- Burn Notice image from USA
Days before Michael is to meet with the CIA to have his burn notice reviewed, he must pose as Irishman Michael McBride, helping Fiona’s brother Sean protect her from Thomas O’Neill, a radical bomber who plans to hand her over to old enemies, carving a haven for himself back in Ireland.
Befitting a mid-season finale, three characters were at crossroads. Michael and Fiona, of course, but also Madeleine, who is considering selling the house. Each character’s situation leads to quite natural and clipped talk about their relationships. Up to this point in the season, Fiona had been acting too much like a nagging girlfriend for my taste. What sets Michael and Fiona’s relationship apart from others on TV is how independent they are as individuals. They don’t need each other; they choose to be together even if they’ve never said so.
A short conversation between Fiona and Sean hints that she is still in love with Michael and, talking with Michael himself, she admits she’s not the same person he met years ago, that she’s changed as a result of helping Michael help clients. In last week’s review, I mentioned that I didn’t want the characters to become too heroic. I find myself more accepting this week because Fiona came out and said she had changed.
O’Neill’s plan for redemption mirrors Michael’s desire to get his old job back. Tom Strickler’s plan for that involves Michael telling the CIA he went to work for a Somali warlord. Michael has qualms about this, and again it’s curious that he–someone who lies for a living–is so protective of his true record. Then again, if he weren’t conflicted, he’d be a more difficult character to root for.
For all his internal conflict, it was good to see Michael still capable of quick decisions under fire. Admitting his role in helping O’Neill find Fiona, Strickler tells Michael he can’t have the job and the girl, think about the future not the past. Michael simply says, “Fiona is not my past,” and shoots Strickler dead, paying off at least two, if not every season of Burn Notice up to now.
Plot points aside, this was a great episode from an acting standpoint. Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, and guest stars Paul Blackthorne (O’Neill) and Gideon Emery (Sean) all put on Irish accents not native to them, and Donovan had to slip in and out of his American one as well.
The episode ends with bridges appropriately burned. Exposed as an American, Michael can never go back to Ireland. Neither can Fiona, with the list of enemies she’s amassed. All they can count on now is each other (and Sam, and Madeleine) against an unknown enemy who sends Michael’s CIA contact Diego to a bloody death.
What a way to whet our appetites for more episodes this winter.
The episode was amazing with surprises and powerful when Michael shot Strickler and rescued Fi.
Can’t wait until January to find out who took out Diego and is coming after him.
I really like the complex relationship Michael has with the truth. I think the fact that he clings to it so strongly reflects a need to separate his real life from his cover IDs. This is emphasized in lines throughout the series where they mention if he pretends to be a way long enough, it will stick. I always appreciate this conflict (which is brought out quite well in the canceled show, The Beast, as well) because I feel like we all have sides of ourselves that we hide or ways we pretend to be for a temporary time period. We like to think we could stop a behavior or lie at any minute, but in truth it’s a struggle ride such a line.
Anyways, I stumbled upon this old post here and really liked it. I’m a huge Burn Notice fan and am constantly re-watching past episodes, and this one’s a great one!