JAM Reviews Burn Notice: Season Four from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Burn Notice Season Four : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Now having the chance to review the fourth season of Burn Notice, it is interesting to see each of the seasons encompassing certain main issues and traits as we follow the life of our main character Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) and his ragtag team of adventurers. Season One seemed to be able the introduction of the character and Michael working towards re-finding himself while he works towards removing his burn notice. Season Two shows Michael discovering that the job he has lost through the burn notice does not define his life as he fights against a female adversary who attempts to control and use him, holding information as a carrot to influence him. Season Three focused on Michael beginning to realize that the people around him are far more important than all the craziness happening in his life. But Season Four leads to the magic phrase of “Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.”, as Michael focuses on the attaining of his long missed occupation. Working with another devil’s advocate type known as Vaughn (Robert Wisdom), Michael will destroy lives while he also attempts to repair lives as well, especially his own. Joined by a fourth team member Jesse (Coby Bell), another former burnt spy by way of Michael himself, the team works to find a powerful coded Bible that holds all the secrets they are searching for.

In my review of Season Three, I mentioned that Michael seemed to be worried about becoming the monster that his file portrays as Season Four is about to begin. And he does. The only question that remains is can he pull himself back out of the abyss that he has fallen within.

Worst feeling for a burnt spy? To burn another innocent spy in the pursuit of your own redemption, and that is exactly how this season starts out for Michael. Throw in crazy turns for Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) as she fights feelings for Michael and Jesse, the standard awesomeness of Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) Mike’s mom (Sharon Gless), and appearances by a menagerie of former awesome characters from the Burn Notice canon including Barry (Paul Tei), Simon (Garret Dillahunt), and Tyler Brennen (Jay Karnes). Starting with the beginning of the burn of Jesse and ending with the final shootout to save Jesse’s life and the lives of all of Michael’s friends and family. All along the way there are betrayals, violent attacks, assassins and death dealers, and more, all making an awesome season of sweaty BURNing goodness.

JAMS Ink on Burn Notice

This season is a fun mixture of old and new with returning guests galore from the previous seasons as well as a number of new fun characters that do their own best to stick their thorns into Michael’s side. Jesse, Michael’s newest ally is a bit of an enigma though as he searches for those who burnt him while working aside those who burnt him. The final confrontation between the two yields a mutual understanding towards working towards the better good no matter the personal cost. The drama is well played out throughout the season as Jesse finds out the truth halfway in, and deals with the betrayal he feels from those he had trusted.

Favorite Episode of Season Four – Episode 5 Neighborhood Watch. Navi Rawat continues her three episode romp through the show as Kendra, an assassin that captures Michael’s attention and almost his heart in a deadly way and a doctor must deal with viscous drug dealers that have hurt and scared those he would shepherd and heal. The flirty exchanges between Michael and Navi’s character Kendra show a side of Michael he had forgotten about as he enjoys the witty banter much to Fiona’s chagrin. And the ballet of bullets and bombs that they employ to make the doctor look like the master of the hell raining down on the undesirables strikes fear into the hearts of many and establishes a man of healing as a force to be reckoned with. This is Michael’s team at their best, establishing strength within those who need it while working the system against those who take advantage.

EXTRAS

The extras included are a pretty fun set, especially considering the limited amount from last year. Commentaries, deleted scenes, gag reels and more will take more of your time than you anticipated as you peruse this new season. The deleted scenes and gag reels usually tend to be my favorites, but we have a look at Sam Axe on this set and being a Bruce Campbell fan makes this the best gift I could get. Sam Axe’s Guide to Ladies and Libations is as great as it sounds as Bruce shares special insights that only he could share. The Burn Notice and White Collar roasts are okay, but once again they strike gold with a behind the scenes look at the stunts of Burn Notice. All in all, the extras don’t really make me want the set any more than before, but that is because the set is a MUST have by itself.

Burn Notice: Season Four from Twentieth Century Fox appeared on shelves on DVD on June 7, 2011. Grab a copy and feel the BURN! Ok, that was bad, but seriously check it out.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at www.jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

Burn Notice Season Three

Burn Notice Season Three : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

It has been interesting watching the progression of Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) as Burn Notice prepares to enter its fourth season on USA Network. Season One seemed to be able the introduction of the character and Michael working towards re-finding himself while he works towards removing his burn notice. Season Two showed Michael discovering that the job he has lost through the burn notice does not define his life as he fights against a female adversary who attempts to control and use him, holding information as a carrot to influence him. Finally, Season Three shows Michael beginning to realize that the people around him are far more important than all the craziness happening in his life. The first half of Season Three leads to the realization of how much he loves and needs Fiona as chooses to save her at the expense of a manipulative way back into the agency. In the second half of Season Three, he discovers how much his family (friends included) mean to him as they remain by his side even as he works on the side of evil as he tries to stop and even greater evil. Reminding him to stop acting like he is alone, his friends sacrifice and assist even as he fights against those that may or may not have his best interests at heart.

