending to be Pete. As his voiceover tells us: "To catch a spy, you send a spy. Same goes for con artists. You have to beat him at his own game – but be a better con than he is." Jeffrey Donovan's morphing into this Pete Jordan character has to be seen to be believed – THAT was a great bit of acting. It reminded me of Jennifer Garner on
Alias – where every alias was a conglomeration of the character, Sydney Bristow, and whoever Sydney Bristow was pretending to be. Donovan was able to pull it off the duplicity without a wig or a slinky dress. Fantastic.
Michael has a tough time catching Quentin's interest, so he has to play a little hardball to get his attention. When Quentin threatens to alert a couple of cops at the bar that "Pete" was a parole jumper, Michael grabs Quentin's gun and makes him go outside with him. Michael shoots out the tires of the cop car and runs off, telling Quentin he'll "be in touch."
Michael catches up with Quentin the next day at an outdoor bar, and now Quentin is listening to this "business proposition" that he wants him to get in on. While Michael spins a web for Quentin, Greg and Bonnie, Fiona and Sam are busy wiring Quentin's car with a device that will allow them to disable it remotely, if necessary. The young amateur con artist Greg is falling for Michael's schpiel and is ready to sign on. But Quentin is skeptical, so he sends Greg and Bonnie back to the yacht.
Sam and Fiona are now on the boat downloading stuff off the laptop. Michael is furiously texting them to get out, as he pretends to talk shop with Quentin, but they are bickering so much that they don't notice Fiona's cell phone vibrating. They look up and see Greg and Bonnie coming, but it is too late – they're trapped. Hilariously, they cover their presence on the yacht by pretending to make out in the cabin. When they are discovered, Fiona says that Sam told her the yacht was his. She slaps Sam, and they get away.
They tell Michael the yacht story while sitting at an outdoor café. Sam asks if Michael is buddies with Quentin yet, and Michael comments that he has dealt with ex-KGB agents that were easier to crack. He decides that they need to drive the team apart. When Sam leaves, Michael tells Fiona he needs her help in getting the information from his mom about the guys who were looking for him. Fiona is one step ahead of him – she's already talked to his mom and she's bringing a vegetable to dinner with them tomorrow night. I'm really loving the dynamic of the relationships on this show – none of them are typical, which makes them so much more entertaining to watch, and leads me to spontaneously giggle while I'm watching. Just can't beat that.
We're back at the Onyx with Michael and Quentin, and the latter starts talking about Paco, the supposedly shared acquaintance. But it is a test – Quentin says that Paco used to make some kind of drink, but Michael figures out the test and says Paco was never a drinker. He guessed right, but it was a close call. Later, Michael is talking to Sam on the phone. Sam has some off shore bank account information and plane tickets, all in Greg and Bonnie's names, that he is going to plant on the boat in order to get Quentin suspicious. The trap is moving forward.
Michael and Fiona are at Madeline's house for dinner. Michael had told Fiona to "go easy" before they entered, but she does just the opposite. Fiona lays it on thick, even mentioning that she is hoping to be a June bride – prompting an eye roll from Michael. When he gets his mom alone, Michael asks about the guys again. Madeline tells him that they asked a lot of questions, including whether or not they (she and Michael) were close. Michael asks what she said to that, and she said she told them that he was the perfect son and that family was the most important thing to him. He asks her why she told them that – she says she doesn't know, "it just seemed nicer than the truth." They share an uncomfortable quiet moment, then Michael's phone rings and he walks outside to take it.
Quentin is freaking out on the phone. He found all of the planted stuff, but much sooner than they had planned. Quentin cocks his gun and Michael recognizes the sound, then tells him not to do anything stupid. Sam arrives at the marina to keep an eye on Quentin. Michael needs him to stay put and not go off after Greg and Bonnie. Sam sees Quentin start to head towards his car, so he decides to use the remote device to immobilize it – problem is that Fiona wired it wrong. The car blows up when Quentin is only a few feet away. Sam freaks out and drives off.
Back at Michael's place, he is scolding Fiona for blowing the car up and Sam because the Feds are now back on his tail. Plus, Michael can't get Quentin to answer his calls anymore. The only solution is for Michael to go back to Quentin's favorite club, buy drinks for the girls, until one of them finally hands over a special phone number that Quentin only gives to the girls. Michael calls, but Quentin says he is laying low. Michael finally convinces him to meet him, so that they can take care of this problem.
When they meet, Michael tells Quentin that he needs to "take care of" Greg and Bonnie. He knows someone who will do it for $50,000, but the money has to be wired. Quentin agrees. Michael calls Sam to let him know that Quentin took the bait – it's time to get Greg and Bonnie out of town. Sam says okay and mentions they're out of OJ. I love Sam.
Back on the yacht, it is now Greg and Bonnie who are freaking out because Quentin has taken off and they don't know where he went. Sam and Fiona show up with suits and shades on, claiming to be from the Miami Police Department. As a shout out to their co-star, their names are Detective Cagney and Detective Lacey. They claim to have been monitoring them for some time and want Greg and Bonnie to turn over evidence against Quentin. Bonnie talks while Greg keeps telling her to shut up. Finally, Greg asks for a lawyer. Sam and Fiona leave so that they can talk it over, but they fully expect Greg and Bonnie to run -- which they do.
Michael shows up at Quentin's hideout and ups the freak out level by pointing out the Feds, who are actually tailing Michael. But Michael makes Quentin think they're after him instead. This allows him to manipulate Quentin into handing over his wire information. Michael goes to the bank with an ID that claims HE is Quentin King, and he returns all of the money back to all of the people Quentin and his gang scammed. To top it off, Michael places a few phone calls on unsecured lines to some enemies of the state, then sits back and watches Quentin get arrested and carted away. Michael finishes off by saying it was, "The most fun I've had in Miami."
Back at Madeline's, Michael is there and Laura is going on and on about all of the money being back. He asks for $500 as payment, but both ladies balk, so he drops it to $300 and a promise from Laura that she won't enter any more contests. She agrees. As he is leaving, Madeline comes out and tells Michael thank you. He seems surprised. She adds that the guys that were looking for him left her a number to call if Michael ever came back to Miami. He asks if she called and she said no,"family comes first."
Michael calls the number, and a male voice that he doesn't seem to recognize answers. This is the conversation:
"You've been a busy boy, Michael. Very impressive."
"Glad to be appreciated. Who is this?"
"It's just a friend."
"WHO IS THIS?"
"Stay out of trouble, Michael. We'll be in touch."
Click. Can't wait for next week.
-Amy J. Johnston, Buddy TV Staff Columnist
(Image courtesy of USA Network)