TV-Reviewed

Last we saw “burned” spy Michael Weston he was driving down the Over Seas Highway south from Miami where he encountered a strange sight: no traffic and a parked semi-trailer with a ramp leading up into it. Driving up that ramp in his ex-spy buddy’s Caddy, he was suddenly shut in with, perhaps, the idea that he was off to see the people who had had him “burned”. It was the final climatic scene of one awesome first season. So, did the action, adventure, excitement and intrigue continue? You bet.

Of course, things started off slow as Michael was trying to stave off boredom. You know, as a spy, he was left to clean his gun several times over and to wonder what the heck would be waiting for him once the truck stopped and the trailer doors opened–and, of course, what to do about it. And it was a tense moment when those doors did finally open.

Michael was left with a scene that was both familiar and surreal. Good thing the sultry-sounding lady–the same one presumably from the end of last season–called him on his cell phone to let him know what was going on. The man hog-tied on the ground and the burning plane, well those were just calling cards of his new employer. Like he jokingly said, call it “the employee-retention program”.

All right, so it’s obvious: the CIA is not involved here; at least, not at this level. Then again, who is? That’s what Michael, of course, wanted to know. However, the nice lady on the phone was unwilling to tell him more than her name: Carla. When Michael asks her why he should help, she simply tells him that they have the man’s family; a little imagination should tell you what they would do if Michael had said no. It’s the typical villain-ploy, of course; something spies are accustomed to dealing with. Yet, like all things Michael’s had to deal with…Well, it was’t going to be easy, that was clear. He’d need the help of Fiona and Sam if he was going to pull this off and save not only his own skin, but also that of an innocent man and his family.

With a dramatic escape from the destroyed plane (and the dead security guards lying on the ground) just as the police are showing up, Michael slams Sam’s Caddy into gear and, in the tradition of James Bond, does some damage to it–the expensive luxury sedan receives its first nicks and dings. Once back in Miami Michael seeks the help of Fiona and Sam. Fiona, though, isn’t happy with the way he informs her that he’s still alive. She’s got one mean right hook, too.

So, with Fiona and Sam now fully involved Michael learns from his new client, Jimmy, that he’s a computer tech consultant who had done some work recently for a Miami-based firm known as Security Associates, which is basically your typical group of hardcore mercenaries for hire. It was clear this definitely wasn’t going to be a smooth-sailing job.

Gabrielle Anwar as Fiona Glenanne, Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen

Yet, Michael Weston and company did pull it off: the breaking and entering into the Security Associates server room that is. Pulled off, yes, but not without a hitch. Jimmy accidentally sets off the alarm, which meant Plan B; Michael shoots up the servers with a big gun and blows a hole in the window for his and Jimmy’s death-defying escape. Ryder (Security Associate’s front-man), however, arrives just in time to shoot at the escaping thieves. Sam’s poor Caddy takes some unfortunate bullet wounds, too. It seemed after a while, in fact, that the show’s producers were paying homage to Smokey and the Bandit, especially when Sam had to use tape to keep the driver-side mirror from falling off.

Needless to say, Ryder wasn’t too happy with Jimmy’s theft of the data. Utilizing the vast resources at his disposal, it was obvious to Michael that Ryder would stop at nothing until he had either A) recovered the data from Jimmy or B) had Jimmy killed.  A new plan had to be hatched…and quickly, and Carla would still need to be appeased. But, would she keep up her end of the bargain?

After taking care of Ryder and making amends with Carla, Michael and Sam are hanging out in a local corner cafe. Sam sees a hot blonde at the bar and, of course, can’t resist hitting on her. She blows him off after he helps her out with her crossword puzzle. Yet, something is strange about her as she waves goodbye at Sam. Michael notices it, but isn’t sure what to make of it. Then, his cell phone begins to ring. It’s the mysterious Carla. She thanks him for his help on “their little project”. Michael, of course, points out that they were supposed to meet, to which Carla simply says: “Oh, but we did meet! Tell Sam thanks for the help with the crossword.”

Over all, “Breaking and Entering” was the perfect beginning after an uncertain cliffhanger. There was plenty of action and intrigue. And the interactions between the characters seemed very fluid and believable. Fiona is just as feisty as ever, and Sam is still the laid-back, beer-guzzling sidekick. And Michael’s mom is as irritating to him as ever. There wasn’t one thing out of place here, nothing negative to the storyline.

Rating: 9.0

Buy Season One of Burn Notice on DVD Today!