Burn Notice: Season 3

It's described as the hottest show of the summer in the TV ads, and I've got to say I have a hard time arguing with that. What show? Burn Notice, of course. If you want action and adventure with lots of explosions, you've come to the right place, and season three continues to keep the burning going.The show revolves around Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan). Michael was a spy, and a very good one, until he got "burned." Someone set him up with fake documents that made the US government not trust him any more. They dumped him in Miami, his childhood home, which means he has to interact with mom Madeline (Sharon Gless). Miami also happens to be the home of his on again off again girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), an arms dealer, and Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) a buddy who has retired from the FBI. Michael supports himself by taking on jobs for people who are having problems the law can't deal with while also trying to clear his name from the burn list so he can go back to being a spy.This season picks up exactly where season 2 ended. Michael has just come face to face with the man who is responsible for having him burned. In response to a job offer to work for him or deal with increasing pressure, Michael jumps from the helicopter where they are meeting and swims to shore.Arriving back in Miami, he finds himself continuing to take the odd job to make money. He helps capture a man stealing land in Venezuela. He works hard to find a kidnapped boy. He attempts to stop the leak of covert operative's names with only the word of a mentally disturbed man to go on. He even takes on insurance scammers.Unfortunately, he finds that this mysterious organization really has been protecting him. Suddenly, he finds the police are asking way too many questions about all the explosions that seem to happen around him. He's audited by the IRS. And he makes contact with someone still working for the CIA who might help clear his name. But all his efforts to clear his name cause friction in his relationships with Fi and Sam. Will the three be able to continue working together?This show works on two levels. Each week features an A story that is resolved from start to finish in that episode. But there is also the ongoing B story that continues from week to week about Michael's attempts to get his burn notice reversed. As with last season, there are really two arcs to the B story, each lasting half the season and leaving you with a cliffhanger to get you to watch the next bit of the story. Yes, some stuff from the B stories will get spoiled if you jump in here or watch a random episode, but you will have no problem following the A story.I find both stories are worth tuning in to see every week. I can never see how our heroes will get out of their predicaments alive, and yet they manage to at the last minute. And they always manage to do it with lots of explosions and gun shots. Really, this is the best action show on TV at the moment with lots of chases and gun play to keep any guy entertained.Because of the conflict Michael, Fi, and Sam had over Michael's actions for most of the season, I felt the characters really grew. And Michael's mom continues to develop, too. I no longer see her as extraneous like I did in season 1 but very much a part of the show. The character development did make the show felt more serious at times, but it was worth it for the rich characters.Not that they don't include some humor in the mix like always. Michael's voice over narration continue to provide some great lines as well as information on how to operate and build crazy gadgets (not that I'd try any of them myself). And the wise cracks coming from the main characters continue as well.Because of the added character development, the actors really had to step up this season, and they delivered. Even the guest stars seemed to be up to the challenge. This is a believably acted show on every level.Season 3 consisted of 16 episodes, which are presented here in wide screen and full surround on four discs. The final disc has a couple of extras, including the comic con panel for the show and a look behind the scenes at the stunts of the show.If you haven't seen this show, you don't know what you are missing. Whether you start with season three or go back to season 1, now is the best time to get into Burn Notice.

