'Burn Notice' - 'Breach of Faith': Inside job
Michael and Sam become hostage-takers in a clever episode.
Mike and Sam face jail time on "Burn Notice."
A quick review of last night's "Burn Notice" coming up just as soon as I borrow your toaster...
I was surprised when I heard that "Breach of Faith" was going to have Michael involved in a hostage crisis, since the show so memorably presented its take on that old TV standby with season two's "Bad Breaks." But "Breach of Faith" turned out to be a very different animal, as Michael and Sam found themselves inadvertently on the side of the hostage-taker, and mainly trying to figure out how to avoid going to jail.
I don't know that I entirely buy that Michael would just be allowed to walk away, scot-free. After all, they called back to the Detective Paxson arc with the hostage negotiator noting that Michael is fond of explosives(*). The exploded safe, the shady backgrounds of Michael and Sam, and the oddity of the con man going nuts and pulling a gun in his own office would combine to at least have everyone taken downtown for questioning for a very long time, and if this guy is clever enough to con people, I imagine he's smart enough to have a lawyer who can start pointing convincing fingers at Michael and Sam.
But if I wasn't wild about the denouement, I enjoyed the hell out of everything that led up to it. I haven't had the problem with Jesse's addition to the team that some of you have, as I feel he adds an interesting new flavor to the group. But I was still glad that the bulk of the episode was just Michael and Sam trying to think their way out of a sticky situation.
Plus, the toaster-enabled homemade shape charge may be the single coolest thing we've seen Michael build over the run of the series. (Though I'm open to alternate contenders.)
"Breach of Faith" also did a very good job with the guest-casting, with Frank Whaley as Josh, Navi Rawat as the jogging assassin, and Clayton Rohner (who said the most famous line in "Just One of the Guys" and also delivered this speech, but who also starred in an early USA original series, the underrated "G vs. E") as Nick the thieving bastard.
What did everybody else think?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupSteph
June 25, 2010 at 9:18AM EST Reply to CommentManagement said at one point they were keeping Michael out of "police computers," but the detective on the show last night held an honest-to-goodness paper file in his hand. I'm not sure that John Mahoney's shady character has time to go wondering through the Miami-Dade police headquarters to keep Michael's name off everything...
GuyITC
June 25, 2010 at 9:19AM EST Reply to CommentAlan,
Close on the best homemade thing. The best was when Michael removed the surge protector from inside the microwave, threw in house cleaning products and silverware, pressed popcorn, and blew up a house as a distraction.
sepinwall Ah, yes. That was outstanding as well.
June 25, 2010 at 9:34AM ESTHatfield Don't forget about whatever it was that he dropped on that one thug's car that ate all the way through. Yes, that was a horrible description, but it's early in CA, and I'm not even sure this isn't a dream.
June 25, 2010 at 9:57AM EST
June 25, 2010 at 10:31AM ESTAndrew L Gentlemen, I would like to kindly submit one word: Can-tenna.
June 25, 2010 at 10:52AM ESTsepinwall Hmmm... Can-tenna was indeed awesome, primarily for the name, but I tend to prefer the MacGyver-isms that blow stuff up (or eat through an engine block, as it were).
June 25, 2010 at 11:06AM ESTEd @Hatfield, I was going to say that too. It's thermite. http://how2dostuff.blogspot.com/2006/01/how-to-make-thermite.html
June 25, 2010 at 11:26AM ESTHatfield Thermite! Thanks, Ed. Though I don't think I'll be making any. Between that and the classic line, "Plus, your place is on fire," that was one of my favorite episodes ever, a 9 on the badass scale.
June 25, 2010 at 11:54AM ESTDoug
June 25, 2010 at 9:23AM EST Reply to CommentToo bad Rohner didn't have a bigger part. I need something to trigger enough interest to get them to release G vs E on dvd. Deacon Jones, Rohner, and Richard Brooks were all fantastic on a great show.
Otto Man That was a great show. They should bring that one back.
June 27, 2010 at 2:06PM ESTJES
June 25, 2010 at 9:35AM EST Reply to CommentWigth all this talk about "Management", I keep thinking of Carnivale....
George
June 25, 2010 at 10:28AM EST Reply to CommentDidn't that fedral agent at end of season 3 have a file on Miachel Weston. Maybe detective on scene knew of miachel prior history of getting in trouble and the government giving him get out jail card.
June 25, 2010 at 10:30AM EST Reply to CommentI thought the episode was a bit clunky; the byproduct of filling the usual 42 minutes with significantly less action in the main plot. They gave Cody Bell a more lighthearted feel than he's had thus far, and I don't think it suited him. Also one of those episodes where the sliding titles stop being fun and start being annoying. On it's own, a solid B-, but as part of the arc I worry that they may continue moving Cody Bell away from the hard-charging, cocksure newbie going through some growing pains learning teamwork and the wisdom of the trade - which was working very well - and making him someone whose disappointingly vanilla.
June 25, 2010 at 10:36AM EST
June 25, 2010 at 12:05PM EST Reply to CommentI liked the episode and felt it was far better than those that preceded it. We definitely had some nice Michael voiceovers this week, in addition to the great toaster/safe scene. I'm slightly more interested in how the writers will effectively conjure up some nice case-of-the-week type episodes such as this one, as the main story arc of the season is of course going to get minimal coverage until the final few episodes.
CJ
June 25, 2010 at 12:32PM EST Reply to CommentI'm not a fan of the new track the show has been on of late.
