Burn Notice, Season Two

Burn Notice debuted last summer, an example of brilliant television programming, on the level of House and The Shield. It resembles House most, in that the show possesses heaps of witty dialogue, but like both shows, it pushes at the boundaries of its format and what, as a show, it is "supposed" to be. It pushes, and it breaks through, and shines as a result.

Somehow, everything Burn Notice does works. It's more than just a show. House has... well, House, and Wilson, and those two are the best parts of House (or Cuddy's boobs, as House would point out). The Shield has its violence and no-holds-barred storyline and character interaction. Burn Notice has its style. We're talking freeze-frame (not Matrix-like slow-mo), usually in which the main character, Michael Westen, narrates via voice over in a way that any fan of comics should be familiar with. It's always expository elaboration. It's usually humorless. It's never dull, it's never draining, and it's never tedious.

And from all looks of the first episode, which just aired tonight, the second season should capitalize on all the first season did right, and continue accordingly. Instead of investigating and trying to get to the bottom of who burned him (the spy term for "fired"), however, it looks like Mike will be playing the game of getting to contact the woman he's in touch with - who, for the record, I don't think did burn him. She's part of it, sure, but is probably working for someone. If anything, the story of the burn notice has always been about levels - Mike being a "part of something bigger," as he was told, I think, in the final episode of the first season.

It's another mystery - a twist on the first mystery. Mike will continue to work with his spy background, and we'll continue to see wonderfully fun and inventive ways of him doing what he does. Oh, and this first episode of season two started with a literal blast - Mike was popping off rounds of a big honkin' shotgun. Awesome.

If you haven't watched it, watch it. Better yet, start watching the second season, and in the meanwhile watch the first season to learn how Mike got there. It has Bruce Campbell. (This is not to downplay the awesomeness that is Jeffrey Donovan.)