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Are there also any Michael Westen fans?

JamesBondJamesBond
edited August 2011 in General Movies & TV Posts: 669
This article is about a spy, who receives a 'burn notice' while he was in the middle of an assignment. Michael Westen was used to be a spy for CIA from USA-Network TV series "Burn Notice". Does anyone watch it? I really love that character as it was well portrayed by Jeffrey Donovan, and I'm also a fan of that franchise as well as I'm fan of the protagonist himself.

<img src="http://cemfes.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/burnnoticeposter.jpg">;

<img src="http://www.deepglamour.net/.a/6a00e553bc525688340133ee998587970b-800wi">;

Comments

  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    I tried watching the show but didn't make it past the first 2 or 3 episodes (although I've heard it gets better after the first season). The biggest stumbling block for me was the lead character. Whether it's the writing (maybe) or the actor (much more likely) he comes across as a douchey fratboy to me. Someone who thinks he's cool but it's more snark than really being cool. He reminds me of those type of young guys who try WAY too hard to seem like they're a somebody and instead of confidence it comes across as empty boasting. I don't want to spend time with these kind of guys in real life (there are a few at my gym and I've worked with a few in the past) so I have no desire to make an effort to watch a show featuring one of them.

    That being said Bruce Campbell was having a blast in the eps I saw and the woman who plays the lead's ex is incredibly sexy.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    I've seen the first series, in fact I have it on DVD. It is indeed a great show, though I must admit that I think the best aspect is Gabrielle Anwar, who despite looking worryingly thin these days, is always ready to stir up some trouble, usualy with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
  • ChevronChevron Northern Ireland
    Posts: 370
    Oh yeah, I watch this show. It does grow on you. It has a lighthearted tone but now and then does 'serious' moments. It's well worth a look.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Thanks @JamesBond for starting yet another awesome thread. You just stumbled on one of the biggest Burn Notice fanboys. Espionage and spycraft has always interested me and I love reading books and watching shows about it. I recommend Covert Affairs if you like all that Burn Notice has to offer. I started watching Burn Notice a few years ago, and have loved it ever since. The characters are cool, Michael with a conflicted past and a dark side from all his work in Spec. Ops. and CIA, but he still wants to do good and help others forgetting his past as he goes. Fiona is great, a sexy girl who could beat most guys down and loves to play with guns and C4. I am happy her and Michael are now back in a relationship. I've been hastly waiting for it. Bruce Campbell fits Sam great, and I love the wit he brings to the series. Michael's mother Maddy played by Sharon Gless is a great cigar smoking fire ball who is always on Michael's case early in the series, but now sees his work helps save lives and she helps the group in their cases often. Jesse is also pretty cool, and the buildup to him finding out Michael burned him last season is amazing. But he is too underused currently and drops by some episodes, and features minimally others. One thing I hate about the series is the story arcs. Each episode begins and ends with some wink or setup to the current arc of the season, this season that being Max's killer and Michael's double(framer). Then the episode switches to Michael getting another case or problem he has to deal with and the writers forget the arc until the end of the episode. It does help that the episodes weave the arc in sometimes, with Maddy, Fiona, Jesse, or Sam doing a small part to get some information useful to Michael. The source material concerning the spycraft can sometimes be overwhelming and you sometimes question the reality of their situations. Even worse than the forgotten archs are the villains. I don't know about you @JamesBond, but I can't even count anymore how many times a villain has had the chance to kill Mike or the others and ends up giving in to a deal or sweet talk the character spouts in a final fight for his/her survival. Villains like these in real life would shoot them, and not wouldn't have to worry about them fooling with their plots in the future. Apparently that rule no longer applies to Burn Notice. All in all a great show and I can't wait to see what the rest of the story has to offer. Don't let some of the negatives outshine the cool feel and awesome characters this series has to offer. Give it a watch if you enjoy spies and dangerous situations. Since this is a Bond forum, I hope both are true. ;-)
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    David Blaine!!! QUIT MAKING ME DOUBLE POST AN ALREADY LENGTHY ONE!!!
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    I totally agree @0Brady - Burn Notice is simply an amazing show, one of my favorite !
  • jaguar007jaguar007
    Posts: 638
    I love Burn Notice, I know what Thelordflasheart is saying about Michael, I found him a little annoying in the first few episodes, but he quickly became one of my all time favorite TV characters.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    I don't know @jaguar007 - I loved Michael from the first episode. I liked him instantly.
  • ChevronChevron Northern Ireland
    Posts: 370
    I just found this when looking up a favourite quote...