It will be interesting to see Michael’s growth in Season Four, which after seeing episode one, I believe may focus on Michael’s fears of becoming a monster like his file portrays him. Now onto our review of Burn Notice: Season Three on DVD.

Season Three starts with the ramifications continuing of refusal to work with and subsequent termination of Carla (Tricia Helfer) as well as the refusal of the offer from Management (John Mahoney) that led to the long swim to the coast. Throw in a visit from a curious Detective Paxson (Moon Bloodgood) investigating strange happenings in her jurisdiction, an agent to the spies by the name of Tom Strickler (Ben Shenkman) who complicates Michael’s life in ways he never expected, and the normal cases and issues that come from working with a former IRA fighter Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), a former spy Sam (Bruce Campbell), a bookie named Barry (Paul Tei who is great but way underused on my opinion), a brother Nate (Seth Peterson) who seems to find trouble any way he turns, and his mom (Sharon Gless who is AMAZING). Put all of this together and finish off the season with a manhunt for an escaped lunatic who was responsible for the acts that had caused Michael’s burn notice originally. Watching Season Three will only make you crave Season Four even more, and that is the way a good TV show should be.

JAMS Ink on Burn Notice

What can I say about the best show on television that has not been said before? All the Miami innuendo like “It’s the Hottest show on television” or “Michael Westen burns up the screen” are actually all true, but I want to try to stay away from clichés. I started watching Burn Notice from the very beginning, looking for something new to watch and noticed Gabrielle Anwar and Bruce Campbell were in a spy show. Having a mild crush on Miss Anwar since way back in Disney’s Three Musketeers, enjoying Bruce Campbell in anything he has done, and enjoying action shows with explosions and the such, I figured I would give this new show a chance. Little did I know that Burn Notice would place a premium on my time, along with any family members I have told about the show.

Even though I started watching because of Gabrielle and Bruce, what hooked me was the “team” as a whole. As much as the show could be considered to focus on Michael, Fiona, Sam, and Madeline control much of the action as well. Michael can sometimes come off as the lost man adrift in a sea of confusion, but luckily he has a number of anchors to bring him back to reality. Fiona is the girlfriend that will tell you straight, slap some sense into you, and defend you to the death all at the same time if needed. Sam is the best bud who has connections he is willing to burn just to help you out because you are that important to him. And Madeline is the mother that has put up with all of your junk throughout the years, yet knows you did not mean it all and need someone there for you. In fact in the first episode of Season Four, we see how much Michael needs his mother in a scene in which he shares his fears that he will become like Simon,

“He laughed. When I caught Simon, he laughed. He said it was just a matter of time before I was just like him.”

As Sharon Gless’s Madeline leans over and embraces her son with the words, “He’s wrong honey. That isn’t the son I raised,” the emotions can overwhelm you. That’s what this show is about. A man trying to find himself and failing, and the friends and family who help him pick up the pieces. And even with the failing, Michael never stops trying which makes him strong, makes him likeable, and makes him human.

Favorite Episode of Season Three – Episode 9 Long Way Back. I think this is a turning point in Michael’s life as he realizes just how much Fiona means to him. She has stayed by his side through thick and thin, letting him be bullheaded and stubborn as he searches for that which he no longer has (his spy vocation) and ignores everything he does. As Michael fires the shots that end his connection to Strickler and save Fiona from her deathly fate, you can see the dam of emotions finally burst within him. He still can be stubborn, but at least he is working on it.

EXTRAS

Smash, Crash, Boom: Inside the Burn Notice Stunt Unit
2009 San Diego Comic-Con International

Seeing the group of stuntmen, directors, and cameramen all involved in a car chase shot is amazing. You never think about how much work is involved in doing a scene like when Michael and the psycho Simon is crazy to see, especially when you think about the fact that they are doing this high energy, explosive stunt while maintaining and focusing on safety for their own crew. It also showed that even with perfect planning, things do not always work out as planned as a stunt goes unexpectedly. All in all, a really fun addition to the DVD. The Comic-Con panel was fun as Bruce Campbell is so much fun to listen to. The panel members even mention just letting Bruce answer all the questions as he is working the crowd so well. It was truly a fun panel to watch.

Episode List

Disc One
Friends and Family
Question and Answer
End Run
Fearless Leader

Disc Two
Signals and Codes
The Hunter
Shots in the Dark
Friends Like These

Disc Three
Long Way Back
A Dark Road
Friendly Fire
Noble Causes

Disc Four
Dressed To Kill
Enemies Closer
Good Intentions
Devil You Know
Extras:
Smash, Crash, Boom: Inside the Burn Notice Stunt Unit
2009 San Diego Comic-Con International Panel

Burn Notice: Season Three from Twentieth Century Fox appeared on shelves on DVD on June 1, 2010. Grab a copy and feel the BURN! Ok, that was bad, but seriously check it out.

If you are interested, check out our review of Season One of Burn Notice here.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at www.jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.