Burn Notice Season 3

A new season of Burn Notice kicks off tonight- June 4th.

If you remember at the end of Season 2 Michael turn down Management's offer preferring to go it on his own. Now not only is Michael still burnt but Mgmt is no longer keeping him off police and foreign agencies's radar.

Its a great show trademarked by snappy pace and dialogue.

Below is a sneek preview between the Michael and the always great Bruce Campbell.

Watch Burn Notice: Friends and Family: Exclusive: What Do We Know? - MovieWeb

This season should be really good with Michael running around with a big target painted on his back.

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We're really glad that it's back. It is one of the most entertaining shows on television. I'll have to DVR it tonight, though---I've got a hockey game to watch.

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One of my favorites (if not the)on TV now.
Got my 12 yr old son into last few episodes and he loves it.

I have been on board since S1EP1 and psyched it is back tonight.

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We will also get the gorgeous actress
Warning Spoiler! Click to show
joining in some episodes of season 3

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Terrific episode. Fifteen minutes in, when we were already back to "The Client", I was rolling my eyes thinking despite John Mahoney's big threat we'd be right back at the status quo. The last fifteen minutes dispelled that pretty fast. While the formula is intact, Michael's clearly up against a fresh new caliber of challenges. For one thing, he exists again on the grid -- which I bet will make it a hell of a lot hard to just fade into the horizon after scamming some big shot crime boss.

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One thing that bothered me was the introduction of the guy as "Old Buddy" in quotes like that. It pretty much gave it away that he was going to turn on him for me.

I know it was referring to what he just said, but even still, to me it seemed obvious after that.

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Great episode last night. Glad it is on an hour earlier. Love this series.

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I was a bit disappointed in the season premier. I love this series, and watch all the old episodes, but thought this one lost a bit of the permise.

First, why would Michael be arrested for walking out of the ocean? Makes no sense.

Second, why would he let himself get arrested? He's evaded hit squads trying to kill him. He can't escape a few cops?

Third, why not have a way to talk your way out of prison. He's back on the grid. Give them your name, cooperate. He's done nothing wrong.

Don't get me wrong, the episode had some fun moments, but I just thought there were some things in there that weren't quite normal.

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not a great episode, but good enough. I'm just glad it's back for some summer fun!

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Michael got arrested because the people who burned him rescinded his protection and gave the police an anonymous tip. Michael fled, validating the tip. Michael's background was enough to be held on charges. He was pinned from all sides without a clear understanding of his circumstances. The police weren't going to kill him, which meant that jail was a safe place to regroup in the mean time. He was accused of selling state secrets to our enemies. That's treason, with death as a potential result. My guess is that they had him on one of the many smaller infractions he's made since being dumped in Miami. Let's face it, he broke a lot of laws over the course of the first two seasons.

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I agree that this one was good but not great. The storyline was generic and did not match up to the anticipation of seeing Michael operate without protection.

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In all fairness, I wouldn't expect his enemies to descend on him immediately after he jumps out of a helicopter either. I think it sort of makes sense. It's just that it's not as exciting for a season premier.

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I liked the season premier, but nothing grand.
At the end when Michael says he's going to get back in at his old job anyway he can, I think it would be interesting if in a future season, we see him getting back in unburned and then having some sort of new mystery to deal with.
I'd love to see a full season of Michael back doing what he use to be doing.

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I thought it was just that he looked suspicious coming out of the water in his pants. That's what he said. Nothing about a tip.


When has that ever stopped him before?


Ok, then why did the police let him go so easily? He never appeared in court. If he's held for treason, I'm guessing he wouldn't still be in a Miami jail. He'd be extradited to a secret facility. And it would take more than an "old buddy" to get him sprung.

I just think it was sloppy writing on the writer's parts.

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Randy, Fi told Michael over the phone that someone had called his appearance in. The inference was pretty clear the call was made by Mgmt- especially when Michael received the card from him while in lockup.

