Burn Notice is that most rare and refreshing of TV shows - one with truly clever scripts that doesn't assume the viewers have millisecond attention spans and the IQs of ornamental shrubbery! More than being simply an entertaining actions show with undercurrents of humor, it is also a showcase of the ways that most action shows may be criticized - one that proves that "intelligent" and "realistic" can be paired with "entertainment" without creating an oxymoron.
So, why not 10 out of 10? Simple - none of the characters are all that likable. This is, I suppose, a side effect of the show's attention to realism. Still, there are simply too many character flaws to really root for everyone. Michale Westin (our hero) is a realistic spy - which is to say someone who can easily blend in and be overlooked. His mother? I find myself rooting for her to succumb to her multi-pack per day smoking habit. His brother is pretty much a waste of groceries and best left unmentioned. His bast friend Sam (the always excellent Bruce Campbell) is the only character to strike just the right balance. His erstwhile girlfriend is OK, but I can't help but wonder why he'd ever be attracted to her.
In short, recommended, but I have to say I admire it a little more than I like it. That doesn't stop me from being a regular viewer, but it does keep it from being an all-time fave.
So, why not 10 out of 10? Simple - none of the characters are all that likable. This is, I suppose, a side effect of the show's attention to realism. Still, there are simply too many character flaws to really root for everyone. Michale Westin (our hero) is a realistic spy - which is to say someone who can easily blend in and be overlooked. His mother? I find myself rooting for her to succumb to her multi-pack per day smoking habit. His brother is pretty much a waste of groceries and best left unmentioned. His bast friend Sam (the always excellent Bruce Campbell) is the only character to strike just the right balance. His erstwhile girlfriend is OK, but I can't help but wonder why he'd ever be attracted to her.
In short, recommended, but I have to say I admire it a little more than I like it. That doesn't stop me from being a regular viewer, but it does keep it from being an all-time fave.