tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post2843289038366116154..comments2024-03-18T13:50:45.615-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Burn Notice, "Lesser Evil": I guess this means we're not going to Disney WorldAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-415509495393679832009-03-10T15:29:00.000-04:002009-03-10T15:29:00.000-04:00To all the previous posters about the tire strip. ...To all the previous posters about the tire strip. I just rewatched the episode, and as one commenter said, the tire strip gets pulled out of the way by the suv. It wasn't nailed down to the street - just loose. The corvette has a clear exit.<BR/><BR/>That said, a truly excellent episode and cliff hanger. I really enjoy the show, and following up here afterwards for review and commentary.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-54708557914169972852009-03-10T13:42:00.000-04:002009-03-10T13:42:00.000-04:00I aree it was a great ending. Nice to see Sharon ...I aree it was a great ending. Nice to see Sharon Gless get thrown full into the mix. <BR/><BR/>Ultimately what really worked was the resolution of the storyline that has been built up these two seasons..."who burned Michael Weston?": It is an off-the-books government operation that "recruits" the best intelligence operatives by first of all "burning" them and then bringing them into the fold on a limited knowledge basis. So there is a paper trail that says they were kicked out of the CIA or whatever, making everything deniable. And they are indebted to the shadow agency thinking it saved them. And it is easy to go rogue. Really good shows like Heroes and Lost can get muddled and complicated - with spy stuff it can get out of hand. The writers of Burn Notice were really smart in making the solution to the Burn Notice question fairly simple. Of course it was diabolically hard to figure out. And it keeps the story human and dependent on the characters. Elegant and not entirely implausible.Boli-Nicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416904838567704211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2060443324283737292009-03-08T21:05:00.000-04:002009-03-08T21:05:00.000-04:00Perfect."We're not worthy!!!"This is possibly the ...Perfect.<BR/><BR/>"We're not worthy!!!"<BR/><BR/>This is possibly the best hour of TV I've ever watched, only possibly matched by 'Three Stories' of 'House'.<BR/><BR/>That is all.Mrglasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11904825729610838862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-70281925987689076682009-03-08T11:53:00.000-04:002009-03-08T11:53:00.000-04:00@Mark, I was struck by it for a second, until I re...@Mark, I was struck by it for a second, until I realized it also closely echoed the season 1 finale when OnStar in Sam's Caddy was pre-loaded with the directions for Michael to follow to the truck on the causeway. I'm sure it was product placement, but it also felt more organic for having been used before. Sort of like all those dinners at Applebee's on FNL.R.A. Porterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14851961356321735388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-59595793439645688562009-03-08T08:08:00.000-04:002009-03-08T08:08:00.000-04:00R.A.: yeah, it didn't look to me like the 'Vette h...R.A.: yeah, it didn't look to me like the 'Vette had taken any tire damage either. And while Crown Vic interceptors might do a tad better, they'd still be no real match for a competently-driven Corvette, which has more than double the horsepower/torque, and an enormous advantage in handling/cornering/maneuverability. All it would take is for Michael to do a few unexpected/abrupt high-speed turns onto crossing streets and he'd lose those clumsy cop cars pretty quick. <BR/><BR/>The funny thing about this particular Hollywood car chase niggle is, if you want the sequence to be both believable and exciting, why bother to put your hero in such a vastly superior high-performance vehicle to begin with? Wouldn't the chase have been a lot more credible and suspenseful if the only vehicle Michael could get his hands on had been some crappy old pickup truck or something? Of course, I know the answer, a Corvette or a Viper is much sexier-looking on screen. Also, there are more than likely product placement monies to consider. Though, if you ask me, GM isn't doing the Corvette any favors by having it featured in a scene where it can't outrun a bunch of crappy-ass Ford sedans. :-)<BR/><BR/>Speaking of product placement, did anyone else find the little OnStarâ„¢ plug in this episode to be a bit jarring?