TV Series Lounge

There is something wrong with this episode of Burn Notice titled “Besieged.” It appeared, not only to me but as to other critics as well, that this is a filler episode. Nevertheless, there are some bright spots.

TV Fanatic: It was simply not of the quality and caliber we have come to expect from Matt Nix and his team. The entire plot was like walking through a mud puddle. Sure, it was a little amusing, but it had no depth.

To start with, Jacob was inept to the point that I don’t see how he lived long enough for Michael to even find him. In fact, it seemed that Sam found Jacob so forgettable he spoke to Mr. Pickles (the dog) more often. How did this guy learn to portray Michael? Where is the confidence and strength it would take to walk into a store “in character” and not slip out before you leave?

Maybe the title is referencing that we are besieged with clichés and stereotypes?

The lead villain was a gun-toting-nut with a southern accent and a personal agenda? Yee Haw! Where are the Duke boys when we need them? The only thing that wasn’t a cliché about Zachariah was that he was in Miami and not in Texas.

I had thought the private military group had some potential; I was even more expectant when Zachariah turned out to be played by W. Earl Brown. I loved Brown’s work on Deadwood as Dan, and he was perfect for a gun-crazed southern boy.

Yet when his dialogue about being a free man in a country oppressed by the government went on for more than a minute, he lost me. He could have been saying it in a bar with a beer in his hand, and it wouldn’t have changed the impact of the scene at all.

He wasn’t scary, he was barely threatening, and not even very bright. Simply put, he was not in the same class as Michael, who walked all over him.

Early in the episode, it was hinted that Denise was about to lose her mind. It’s okay if you didn’t get the hint because by the midway point subtly was thrown out the window. We had it spelled it out for us.

Even then, nothing about Denise’s behavior or speech gave me the feeling she was on the edge. She was distraught, yes, but she was also lucid, alert, and engaging people in conversation.

Which made all the slow and calm talking Michael, Madeline, and Jesse did to her come across like they were trying to order food in a third world country. I would like a glass of w_a_t_e_r, you know el-water-o?”

Then we had John. I could never figure him out. He was a Veteran himself, but his PTSD was from losing his brother in the service, which led him to take refuge in a third-rate para-military militia that was led by a man who never served. Sorry, I still don’t get it.

Maybe it’s because, like Michael, I have served in the military and he is right. It’s not hard to pick out the wannabes from the previously-was. Honestly, John’s character would have made more sense if the writers had made him the E.N.I.C. (Extremist Nutbag in Charge) and had him spouting the drivel that Zachariah had done instead.

But the episode was not entirely without its merits. The biggest being Michael’s haircut! My wife is never going to let me live it down that I finally mentioned his hair, and then it got fixed.

Past Michael’s styling new hairdo, there was some entertaining quotes (who didn’t love Sam talking to Mr. Pickles?)  And there was one great comment from Michael implying how he had a loving mom right at the end of the episode when he said Tommy would be okay because he did, too.

Any comments about “Besieged?”

You can check Burn Notice Season 5 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

The premise of Burn Notice season 5 episode 6: “The enemy of my enemy wants to kill my friend.” So what happened?

TV Fanatic: While I still think she played the “tough as nails” stereo-type a bit heavy last Thursday, I can admit I was wrong and Lauren Stamile’s performance was a vast improvement this week.

How could anyone not like her? Especially after we learned she had buried her fiancée, who was killed when a mission went wrong. Stamile has found a good balance between a tough exterior and a caring interior.

Now, if only she would ditch the CIA-issued sunglasses. One word on the shades Pearce: Oakley!

While Jesse did not have a large amount of screen time, can we all agree that his portrayal of a tweaking drug addict was very well done? I’m not sure if he was channeling Robert Downey Jr. from the 90s or Tweek from South Park. Either way, great stuff.

Meanwhile, who knew that Madeline could do a southern accent? She made me feel like I was back home. Then, you had Fiona playing mild and meek. From the face turned partial away to the turned down eyes that would not meet the clerk’s eyes, it was a great performance. And, of course, I couldn’t help but laugh when Fiona started the whining noise leading up to the crying.