Burn Notice season 3 is really a story of two seasons. The first half is not nearly as interesting as the second. The first half struggled to find a good back bone story for the overall mythology of the show. With Management no longer watching his back Michael is left to deal with his enemies alone. It sounds like a great premise, but was not executed well. First there is a cop that wants to put Michael down, a Middle eastern spy who wants revenge, amongst others. They never had any excitement to them and just felt too serialized. The enemies just never seemed to actually be a match for Michael Weston. The show already has it serialized part covered with the cases of the week. It didn't need any more predictable story lines. There was one standout in the first eight though, and that was when Brennan returns to exact revenge on Michael. That episode was very unpredictable and kept me on the edge of my seat.As the show reached it's hiatus a great overall arc began to take shape through the introduction of Gilroy. He is a Black Ops sociopath that uses Michael to do his dirty work or he'll kill everyone he knows. He played very similar to Carla from season two, but was far more threatening. This arc lasted for the second half of the season as week after week Michael unraveled another piece to his plan. In it's conclusion the plan is nothing that I saw coming. The finale leaves you wanting more and ends with a great mirror image of Michael. As you ask yourself what he could become.The acting as always is top notch and the voice overs by Jeffery Donovan are always enjoyable and the best part of the show in my opinion. Along with Brennen other characters resurface such as Sugar (drug dealer Michael shot in the pilot), Larry, and Nate all lead to some great episodes. The video quality is much improved over previous seasons that have been released. The grain though still evident is kept at a somewhat lower saturation level throughout the season. The bonus features are scarce and I miss the days of the scene specific commentary from season one. The only interesting special feature is a seven minute look at the Burn Notice panel at Comic Con.Overall this season would be a great addition to your Burn Notice library. Just bare with the sometimes boring first half of the season because the second half is riveting and everything you want from this top notch show.

The basic scenario for Burn Notice is probably familiar to most people by now. Michael Westen was a spy, but he has had a burn notice served on him, so is no longer welcome in the intelligence community. He is now holed up in Miami, where along with a trigger happy ex-girlfriend and Bruce Campbell as, well Bruce Campbell hamming it up a bit, he routinely seeks to investigate or resolve issues from his life as a spy, while helping out people with problems that might require a former spy, who is not averse to blowing things up, or Rockford style cons.The box set comes in a standard size case, on four disks, with photos of the four leads. The previously fraught relations between the characters have now settled down, and there seems a real warmth and friendship between them.This is the third season, and not much has changed. I'm not sure whether that means the series is hitting its stride, or starting to falter. It does remain one of the best character driven comedy thrillers on the box. The settings are well used, the plots still seem fresh and there is not a dull episode in the box. Having said all that, the first half of the box set is consistently fair to middling, things do move up a gear in the second half of the box set. There is not the same narrative arc, or compelling sense of jeopardy across the whole series that there was before, and for box set viewers it is the overall series arc that really makes the difference.There are some choice cameos, Danny Trejo and the other one from Cagney and Lacey, and some useful re-appearances from earlier characters. There is also a little minor tinkering with the cinematography, but basically this is business as usual.I cannot think of a current TV series that I am enjoying more than this one, but this is not as strong as the two previous series.

hi just a quick review, series is good (probably not as good as 1 and 2 but when do series's get better ? (i know some exceptions to this rule but not many)But on a side note be aware although sold as region 2 (which is on box etc as well) these would not play on my panasonic dvd hdd player i know it has issues with ntsc discs if there is a timer program present, which there is)but this may cause issues for other people also, doesn't bother me too much as i just stick the discs in multi region home theatre dvd player to get round it.

I havent watched this yet , but I have seen it on TV. some episodes I missed due to not having catch up tv or a recording device. This whole programme series is so different from many spy/crime dramas, in that it has just the right blend of excitement, intrigue and humour to satisfy-and the characters are well rounded and likeable. A slick and witty drama that delivers alot of bangs for your bucks!

The life of a burned spy is never simpe and this series shows that, lots of tension, close shaves, tight situations that Michael and co manage to take themselves out of as they continue their dual mission of finding out who/ why he was burned and on the side helping others in tight spots! Great series but really need to watch from start of Series 1 plus Sam Axe film to get full picture

I loved the third season of Burn Notice. Michael, Fiona and Sam are back with a vengeance - writing wrongs, kicking butt and looking out for the little guy. The humour is very much tongue in cheek and the action is great (think A-team or Knight Rider - for those oldies like me). I also love the side characters particulalry Sharon Gless as Michaels mum - she is extremely dry and caustic. Buy it. You wont be disappointed.