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03565871267916489729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-68318414339084178062009-03-08T01:14:00.001-05:002009-03-08T01:14:00.001-05:00^ Others "here," even, sheesh.^ Others "here," even, sheesh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-23743989444857424542009-03-08T01:14:00.000-05:002009-03-08T01:14:00.000-05:00My question is this: Are we supposed to assume Joh...<I>My question is this: Are we supposed to assume John Mahoney's character burned Michael?</I><BR/><BR/>The promos for this ep said Michael comes face to face with the person who burned him, so I'm assuming it was Mahoney, but as Victor said, it doesn't matter who burned him at this point.<BR/><BR/>I loved it when the caption identified Victor as The Client, and then I was so bummed when he died. Never would have thought I'd feel like that when the character was first introduced. I love the way this show upends my expectations! And like others hear, June can't come fast enough!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-70804680109483503202009-03-07T15:07:00.000-05:002009-03-07T15:07:00.000-05:00@Mark, I share your irritation with car chases whe...@Mark, I share your irritation with car chases where the class of car being driven doesn't matter, but in this case those were most likely Crown Vic interceptors which would be able to keep up with the 'Vette pretty well. Especially if, as some people have theorized, the 'Vette was on its runflats. <BR/><BR/>Personally, I thought the spike strip had been yanked out of the way by the SUV, letting Michael and Victor get out without tire damage to the 'Vette. Had they really been on blown runflats, they wouldn't have had much maneuverability.R.A. Porterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14851961356321735388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-3866556273955936682009-03-07T12:00:00.000-05:002009-03-07T12:00:00.000-05:00The sunglasses are the symbols of Michael's life a...The sunglasses are the symbols of Michael's life as a spy. He's leaving them, and it, behind.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-42252423922225531032009-03-07T10:51:00.000-05:002009-03-07T10:51:00.000-05:00marenamoo, I wondered the same thing. They made su...marenamoo, I wondered the same thing. They made such a point of Michael taking off his glasses, and then holding on the shot after he jumped. Maybe Big Bad Burn Guy uses them to convince Fi that Michael is dead . . . THis show is SO much fun.Mapeelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12149683683413237283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-30613660314330796272009-03-07T10:38:00.000-05:002009-03-07T10:38:00.000-05:00To Mark,On another site someone posted that after ...To Mark,<BR/><BR/>On another site someone posted that after driving over spikes that a Corvettes tires are able to go 50 miles at 50mph without any air in them. That was not explained and maybe it just was one of those dramatic licenses anyway.<BR/><BR/>To Gen,<BR/><BR/>I think for most of us who are fans of the show that Michael's composure is part training, part childhood (which makes him effective anyway). The breaks in the composure are that much more moving.<BR/><BR/>In general, I have to say what a fine job Matt Nix has done with the development of the show. It is kind of like Chuck in that it progresses beyond the original premise in a very organic, natural way. Michael is slowly allowing a more human side to emerge - you can see it in his relationship with Fi and his mom. The idea of the Burn Notice has evolved from who to what now. And it has done it without cliches like Fi or his dad being the burn person. Well done and should be an example for other shows.<BR/><BR/>But what did the sunglasses mean?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-13271832393089839522009-03-07T09:00:00.000-05:002009-03-07T09:00:00.000-05:00And how long do we have to wait, anywayOfficial si...<I>And how long do we have to wait, anyway</I><BR/><BR/>Official site says June. Not too bad.<BR/><BR/>I finally dug up the origin of the song: "Time Bomb" by Jessy Greene.Rob Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17446903261816405382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-21058246596096921142009-03-07T08:49:00.000-05:002009-03-07T08:49:00.000-05:00After hearing some online buzz about Burn Notice I...After hearing some online buzz about Burn Notice I decided to finally check it out. I think I've seen three episodes now, partly because of a marathon on USA. <BR/><BR/>I'm a fan of adventure, intrigue and capers on television, and the MacGyver-ish/A-Team elements of the show are a lot of fun, too (I wish more TV was like that!). What's keeping me from really getting into the show is Michael. I get that maybe he's supposed to be cold, that a spy wouldn't be in the habit of showing emotion, but still I'd like to catch glimpses of the human being that's in there, so I'd have some way of connecting with the character. During the finale, I ended up much more interested in Victor. The guy was alive, he was active, he reacted. Michael, hardly at all, except for that very unexpected moment at the end where he shed a couple tears for Victor's death.