I had wondered back in April – when Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe aired – how many episodes it would take before a reference or character would turn up this season. The answer? six. Pretty convenient timing given that it was released on DVD two days ago. Well played. Mr. Nix. Well played, indeed.

While not the characters I was hoping for, having Manaro and Bailey turn back up as thorns in Michael and Sam’s side was a great addition to this episode. I wonder if anyone (besides me) is still holding out hope that Beatriz will turn up looking for Sam in Miami.

Lastly, in honor of my wife mentioning it nearly every week: what is up with Michael’s hair?

Did you like this episode? Rate this one in the comment section.

You can check Burn Notice Season 5 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

This week’s Burn Notice taught us some things, to wit:  the liberal use of thermite burning at 4,000 degrees will melt down a gun. We also learned that if you’re Michael Westen and you want to determine who’s trying to frame you for murder, it’s best to begin at “Square One.”

TV Fanatic: Let’s hear it for the return of Jesse, whose screen time was a season high! While he did play a much bigger role on camera, he still had two off-camera solutions from his company.

First, the planted receipts showed the gang in Key West. The other solution came after he worked his magic with the cell phone tracing.

Maybe I’m being too hard on his off-camera fixes. After all, isn’t a lot of what Sam has done all these years using contacts (CIA, FBI, USN, etc.) to help cases along?

Besides, he was pretty quick on his feet, having Madeline watch all the tape footage.

Did any other Chicago Code fans recognize Ethan being played by Matt Lauria? I really liked how Ethan was impatient, bold, and blamed himself for someone else being hurt. He was very much a young Michael, as Madeline pointed out.

He and Madeline have such great interactions.

Her feedback allowed Michael to look at Ethan objectively; in turn, Michael passed on some of the wisdom he learned about how to take down the Ramseys of the world.

What do you think of Agent Pearce? I really hope she and Michael stay on the same side as their banter is pretty awesome. At the same time, she felt a bit forced to me, whereas Grant Show as Max felt more natural from the start.

I know she has only one episode, but haven’t we seen the “tough as nails cop” or “I am so manly in my approach to running things” several times before? Were there really no other choices for a stereotype to cast Pearce in?

Of course, the shocker of the night was someone pretending to be Michael to buy the disposable cell phone. Someone is really going to a lot of trouble to point all the evidence to Michael, who’s been lucky to remain a step ahead so far.

Speaking of a step ahead, where the hell is Raines? While I didn’t expect him to be around for every case, I would have thought having one of his agents die would have brought the man back to Miami. Maybe Raines is behind Michael’s frame up.

Major casting news for Burn Notice season 5!

Don’t worry, Michael Westen. Jere Burns will soon be there for you.

The veteran actor (Miami Medical, Off the Map, Justified) has landed a key season five role that may even carry over into next summer. Look for Burns to appear as Anson Fullerton, a clinical psychologist with experience in human behavior, along with a history of working with covert agents, that will assist Michael in his quest for answers.

According to TV Line, the character will be featured in at least five upcoming episodes. There will be potential for him to return again in the future, depending on fan response and on the direction in which writers choose to go.

So what can you say about this new character?

You can check Burn Notice Season 5 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Episode 4 titled “No Good Deed” features the Big Show. But wait, there are bigger things that we saw last night. Read below and discover them.

TV Fanatic: I’ll miss Max. It was nice to know he went out being one of the good guys. Too many times we see plots where the seemingly nice guy turns out to be a bastard, behind the plot to destroy the main character. Rest in peace, Max. Michael will get the killer.

And, hey, at least the title Burn Notice still fits.

The last 10 minutes made it clear  that the fallout from Max’s death is going to result in Michael being out in the cold to some degree. The question now: how much?

Does it bug anyone else that Jesse (and his resources at his new job) seems to be the “convenient fix” for their cases? Again, Jesse was able to pull some strings and find out information about the bad guys. I miss burned Jesse. He might have been less useful, but he had more personality.