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As Lou said, Fiona told Michael on the phone in the utility room at the hotel: "I checked the police radio for news about our adventure; there was a call about a mystery man washing up on the beach; a little going-away present from your helicopter friends?" This was part of what pushed him to turn himself in. He's never faced a Miami PD manhunt before. The other people who have hunted him are limited by their finite resources and the necessity of acting somewhat covertly. The Miami PD is not so burdened. Which is why I said, "My guess is that they had him on one of the many smaller infractions he's made since being dumped in Miami. Let's face it, he broke a lot of laws over the course of the first two seasons." Management tipped the cops off to one or more of his less than above-board methods; perhaps breaking and entering, trespassing, or assault. Nasty out of context, but not something that would preclude bail like treason would.

Which I suppose is still sloppy, since anything that would spur a chase like that should have at least dragged Michael before a court being getting released on bail. But I was able to fill in the blanks satisfactorily enough for my own needs.

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I didn't realize it was on an hour earlier, so I missed half of it. Fortunately, I caught it online.

I like the episode, and interested to see where this goes.

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Every guest character is introduced by whatever word or phrase Michael uses to describe them, in quotes, under their name. "Ex-girlfriend", "The Client", "The Assassin", you name it. The quotes are not "scare quotes" and are not being used in an ironic manner in those cases, and I don't think there was any reason to assume that they necessarily were being used that way here. It is simpy part of the production design of the show, not a hidden code. (This isn't Fringe. )


Who said anything about treason? The anonymous call warned that a guy who was "armed and dangerous" would be washing ashore soon, nothing about anyone being a traitor. Burning someone only requires some credible indication that the person has gone rogue. Actually charging someone with treason requires evidence and testimony.

And even if he had been charged with treason, which is a Federal crime, he wouldn't have been "extradited to some secret facility". (You extradite someone to another state or country, and the process is quite open.) He would have been charged by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida - Alex Acosta, nice guy - and been arraigned in Federal Court. (Either the Ferguson Courthouse on North Miami Drive or the Doral Center - Dawson Bldg, on NW 52nd Terrace.) Now that he's back on everybody's radar, Michael is identifiably an American citizen. Treason is a serious crime, but a crime nonetheless and would be handled as a normal criminal-justice matter. It isn't like Michael is a foreign national caught on U.S. soil planning or carrying out a terrorist attack or an enemy combatant captured on a battlefield halfway around the world.

As noted above, Michael was up against legitimate authority, not criminal scum. Even so his first instinct was to blow up part of the hotel and escape in the ensuing chaos. Fiona had to remind him that the usual spy vs. spy rules of engagement didn't apply and that escaping in a cloud of smoke and flame (which might have hurt some civilians and almost certainly would have hurt some cops) was a lousy way to convince them that he wasn't armed and dangerous. Under the circumstances, surrender made more sense. (Especially since he wasn't actually guilty of anything worse than vagrancy - at least that the cops know about.)

As for why they let him go - they probably checked him out and realized they had no reason to hold him. Contrary to the anonymous tip, he wasn't armed when they caught him and they found no weapon when they searched the hotel. (Which you can be sure they did.) He didn't seem to be especially dangerous. Like I said, they could have charged him with vagrancy since he had no money and no ID on him, but that would have involved a fine that Sam would have paid. You don't arraign someone unless you're charging them with something, and I'm not sure what they could have charged him with. (I suppose running from the police, maybe resisting arrest, although they hadn't tried to place him under arrest and he never actively resisted any particular officer - he just tried to evade them. But it would have been hard to make either stick the way he washed ashore in suit pants and pretending to be disoriented.)

In any case, I doubt "Old Buddy" had much to do with getting Michael out. (Although he may have thought he did - or been happy to take the credit.) Either the cops cut him loose as a matter of course after the "armed and dangerous" thing turned out to be bogus or Management made another call to the cops and told them they'd picked up the wrong castaway.)