<BR/><BR/>In fairness, I haven't seen much of the show, and I know my opinions are based on a limited sample. But for right now, I'm on the fence. I might watch next season just for the story itself. Maybe the lead character will grow on me along the way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-73383498930875373202009-03-07T07:28:00.000-05:002009-03-07T07:28:00.000-05:00Great episode, and a fine finish to a really great...Great episode, and a fine finish to a really great 2nd season. They wrapped up the "who burned Michael" thread in a dramatically satisfying manner (and at about the right time in the show's progression; there was potential for this to become tiresome if they had continued to drag out the mystery for much longer). <BR/><BR/>The action sequences in this show are really well done. Although, the car chases do suffer from one of my personal pet peeves about "Hollywood car chases": the fact that the bad guys are always able to keep right on the tail of the good guys, no matter the disparity in the relative performance of the vehicles they are driving. In reality, an expert driver like Michael operating a high-performance vehicle like a Corvette should have been able to leave those Crown Victorias (or whatever pedestrian four-door sedans Carla's flunkies were driving) in the dust in fairly short order. (Another recent example of this phenomenon was in the film "Wanted", where Angelina Jolie's character, driving a Dodge Viper maniacally through downtown Chicago, was somehow unable to shake some baddies pursuing her in a stepvan. A *stepvan*, for chrissakes! There's just no freakin' way...)<BR/><BR/>The scene where Michael puts Victor down was one of the more emotional moments in the series, and was very really played by Donovan. As an aside, I think this marks the first time Michael has killed his own "client", doesn't it?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03565871267916489729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-67275544610644929052009-03-07T03:09:00.000-05:002009-03-07T03:09:00.000-05:00Now begins the inevitable downfall of Burn Notice,...Now begins the inevitable downfall of Burn Notice, because DAMN, I don't know how they can top that. <BR/><BR/>I kid. But I know have crazy expectations for next season, given how great this batch of episodes were. <BR/><BR/>What everyone else said. Fantastic stuff. Action, great plotting, great pacing, wonderful interplay between regular cast and guest players. And then on top of all of that, the tears in Michael's eyes after he shoots Victor. When Michael does show emotion -- as with Fi -- it's just so powerful. <BR/><BR/>AND Sam refused a beer! Dayeenu.Mo Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01685367085407381479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-48945722022691290172009-03-07T01:44:00.000-05:002009-03-07T01:44:00.000-05:00Hey Anon, they specifically do not tell *every* de...Hey Anon, they specifically do not tell *every* detail of how Michael does his MacGyvering, so the audience at home won't be able to effectively do it themselves. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, great episode all around!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16906089927390662087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-58258103774938742902009-03-06T23:42:00.000-05:002009-03-06T23:42:00.000-05:00Loved the episode. I do wonder just what Michael i...Loved the episode. I do wonder just what Michael is successfully doing for the "machine" that makes all the firepower and manpower worthwhile, but I guess we're not supposed to think about that too much. Great writing and acting, great emotional moments. Nice job overall.<BR/><BR/>Did anyone recognize the song they played at the end? I liked what I heard, but couldn't spot anything in the credits (and my TiVo didn't catch all the credits).Rob Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17446903261816405382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-22898008373682187662009-03-06T21:33:00.000-05:002009-03-06T21:33:00.000-05:00That was 44 solid minutes of awesome. I didn't ev...That was 44 solid minutes of awesome. I didn't ever want it to end.