History Series / BurnNotice

The show follows the adventures of Michael Westen[[note]]no, not [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Weston that one]], although he did guest star on the show[[/note]] (Creator/JeffreyDonovan[[note]]This was one of the first prominent lead roles played by Donovan, who was a relatively under-the-radar actor; prior to this, he had guest-starring roles on ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'', and showed up in the best-forgotten ''Film/BookOfShadowsBlairWitch2''[[/note]], an American spy who is blacklisted by the government--the titular "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burn_notice_(document) burn notice]]"--during a covert operation. Michael escapes the operation with his life, passes out on a plane, and eventually wakes up in his native UsefulNotes/{{Miami}}. He soon reconnects with family, friends, and an old girlfriend who happens to be in the neighborhood.

When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history. You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who's still talking to you: a {{trigger happy}} ex-girlfriend; an {{old friend}} who used to inform on you to the FBI; family, too -- if you're desperate. And a down-and-out spy you met along the way. Bottom line: As long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere."''

''Burn Notice'' is a Creator/USANetwork original series that ran from 2007 to 2013. The show follows the adventures of Michael Westen[[note]]no, not [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Weston that one]], although he did guest star on the show[[/note]], an American spy who is blacklisted by the government--the titular "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burn_notice_(document) burn notice]]"--during a covert operation. Michael escapes the operation with his life, passes out on a plane, and eventually wakes up in his native UsefulNotes/{{Miami}}. He soon reconnects with family, friends, and an old girlfriend who happens to be in the neighborhood.

Michael is locked out of his bank accounts, and he can't exactly get a job recommendation from his former employers. To make ends meet, he (reluctantly) accepts clients from around the Miami area and helps them solve their problems under the table. These problems usually involve saving said clients from various life-threatening situations, mostly of the "good guy gets deep in debt to bad guys" variety. While these tasks take up the majority of most episodes, the show also spends time on Michael's various attempts to figure out who in the government burned him (and why), his ongoing quest to clear his burn notice, and his interpersonal relationships with his friends and family. The overarching MythArc of the burn notice, and the fallout from it, forms the B-plot for most of the first few seasons, before shifting to the primary focus in the latter half of the series.

Michael might not always like the work he does, but at least he knows better than to work alone. Fiona Glenanne, his ex-girlfriend (and a former [[WesternTerrorists IRA]] operative), and Sam Axe, a retired spy/former Navy SEAL who Michael worked with in the past, watch Michael's back as he takes on con artists, mobsters, gang leaders, and various other underworld riff-raff. From Season Four onwards, the team gains an extra member in Jesse Porter, a counterintelligence agent who Michael accidentally burned as a side-effect of his quest to undo the burn notice. Even Michael's mother, Madeline, often helps by referring new clients to Michael (and sometimes playing a role in Michael's operations).

Michael is played by Creator/JeffreyDonovan, a previously under-the-radar actor; prior to ''Burn Notice'', he had guest-starring roles on ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'', and he showed up in the best-forgotten ''Film/BookOfShadowsBlairWitch2''. Fiona is played by Creator/GabrielleAnwar, most famous for her brief role as Creator/AlPacino's dancing partner in ''Film/ScentOfAWoman''. Sam is played by famous chin Creator/BruceCampbell. Sharon Gless of ''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' fame plays Madeline. Jesse is played by Creator/CobyBell, previously known for his work on ''Series/ThirdWatch'' and ''Series/TheGame2006''.

Michael pulls double-duty as the show's {{narrator}}: in voice-overs, he explains to viewers why he chooses a particular course of action. Instead of doing a real-time InnerMonologue, Michael narrates as if giving a lecture to a class of students. Viewers can think of Michael the Narrator as a slightly different character from Michael Westen. Through this method, the show addresses a large number of tropes (most of them spy-related) and [[PlayingWithATrope plays with them in a variety of ways]]. Typical action movie clichés also get averted: a car won't [[EveryCarIsAPinto explode]] unless [[ExternalCombustion someone's planted a bomb on it]], characters will spend [[WalkItOff several episodes limping around]] if they get hurt, and escapes involve either [[TryAndFollow dangerous stunts]] or being small enough to squeeze [[AirVentPassageway through an air vent]].

The show branches away from ''[[Series/TheATeam A-Team]]''-style clients-of-the-week in Season Five to focus on [[MythArc Michael's quest to clear his burn notice]]. It explores, expands upon, and develops the drama behind Michael's personal mission and how it affects his life. (A number of other shows on the Creator/USANetwork began to copy this approach in the hopes of reaching this show's level of success.) By the middle of Season Six, the show wraps up Michael's original mission and introduces new plot points to carry the story through a seventh and final season.