I think Burn Notice has lost most of the fun that made it unique.
These episodes play like bad retreads from the old Mission Impossible series.
Chuck
June 25, 2010 at 2:34PM EST Reply to Comment"the toaster-enabled homemade shape charge may be the single coolest thing we've seen Michael build over the run of the series"
Dead on.
Liz
June 25, 2010 at 4:55PM EST Reply to CommentAll right, I'm getting more comfortable with Jesse. He and Fiona made for a good team. Nice bit of professional chemistry there.
I admit, I had to rewind the beginning to catch the dialogue because the sight of Jesse doing the body shot in the background distracted me so badly the first time around. :-D
Robert
June 25, 2010 at 6:06PM EST Reply to CommentThis was a good episode for a number of reasons, the main one of course is that Michael went to the case or situation of the week instead of the case/situation coming to find Michael. Well kinda.
As the series is now in its fourth season, the writers need to find new and creative ways to generate the CotW more organically. They can't continue to have Sam, Fi and occasionally Maddy asking Michael to "help out a friend." They must only have so many friends in the Miami area that need helping.
Some of the best episodes are where Michael just sort of stumbles into the CotW, like the episode Alan noted above, "Bad Breaks."
Just a thought.
Robert PS -
June 25, 2010 at 6:15PM ESTSince you just wrote about it, Leverage did a wonderful and quite hilarious take on the old bank hostage crisis plot. It was probably the best episode of the first season, aside from the two "David's" eps that closed the season.
1Kaniac Robert I didn't see that you had posted exactly what I was saying :) Guess I should learn to look at the comments first huh
June 25, 2010 at 7:43PM EST1Kaniac
June 25, 2010 at 7:42PM EST Reply to CommentWhile I enjoyed the episode (as I do all BN episodes) while watching I couldn't help but think.. boy, I've seen this before. During Season 1 Leverage did an episode called "The Bank Shot Job". Watch it and you'll see what I'm talking about. Both shows handled the story in their own ways and I loved them both. Was just very surprised to see a similar storyline on 2 different shows....
sojourn
June 25, 2010 at 8:54PM EST Reply to CommentGee, I'm the biggest BN fan ever and the first to defend the writers' venture into new territory with the new character, but I have to say, I found the episode flat and unsatisfying. I seriously miss the fireworks and chemistry between Michael and Fiona, totally absent in these first three episodes. It would be okay if we could see something developing between Jesse and Fi to build tension between the characters. But honestly, I see no chemistry between Fi and Jesse to evoke any kind of reaction from Michael. And I much prefer the interaction between Sam and Fi than Jesse and Fi. It's just not the same. I am missing my BN family.
Colleen AGREE, AGREE, AGREE! I am beyond disappointed that they have failed to build on the emotions depicted upon Michael's return to Miami! What the hell is going on? What happened to the feelings from the end of "Friendly Fire"? Or "I'm not going to risk losing you again, Fi" from "Good Intentions"? Or, for heaven's sake, Michael's declaration of his feelings at the end of "Sins of Omission"? My God, what are they waiting for? We all know they love each other; make that work!
June 26, 2010 at 8:22AM ESTThere are NO sparks between Fi and Jesse so that isn't the issue. The relationship between Fi and Michael was the energy that drove the first 3 seasons and it is seriously lacking here. I keep returning to the DVDs of 1-3 to get the original feeling back. I too miss the original "family". I know new people inject new energy but that's my point - there is no new energy and they have cast aside the old energy that really worked!
I want Michael and Fiona back - NOW! Matt Nix - wake up, baby!
Dezbot
June 27, 2010 at 12:17AM EST Reply to CommentHmmm, I must be weird because I think Jesse and Fi have all kinds of chemistry and keep waiting for Michael to get *really* annoyed by it (and blow something up because of it).
Colleen Well the time to capitalize on any chemistry would have been in the Bahamas but she was on the phone complaining to Michael about spending 2 hours on a boat listening to him the same song. And Jesse was quite other-occupied. So no - not seeing any interest there - as of yet.
June 27, 2010 at 7:19AM ESTjan But when they come back with the information, Michael is clearly not very happy with the way Jesse and Fi have anticipated everything he plans to do. They're functioning as a team, and Michael resents the fact that someone else is doing what he normally does. I also feel there's some chemistry there--she's the one who says, "I like him" early on when Michael is clearly having reservations. And Maddie sure takes to him. Jesse's usurping Michael's place in various areas. Right now, only the relationship with Sam is uncorrupted.
June 27, 2010 at 10:07AM ESTColleen I can appreciate that Fi "likes" him. They are a lot alike. She likes his style. But I don't get any romantic vibes from either one of them at all. And Michael - well, he's the one who insists they work with him because he feels so guilty so he will have to suck it up or make some changes. Tell the truth. Take the hits. And then Jesse is history. But I don't think he is jealous of any romance brewing. I'm just not feeling it at this point in time. I think it's still an adjustment period as the team(s) learn to work together. I do really like Michael and Sam working together. And I especially love a Fiona and Sam team. They really work very well together.
June 27, 2010 at 12:59PM ESTMaybe it was the mood I was in...I'm certainly not giving up on the show. It's still my favorite by far!
Kujo
July 2, 2010 at 4:16PM EST Reply to Comment"G vs. E" was awesome. One best short lived TV cult shows ever IMHO.
Knowing
July 2, 2011 at 4:00AM EST Reply to Commentanyone knows where is the location of this "bank"?