TV-Reviewed

Carla was back in spectacular fashion. She managed to have Nate arrested, and Madeline could lose her house as a result. But, it was at the end, with the cliffhanger that I knew was coming, where Carla showed how devious, how cold and deadly and efficient, she really can be. Again, like always, she seemed to think one step ahead of her prey.

However, Michael did have the upper hand until, I believe, he made a few mistakes, which put him squarely on Carla’s radar. The biggest goof, I thought, was when Mike used the security card he’d had duplicated to enter the building Carla’s marksman had been seen going into. Here it should have been obvious to Michael (a trained spy) that when he used that card a “gained entry” record would be created in the security system. In fact, that’s what I think brought Carla to the building. I don’t think it was purely coincidence. She’s probably been monitoring the logs, because she knows Michael would be awfully tempted to see what’s going on inside.

The second mistake I think Michael made was entering Carla’s rooms at the hotel. Even though there was valuable intelligence to be gathered, I would think he should have been a little more careful. He should know this woman by now. She is, well, if anything else, thorough. She probably had something setup to know if somebody else besides her had entered her room–somebody else who wasn’t supposed to be there, somebody like Michael Westen.

On the family side, I think Nate’s new business is a rather interesting one. Limo rental? It certainly was useful for the storyline. But, there’s no doubt in my mind that Madeline, like she did, would have lent him the necessary capital to get things going, whether she believed he would succeed or not. Which, I think, is an obvious burr in Michael’s side. I don’t know how he contends with both Fiona and his mother at the same time. I know I’d go crazy.

Tricia Helfer as Carla

I’m just glad the writers chose to include all the major characters in this episode. Nate being included in the side-job was great, even though it was a bit part. And my favorite part about the side-job was when Mike got to act the born-again Christian. That was great! Especially when he went all righteous on Lesher at the restaurant. Also, when Mike rammed Lesher’s car towards the end, that was definitely unexpected, but fit perfectly for his born-again persona.

Of course, Campbell was the catalyst to the side-job. You can tell Fiona is just working Michael’s nerves with her new boyfriend. I’m not exactly sure what she’s up to, though. Is she trying to make Mike jealous? Sure, that would be the most logical and easiest conclusion. Or, does she truly want Mike’s opinion of Campbell. Maybe she thinks if he doesn’t like the guy, then he isn’t worth her time. Then again, as Sam likes to put it: “She’s one crazy chick.”

Yet, it was the cliffhanger ending that made “Good Soldier” truly stand out. Never in any episode of Burn Notice has Michael gotten so close to actually being killed. Generally, no matter how bad things get, he tends to make it out alive. Well, after his little getaway from Carla, we should have known she wasn’t finished with him, and that she had something very nasty cooked up for him. There was the blast, and everything changed. Obviously, the show can’t go on without Michael Westen. So, we know he does ultimately survive, but at what cost?

One thing I do take issue with, though, is that Sam was telling Michael about the assassin’s exploding door just as he was about to place his hand on the doorknob to his apartment. Sam told him this, and not only did he put his hand on the doorknob, but he also opened the door! What was he thinking? Or, maybe he wasn’t, which, again, is something very odd. The stuff Sam was telling him should have sent red flags a-flying in his head. He shouldn’t have pushed open that door! He should have realized, to me, long before he got as far as laying his hand on that doorknob!

Again, he made a mistake. Perhaps, Carla and crew and the whole burn notice ordeal have finally gotten to him, making him blind to everything else. Perhaps. It’s hard to say. At least, the writers worked in a possible way of saving Michael. That being with him (when he does realize his door is rigged with explosives) being able to have enough of a reaction to get away from the door. Hopefully, he survives with only minor injuries, so that he can quickly come up with a plan on how he’s going to break Carla’s hold over him.

Overall, “Good Soldier” was a pretty good episode. In fact, maybe it was the best so far from season two. Even with the few flaws I found in the storyline, there was plenty of stuff that felt right. There were plenty of good spy-tips, loads of action, and a ton of nice lady-flesh to admire.

Rating: 9.0