Burn Notice Season 5 Review

• 3rd Dec 2012

I do wonder how Dexter and Michael have never crossed paths gallivanting around Miami as they do…

So Michael is back for a 5th season and after the end of season 4 we’re promised a new turn in the way the show plays out. Well that doesn’t exactly happen.

Let’s have a brief catch up. Burn Notice is about Michael (Jeffrey Donovan), a spy who has been burned. At the start of season 1 he is dumped in Miami with his existence erased, no money, no job, nothing except the clothes on his back and the CIA no longer acknowledging him. He turns to his ex-girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), his best friend Sam (Bruce Campbell) who used to inform on him and his mother Madeline (Sharon Gless). The seasons revolve around him trying to discover who burned him and his side business of helping those in need (often involving crime bosses and con-men).

By the end of season 4 Michael had finally found the list of those who had burnt him and was bringing down the mysterious organisation behind it. The main objective of 4 seasons had been met so bring on season 5. Sorry to disappoint but by the time the opening credits of season 5 finish all the intriguing aspect of Michael having that list has been dealt with. So what now? Unfortunately there is a step back for Burn Notice in the first half of the season. Michael is still obsessed with getting burned, he gets framed and has to prove his innocence and has a new female boss to contend with (didn’t this happen a few seasons ago?). So once again the same set-up continues with him not convinced the mysterious organisation that burnt him has been dealt with and the side plots of helping people, although this time there are a few CIA missions as he is kind of brought back into their fold as a consultant. Once we get past episode 12 things do pick up speed and get more interesting. We are introduced to an enjoyable villain and there some personal twists and turns for Michael. Oh and his awesome car is back.

This said the story is not and for me never will be why I return to this show and continue to enjoy it. It’s the humour, the wit and the good clean fun that makes Burn Notice worth a watch. This season has the added treats for a tv geek like me of some great guest spots from Charisma Carpenter, Dean Cain, Gavin Rossdale, John Ross Bowie, Eric Roberts and James Frain.

The end of the season is a great nail biter, twists and turns galore, tugs at the emotional heart strings and nicely sets up next season. One more season is all that’s needed though, there’s only so long the show can continue.

Extras: a few standard selection, nothing special but enough to feel like you’re not cheated. Although I don’t really understand the point of adding lots of deleted scenes, they rarely add anything extra.

Lauren Cracknell