Speaking of bad guys: If Eve is not the nastiest evil woman Michael has faced off against, she has to be in the top three. She was ruthless, intelligent, and hot! A dangerous and lethal combination, as Michael found after she drugged him and then tried to suffocate him with a bag on his face. Seriously, what kind of crazy-psycho bitch tries to suffocate a man over shooting them? At least Fiona isn’t that hands-on. She seems normal when stacked next to Eve.

I know she won’t be our recurring bad guy this season. But I really hope Michael gets to match wits with her again.

Raise your hand if you knew that Barry had a brother. Are any up? Paul and Barry were great together. I’ll have to watch the episode again to make sure I caught all the great banter. Their humor was a nice balance to the manic intensity that was Eve. Besides, it was kind of cool to see Fiona give Barry some props at the end of the episode.

Last week we debated if Michael was addicted or obsessed with finding out more about those who burned him. This week, he admitted it. Good for you Michael, only 11 steps more to go! Do they have a “Spies Anonymous?”

The only disappointment I had in this episode was the guest appearance by The Big Show. Given how much he was hyped I was kind of expecting… more. Although his brief appearance was punctuated with a beanbag shotgun round to “the boys” so my hat is off to his bravery. However, that disappointment is mild as the rest of the episode cranked the awesomeness to 11!

Lastly, I would have to turn in my man card if I didn’t mention how cool it was to see Fiona screaming around the corner in the Charger. I was as excited as a kid on Christmas Eve spotting Santa and his sleigh flying through the night sky. I’m not sure much can top a hot chick in a badass car squealing the tires.

Did this episode make you excited? What can you say?

You can check Burn Notice Season 5 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Episode 3 of Burn Notice season 5 titled “Mind Games” showed us once more the show’s specialty – comedy and suspense!

We got two new elements to Michael’s story this week, both balanced on Nate Westen as the center point. The first was that Michael has a nephew and Nate (and his family) have moved back to Miami to be closer to Madeline and Michael.

I’ve not been crazy about Nate Westen in the past. That feeling stemmed from the Yin and Yang aspect we’ve always seen with between the brothers. Michael always does the right thing, knows what he is talking about and saves the day. Nate? not so much

Nate started down that very same road in this episode and I was dreading his return to Miami, as it meant we’d see more of him. Then, the second element in Michael’s life became clear: he is addicted to wanting to know all the answers about why he was burned. Nate, having experience in addiction, saw the signs in Michael and told him as much.

The conversation between Michael and Nate about hitting bottom and no one being able to make him stop until he wanted to completely changed my mind about Nate. I saw the reflection of Michael in him at that moment. He wanted to be good and do the right thing, even if it was painful.

This was immediately punctuated by Michael ignoring Fiona when she asked him to come to bed. In a minute, he said, while showing all the signs of an addict who is letting the addiction control his life instead of the other way around.

I’m glad Nate is back in Miami, I think Michael is going to need his brother’s wisdom and guidance before this is all over.

Of course, this serious and somber story element was balanced by the more light-hearted aspect of Michael receiving the best payment he has gotten in five years. Free frozen yogurt for life!

Overall, this is a great episode for Burn Notice. What’s your take?

You can check Burn Notice Season 5 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

A beautiful. lady is coming to Burn Notice season 5.

Actress Charisma Carpenter will appear on the USA hit’s 11th episode this summer, coming on board as Nicki, the trophy wife of a man wanted for working illegally with the Russians. Look for her to help Michael and Fiona with their case against her husband.

Carpenter recurred throughout ABC Family’s Greek in the role of Tegan Walker. She’s also beloved for portraying Cordelia on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Any idea about her role?

You can check Burn Notice Season 5 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Let’s admit it, episode 2 of Burn Notice titled “Bloodlines” is so thrilling and exciting that I even like it more than the season 5 premiere.

TV Fanatic: Several people commented on last week’s review about Michael calling Fiona his “girlfriend.” Fast forward to last night and I was in complete shock when Michael showed Fiona the board shelf and asked her to move in.

