TV Review: Burn Notice – Lesser Evil

Posted by Robert Fure (robert@filmschoolrejects.com) on March 12, 2009

Burn Notice, USA, Airs Thursday 10pm

Episode: “Lesser Evil” (Season 2, Episode 16)

Synopsis: Things finally come to a head in the hell that has been Carla’s interference in Michael’s life. After finding and capturing his wold be assassin, Michael must decide whether or not he turns him and continues life as he knows it or makes a truce and a desperate gamble to win back his old life at the barrel of a gun.

Review: The second season ended with a bang. Two bangs, actually. Two of everything, really! This episode decided to ramp it up a bit by doubling up on the car chases – we get two – and the deaths, which are fairly rare – we get two. Lesser Evil has a bit of a darker turn to it, though it’s still plenty fun, as Michael has to make some tough choices when it comes to life and death. One thing that was strange and somewhat questionable though, is both parties who are shot in the film are shot, separately, in the same spot on the body. Pretty weird.

Michael also finally gets to meet the mysterious head of the corporation that Carla is a member of, a familiar face to TV fans. The climax of the show is both cool and smart, resolving most of the hang-ups of the season in regards to assassination attempts and Carla, all while opening up for several more seasons by promising that everyone who Michael ever made an enemy would be after him. That’s smart because there is now an almost limitless number of possibilities for the show to embrace, rather than being stuck with the “Who burned me?” and “Why is Carla hot but mean?” dilemma.

Across the board all the actors do their thing and do it well. Jeffrey Donovan is stylish and badass while Bruce Campbell’s Sam Axe gets a little more serious when it comes to saving lives and firing off a gun. Yes. Michael Shanks as Victor plays a good second fiddle as the loose cannon who has secrets of his own.

The bad news is that Burn Notice is done. The good news is that the third season is going to pick up again in Summer, so the wait will be short. Hopefully that teaches a lesson to all other productions who seem to split shows in half, wait, come back, take weeks off, and does all sorts of bull. Burn Notice was a fun ride this season and I’ll be excitedly waiting for next season.

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TBITS

Great episode... now get me some Christmas lights and coffee creamer.

Patrick Ramser

I actually thought this episode was terrible and am not looking forward to the next season. And this is coming from someone who's watched the show from the beginning and loved it.

It would seem as if the producers want to keep making Michael do more and more unbelievable stuff which... well, just turns me off more and more. A bomb from some brake fluid that just happens to be chilling in the car? Deflecting bullets up from the pavement? Killing Victor regardless of leaving the Agency?

Not to mention, I see no opportunities for the show to go anywhere. It's called Burn Notice. The whole dilemma thus far was how Michael will clear his name and meet the people that burned him. This season ended with him just kind of tipping his hat off to both when he jumped from the chopper.

I also can't really see much to write about when Michael's enemies will be coming after him. Do I really care about him being chased around Miami by some guys with guns? No, because there's no real problem and solution for him to have and seek. It would just be ridiculous, jumbled action against no backdrop.

The show has survived so far and gained a great, big ol' audience due to having a picture perfect cast with some kickass, grounded action and a cool problem for our characters to face. Without the little MacGuyver moments Michael has being believable and with this sort of "shotgun" aimed new storyline (or at least what I would guess), I really don't want to watch anymore...

RobertFure

I feel like brake fluid and the other ingredients for the bomb were left in his car on purpose. They're car related, so don't raise questions, but capable of creating a bomb when mixed with whatever the other stuff was. He just thought ahead.

The bullet bouncing thing was ridiculous in how reliable it was. Sure, some bullets may bounce up, but others will skid and shatter.

I didn't really love the Carla story lines myself, so I'm excited to see it shift slightly back to Season 1 type stuff - a criminal of the week. There can still be emphasis on WHY he was burned (probably more to it than "we wanted you") and WHO that guy really is, just no more "agency" and Carla stuff.

Aleric

This actually opens up a whole new set of problems and dangers for the cast. Without being part of the Agency even though he was technically sitting on the sidelines, now he is no longer tagged by the Agency. Like the Manager said, before he was being protected, now all those people he burned in the past have free rein to come and take revenge on Michael and his family. This was the perfect way to move the series forwared. If he had rejoined the agency they would have shipped him off to another location and he would have lost the help of Same and Pfeona.

djjeffhall

Robert - I just recently got turned onto Burn Notice and I love this show. The season ender was great. As you mentioned, it left open plenty of possibilites, yet didn't paint itself into a corner. I'm sorry we won't get more Tricia Helfer; she is a good actress. (As well as being more than a little easy on the eyes.) I'm sure we will get another tasty bad guy next season.

Patrick - Bouncing bullets works. In Burn Notice they are using "real bullets" but in riot control, bouncing "rubber" bullets is how cops are directed to fire. The bullets are fired into the ground in front of the crowd and the deflected bullets hurt, but don't kill, the rioters.

I'll admit that might be a bit of esoteric information for most people, but for me it totally worked. I have no idea if it works the same for "real" bullets, but I'm more than willing to suspend my disbelief in this case.

John Pate

For how bullets vs cars really happens go here: http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/thebuickotruth.h...

TV Review: Burn Notice – Lesser Evil

Burn Notice, USA, Airs Thursday 10pm

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