Regards,

Joe

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I hadn't remembered that they were all shown in quotes, thanks. And yeah, I know it's not a hidden code or something, but I personally think of 'old buddy' as meaning someone I was never actually friends with. I can't stand him in general, but there's a Dane Cook bit about this that is pretty accurate, someone says something like "how are you, buddy" to which he responds "okay, pal" and so on and so forth.

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Did you actually watch the show?

EVERY single question you asked was directly answered in the show itself.

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Glad the show is back. This is the only summer show I am now watching. I watch dvds on the other nights.

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Yes, I watched the show twice. I'm not arguing that they tried to explain his actions. I'm arguing that those actions were not very consistant with the character as has been developed over the past few years. I don't like it when characters actions are written "out of character" for story expiedency. I felt those questions brought up items that were out of character for Michael Westen.

I also don't think the police got a tip from management. Management agreed to stay out of his life. The cops waiting on the beach are sitting there talking, not waiting for a potentially dangerous criminal (otherwise, it wouldn't have been two bike officers and a car). They see someone looking suspicious, and go to investigate. He runs, thus the manhunt. Fi's statement that she overheard a call about a suspicious person washing up on shore means that there is a call ("call for service"), not a phone call. The card in jail is there way of saying "when do you want us back in your life?"

UPDATE: My apologies. I just heard an interview with the show runner, and he did say that management got a call. My mistake.

Secondly, the "old buddy" stated that he got an attorney friend to claim he was being held a political prisoner, and that got him released. He was never arraigned or charged, so there was no bail posted.

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Thought I would mention, season one is on sale this week at Best Buy for $13.

I caught the premiere of Season 3 when it was rerun Saturday morning, was hooked, got the set on Sunday thanks to the sale, and am quickly going through season one.

LOVE the show.

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Ok, so after a B- season opener, we get an A for the second episode. Loved so many things. My favorite is Sam's gunshot that got everyone else shooting.

Welcome back, Michael!

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Watching this week, the captions did NOT put every label in quotation marks. I don't think the quotation marks in the case of "Old Buddy" in the premiere were meant to be foreshadowing, so much as a direct quote that emphasizes the ambiguity of the relationship.

Good episode this week; loved the Michael had a storage locker with C-4 just lying around.

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Better episode this week. Bruce Campbell was in top form.

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There are too many people who know who and where Michael is. I mean, one of the major attractions of taking the space above the club was he had no ties to it and nobody really knew to look for him there. Now everyone does. Cab drivers can respond to, "Drop me off at Michael Westen's," these days. Yes, it's only TV, but I like to think of the landscape as vaguely credible.

Maybe Bruce Campbell was in top form, but Sam Axe wasn't. To leave Michael bound alone with a guy who has already professed several times to wanting to kill him was just reckless. And no, it doesn't make any sense to say that, he'd already told the guy to leave Michael alone. That's a bit like inviting over all your pre-pubescent nieces and leaving them with T-Bag while you go shopping with a reminder to him to "be good". There were ways to accomplish the same story without having our characters be less than the smart people we're supposed to believe they are.

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To be fair, for at least the first few episodes Sam was really portrayed as a washed-up old drunk.

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I'll be fair and grant you that, but even that doesn't really excuse it. Washed up old drunk is really a statement of what you're doing with your life, not your inherent knowledge or intelligence. He's cleaned himself up since then, has renewed purpose, and is often counted on for any number of critical activities. That's because he has the background (knowledge and skill).

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Good episode tonight; the theme of this season seems to be escalation; whereas before Michael dispatched problems in an episode, now things are getting messier. He uses Barry to screw over the detective's partner; the detective comes after him harder then ever. He botches Brennen's deal and forces Brennen to flee the country, Brennen comes back and threatens Nate's life. Brennen threatens Nate's life, Michael blows up his house and threatens his daughter. As the net starts to close in on Michael, we're seeing a darker side of him.