My wife swears she “just had something in her eye” while watching this scene, but hers couldn’t have been the only tears of joy cried last night, right? I’m certainly ready to finally sit back and enjoy the ride between these two. We’ve waited four years for this and I don’t want to miss any of it!

It was also great to see Jesse for more than a cameo. I wondered if he was going to be a hook for bringing Michael new clients, and at least for this week, he was. I was really hoping we would learn more about why he left the government; but, I also like to rattle my presents on Christmas Eve to try and guess what they are, so clearly I am not a fan of waiting and want all the answers now.

It was scary seeing Madeline so shaken, and heart-breaking to watch Michael try to hold it together seeing how much it was hurting him to use that card on him mother. But maybe it will be good for them to get it out in the open and work it out.

The hardest part for me in this episode was watching Madeline and Michael reopen old wounds, as the latter had to use the one thing that he knew would upset Madeline the most. We don’t know that much about Michael’s father. In fact, aside from an occasional mention, last week was the first time Madeline really spoke about him in two seasons.

She nailed it when she said that they needed to stare down the past and deal with it. She was also right about the past making us who we are. If you like that person, maybe you can forgive how you got there, even if it was less than ideal.

Thankfully, the seriousness of Michael and Madeline’s acting was offset by Fiona’s awesome ability to actually scare a man celibate (or at least monogamous). If I’d been eating some of Michael’s yogurt when she started driving with her eyes closed, I might have had it coming out my nose!

Holy crap! That’s my reaction at one point. So I really recommend this episode because I like it personally. And you?

You can check Burn Notice Season 5 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

The season 5 premiere of Burn Notice titled “Company Man” gave us a complete package. At the same time, it is a great episode to start up this season. Why? Because I simply love how it started, what happened in the middle and how it ended.

TV Fanatic: I appreciated how the episode dropped us in six months after Michael was taken to the CIA headquarters in DC last year. The opening montage gave us some glimpses of where he’s been, what he’s been doing, and how much bigger the game has gotten for our favorite spy.

We were quickly introduced to Senior Field Officer Max (played by the always hunky Grant Show) and then Raines. Raines is the man who originally recruited Michael and the person who welcomed him back to the CIA to wrap up season three.

While I like Max, (because he reminds me of Michael), I couldnít get a feel for Raines. At first he was kind of a jack-ass, and then he was kind of cool; finally he was somewhere in the middle. It’s going to take a few more episodes before I decide on him.

Conversely, while we got some good time with Fiona, Sam and Madeline, Jesse seemed to only be in the episode to show he is a series regular now and to set up some foreshadowing when he went on about how he quit the government and is now working as high-end security guy in Miami.

Blah. Whatever. Call me when he does something exciting.

Elsewhere, I’ve said it before, but Madeline reminds me of my mom for a multitude of reasons. Seeing Michael and her together again after this long made me stop and call my mom after the hour was over. Call me a sap. Or just call this an example of good writing.

Sharon Gless and Jeffrey Donovan have such amazing chemistry together; after she told him the story about how she never got to confront his father because he died, you could tell that her words helped Michael more than anything Sam, Fiona, or Max had said. You have to admire a mother’s ability to comfort her child.

Michael and Madeline aside, the episode really felt like it was missing something. I felt like the Wiley Coyote after he caught Road Runner, with a “well, what now?” feeling. I think it was caused by a combination of there not being a client for the team to help and by Michael chasing the last person who helped burned him.

Overall, this is a great episode to start Burn Notice season 5. What are your expectations for the succeeding episodes?

You can check Burn Notice Season 5 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

I love his character on True Blood, now James Frain is coming on Burn Notice season 5.

The man who brought Franklin Mott to life on that HBO hit will appear on the ninth episode of Burn Notice this summer. He’ll portray the owner of a pharmaceutical company responsible, someone willing to do anything to protect his company’s secrets.

You want more Burn Notice guests? Well expect The Big Show, David Dayan Fisher and Gavin Rossdale to come as well.

Burn Notice season 5 will premiere on June 23 with “Company Man.”

You can check Burn Notice Season 5 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.