<BR/><BR/>The Christmas light bombs were pretty freakin' amazing, but the moments that got me were Michael's pride in Fiona shining out when Victor exclaimed "Where did you meet HER?" after those fabulous car bombs; Michael and Fi's farewell, ending with a kiss and a slap; Madeline's determination to protect Michael and use her own skills to blend in; the shots of Michael rising up out of the sea, combined with some particularly well-written voiceover; and, most especially, Michael's final scene with Victor. It was beautifully played by them both, but Donovan's face afterwards was Emmy-worthy.<BR/><BR/>This show has truly risen from srength to strength; its actors have gotten stronger and stronger, and it has become absolute appointment television.<BR/><BR/>Alan, if you do end up having a conversation with Matt Nix, I hope you'll pass along to him our gratitude for his producing such a great show.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01288100796201737845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2567340895969028552009-03-06T19:00:00.000-05:002009-03-06T19:00:00.000-05:00Maybe it's my Maritime heritage, but I got a boot ...Maybe it's my Maritime heritage, but I got a boot out of Michael Shanks pronunciation of organ-eye-zation. I expected him to follow it up with how he's going to try and improve his plus/minus.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-87587717344352089972009-03-06T18:54:00.000-05:002009-03-06T18:54:00.000-05:00Re: people not calling the cops over the men with ...Re: people not calling the cops over the men with guns, maybe the bad guys just put up flyers saying they were going to be filming an action show in the area. ;)R.A. Porterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14851961356321735388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2748282425689308022009-03-06T18:27:00.000-05:002009-03-06T18:27:00.000-05:00Also a minor quibble in an excellent ep, but I did...Also a minor quibble in an excellent ep, but I did spend a couple seconds wondering where everyone else was. Was there no one else using the garage at that moment, or Madeline's street? If I start seeing guys with guns like that, I'm calling the cops pronto.<BR/><BR/>(I fan-wanked it as Fulcrum -- as I've decided the organization must be -- had set up police-esque roadblocks on the nearby streets, which probably would have deterred folks.)<BR/><BR/>My only other quibble -- I was really expecting something else snarky from the "type-over" after "Victor, client."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-86618496993927215482009-03-06T17:32:00.000-05:002009-03-06T17:32:00.000-05:00Alan, I know Mo Ryan did it last summer, but have ...<I>Alan, I know Mo Ryan did it last summer, but have you put any thought to interviewing Matt Nix now that he has a second season under his belt?</I><BR/><BR/>Mo was pretty thorough, but maybe I'll give it a shot before next season begins.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76719260102381454372009-03-06T17:29:00.000-05:002009-03-06T17:29:00.000-05:00Man, I love this show, and this episode was bitchi...Man, I love this show, and this episode was bitchin, and I'll be sad until June. I really wish they could have kept Victor, who was interesting both as foil and comrade to Michael, but his death felt appropriate. Much like everyone else, I am excited about this new, potentially more dangerous world that Michael will have to face.<BR/><BR/>Alan, I know Mo Ryan did it last summer, but have you put any thought to interviewing Matt Nix now that he has a second season under his belt?Hatfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01184680741873873714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-21136255656754140422009-03-06T14:45:00.000-05:002009-03-06T14:45:00.000-05:00Your comments are spot on, Alan. I really enjoyed ...Your comments are spot on, Alan. I really enjoyed the 1st season, but this season definitely elevated the awesome. It's better than most action movies I've seen, and that can't be easy to pull off.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your recaps. This show doesn't seem to get as much attention on the internets as others and it's nice to see it getting some love here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35306491429760099742009-03-06T14:39:00.000-05:002009-03-06T14:39:00.000-05:00Anonymous-as to your second point, before he even ...Anonymous-as to your second point, before he even drove out I was like "The Corvette! Of course!" The stock tires on a vette can go 50 miles at 50mph with no air in them. While he probably should have explained this, it worked.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com