Jeffrey Donovan
Gabrielle Anwar
Bruce Campbell
Sharon Gless
Coby Bell

Created by:
Matt Nix

2007-2013
Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama
USA Network
TV-PG

“Burn Notice” has the style of “CSI: Miami” with a central character, Michael Westen played by Jeffrey Donovan, who could be House’s younger brother: a younger, sober, happier version of House, if House were an ousted spy. Miami, as always, puts its stamp on this show.

While not great, the overarching story is interesting enough, and Donovan has fun with what he’s doing. He’s effortless as Westen, whose humor is laced with mild sarcasm and purposely false charm. Furthermore, Donovan’s at his best when his character has to pretend to be someone else as part of his job. Donovan does a good job of it overall, despite being funny only every now and then. He’s certainly not boring.

The rest of the main actors seem to enjoy playing their characters, as well, whether those characters are serious or not. I wouldn’t call any of the performances exceptional, but each actor fits his or her role rather well. This is especially true of Sharon Gless, who plays Westen’s mother, Madeline. She solidly exchanges verbal jabs with Donovan and is the only actor who received an Emmy nomination for this show.

Like the acting, the writing gets the job done. It’s simple and direct, thankfully. From the beginning, the rules of spying are setup in a surprisingly effective and clear manner, largely through Donovan’s voice-overs.

“Burn Notice” is a show to watch when you need something that’s neither too serious nor too stupid to pass the time. It feels familiar but not in an unwelcome manner, and it has enough style and pace to be mildly diverting.

Verdict: Good

About: (Source: burnnotice)

Spies don’t get fired. They get BURNED…

USA’s BURN NOTICE is a sexy, action-packed original series about a formally blacklisted spy, Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan, “Hitch). Now that he’s defeated the group of people that burned him, Michael continues to piece his life back together, while watching out for anyone that still has him in their crosshairs. He continues to use his unique skills and training to help people in desperate situations. Burn Notice also features Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar, “The Librarian: Return to King Soloman’s Mines”) , a beautiful ex-IRA operative who happens to be Westen’s girlfriend;  Sam (Bruce Campbell, “Army of Darkness”), a washed up Navy SEAL who’s an expert in tactical analysis, cutting through red tape, and finding the quickest route to a cold mojito; Jesse (Coby Bell, “Third Watch”), a fast-talking, former counter-intelligence agent who gave up his old life to embrace Michael Westen’s brand of helping people.; and Madeline (Sharon Gless, “Switch”), Michael’s mother, the chain-smoking, voice of reason in Michael’s chaotic life.