    http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/burn-notice-chuck-finley-is-forever-t-shirt/detail.php?p=345700
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    I just found this when looking up a favourite quote...

    http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/burn-notice-chuck-finley-is-forever-t-shirt/detail.php?p=345700
    Yeah Chuck Finley is Sam's unofficial cover. I can't count how many times he's almost died under it.
  • JamesBondJamesBond
    Posts: 669
    Thanks to all of you who appreciated this thread. Not just one of my faves, but Burn Notice is the best of the bests. The best spy series I've ever seen. Both Michael and Fiona are too funny. I like when Fiona is called "a trigger-happy ex-girlfriend", I'm she's amazingly crazy and funny at the same time.

    In the pilot episode, my favourite scene was...
    "My mother could make a great NSA communicating operative. Send me to the deepest caves of the moon, drop me in a goddamn ghotthi desert, she'll find a way to call me and ask for a favour" and then he screams into the pillow.

    Sam is a great womanizer, although, Veronica dumped him and took away his Cadillac. That's a comedy.

    Another funny thing is, Michael calls Yogurts a spy food. Since then, I started buying yogurts every day and eating them.
  • JamesBondJamesBond
    Posts: 669
    I consider Michael a sort of an American James Bond. He makes his own gadgets and spy stuff and gives damn good advices.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    I've been watching this show since the first episode and love it. Always entertaining and gives me my "spy fix" when I get into my phases where I don't watch Bond movies for a few months. After 40+ years sometimes I need a little break from them.
  • 001001
    Posts: 1,575
    It's a great show, pity they don't show it on australian tv anymore.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    It's a great show, pity they don't show it on australian tv anymore.
    Why not? Is it just me or is Australia's government slowly trying to outlaw joy and fun?

    * NO OFFENCE TO YOU @001 *
  • 001001
    Posts: 1,575
    It's a great show, pity they don't show it on australian tv anymore.
    Why not? Is it just me or is Australia's government slowly trying to outlaw joy and fun?

    * NO OFFENCE TO YOU @001 *
    It used to be on free to air tv but now it's only on a obscure pay tv channel which i am not subscribed to because that's the only good show on that channel.

  • JamesBondJamesBond
    Posts: 669
    You know what? I consider Michael Westen thousand times better spy than the rebooted Bond (film universe).
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    JamesBond wrote:
    I consider Michael a sort of an American James Bond. He makes his own gadgets and spy stuff and gives damn good advice
    I watched this show for two seasons then stopped because the cable company I subscribe to upped their prices for the channel that had it- now I have Netflix, and I'm back into it!
    This show is so much fun!!!
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    I don't bother with it anymore. I am so behind anyway, and I got sick of how the story arc keeps brutally kicking itself along.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    I don't bother with it anymore. I am so behind anyway, and I got sick of how the story arc keeps brutally kicking itself along.

    That's how I am. I watched the first season and a few episodes of season two, but it just feels like it's going to be so formulaic and similar that it won't show off any variety, and I can't stand that. It's why I stopped watching 'CSI: Miami.'
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    I'm in it mainly for Ash, er, I mean Axe.
    It's like LALD for me; fun & sometimes clever, good music & nice pace.
    If I get bored in the coming seasons as I catch up, that will be another story.
  • mrnate8mrnate8
    Posts: 65
    In addition to Burn Notice and Covert Affairs, I also watch Nikita. Does anyone else?
  • DrydenDryden
    edited January 2013 Posts: 23
    Great show - have all the series on DVD and will buy th rest when they're released. Ok so it's not the biggest budget show but I find it very enjoyable.
  • 001001
    Posts: 1,575
    Back on australian tv again.You ripper.......
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    mrnate8 wrote:
    In addition to Burn Notice and Covert Affairs, I also watch Nikita. Does anyone else?

    I watched most of season one, but stopped when my Spidey sense sensed cancellation. Thankfully, I was in error, but I'll get the DVDs once the series is over, IF they have a proper ending to it.

    Is it still good, btw?
  • mrnate8mrnate8
    Posts: 65
    I think it's worthwhile, but not too crazy about Season 3. It's probably more 24 like versus Bond. However, Maggie can kick some serious ass.
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