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I hardly knew what to expect from Burn Notice. In honesty, by the end of its first hour, I was left spectacularly indifferent. I wasn’t necessarily disappointed. I just wasn’t provided with anything to keep me hooked.
I have no idea how a story based around a spy getting fired is going to have any longevity (although this has lasted three seasons in the States already!). Jeffrey Donovan stars as Michael Westen, a spy (can’t really tell who he works for - CIA perhaps?) who has been “burned” whilst in the middle of a mission in Nigeria. Apparently, being “burned” is how spies get fired. He’s blacklisted, his credit cards are frozen, and he’s put under constant surveillance.
Initially I really liked the personality of the protagonist. His dry narration has a humour that’s like marmite (you’re either going to love or hate it). Westen definitely has some cool and amusing lines, especially those where he explains how to shake a pursuer (in a low speed chase) or how not to hurt your hands in close-quarters combat. By episode's end though, I found myself completely unable to empathise at all with Westen as a character. He’s just way too serious (he’d make a worthy opponent for Clive Owen in a ‘deadpan-off’) and it makes him kinda boring.
Don’t get me wrong here. Burn Notice isn’t all bad. If you like the narration and Jeffrey Donovan, you’ll find it hard to be disappointed. The lead role is well acted; I expect that over time, he’ll grow to become a fleshed-out character. The supporting cast are also decent; Sharon Gless does great as Westen’s mother. She doesn’t really have a full grasp of what her son does for a living, and I enjoyed the couple of minutes that she was on-screen in the first episode.
However, there are irritating little things about Burn Notice. It feels too slow. The pilot episode has a flat and unspectacular ending. And I’m also not a fan of the flashy printed titles for introducing every single character. It’s annoying, please stop it. OK, I’ll try and bring it back to the positives now. It’s set in Miami, which is always guaranteed to be an awesome location. Burn Notice has an interesting concept and although I’m not raving about the first episode, who knows what’s next?
So I’m left with a very indifferent attitude towards Burn Notice. It’s not awful enough to push me away, but it isn’t good enough to make me really want to watch the next episode. I guess I’ll give it a chance, although I really wouldn’t be surprised if you’re not prepared to do the same.
Catch Burn Notice, Thursdays 9pm on fiver
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