[[AC:(voice on phone: "We've got a [[TitleDrop burn notice]] on you. You're blacklisted.")]]\\

(voice on phone: "We've got a [[TitleDrop burn notice]] on you. You're blacklisted.")\\
When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history. You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who's still talking to you: a {{trigger happy}} ex-girlfriend; an {{old friend}} who used to inform on you to the FBI; family too--if you're desperate. And a down and out spy you met along the way. Bottom line: As long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere."''

Michael is locked out of his bank accounts, and he can't exactly get a job recommendation from his former employers. To make ends meet, he (reluctantly) accepts clients from around the Miami area and helps them solve their problems under the table. These problems usually involve saving said clients from various life-threatening situations, mostly of the "good guy gets deep in debt to bad guys" variety. While these tasks take up the majority of most episodes, the show also spends time on Michael's various attempts to figure out who in the government burned him (and why), his ongoing quest to clear his burn notice, and his interpersonal relationships with his friends and family. The overarching MythArc of the burn notice, and the fallout from it, forms the B Plot for most of the first few seasons, before shifting to the primary focus in the latter half of the series.

->''"My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy. Until...(voice on phone: "We've got a [[TitleDrop burn notice]] on you. You're blacklisted.") When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history. You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who's still talking to you: a {{trigger happy}} ex-girlfriend; an {{old friend}} who used to inform on you to the FBI; family too--if you're desperate. And a down and out spy you met along the way. Bottom line: As long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere."''

->''"My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy. Until...(voice on phone: "We've got a burn notice on you. You're blacklisted.") When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history. You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who's still talking to you: a {{trigger happy}} ex-girlfriend; an {{old friend}} who used to inform on you to the FBI; family too--if you're desperate. And a down and out spy you met along the way. Bottom line: As long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere."''

The show branches away from ''A-Team''-style clients-of-the-week in Season Five to focus on [[MythArc Michael's quest to clear his burn notice]]. It explores, expands upon, and develops the drama behind Michael's personal mission and how it affects his life. (A number of other shows on the Creator/USANetwork began to copy this approach in the hopes of reaching this show's level of success.) By the middle of Season Six, the show wraps up Michael's original mission and introduces new plot points to carry the story through a seventh and final season.

Michael pulls double-duty as the show's {{narrator}}: in voice-overs, he explains to viewers why he chooses a particular course of action. Instead of doing a real-time InnerMonologue, Michael narrates as if giving a lecture to a class of students. Viewers can think of Michael the Narrator as a slightly different character from Michael Westen. Through this method, the show addresses a large number of tropes (most of them spy-related) and [[PlayingWithATrope plays with them in a variety of ways]]. Typical action movie clichés also get averted: a car won't [[EveryCarIsAPinto explode]] unless [[ExternalCombustion someone's planted a bomb on it]], characters will spend [[WalkItOff several episodes limping around]] if they get hurt[[note]]Except in S3E11 where Sam greets an old 'friend' with two savage punches to the mouth, which left no bruise, swelling, or blood[[/note]], and escapes involve either [[TryAndFollow dangerous stunts]] or being small enough to squeeze [[AirVentPassageway through an air vent]].

Michael pulls double-duty as the show's {{narrator}}: in voice-overs, he explains to viewers why he chooses a particular course of action. Instead of doing a real-time InnerMonologue, Michael narrates as if giving a lecture to a class of students. Viewers can think of Michael the Narrator as a slightly different character from Michael Westen. Through this method, the show addresses a large number of tropes (most of them spy-related) and [[PlayingWithATrope plays with them in a variety of ways]]. Typical action movie clichés also get averted: a car won't [[EveryCarIsAPinto explode]] unless [[ExternalCombustion someone's planted a bomb on it]], characters will spend [[WalkItOff several episodes limping around]] if they get hurt, and escapes involve either [[TryAndFollow dangerous stunts]] or being small enough to squeeze [[AirVentPassageway through an air vent]].

Michael is locked out of his bank accounts, and he can't exactly get a job recommendation from his former employers. To make ends meet, he (reluctantly) accepts clients from around the Miami area and helps them solve their problems under the table. These problems usually involve saving said clients from various life-threatening situations, mostly of the "good guy gets deep in debt to bad guys" variety. While these tasks take up the majority of most episodes, the show also spends time on Michael's various attempts to figure out who in the government burned him (and why), his ongoing quest to clear his burn notice, and his interpersonal relationships with his friends and family. The overarching MythArc of the burn notice, and the fallout from it, forms the BPlot for most of the first few seasons, before shifting to the primary focus in the latter half of the series.

Michael is played by Creator/JeffreyDonovan, a previously under-the-radar actor; prior to ''Burn Notice'', he had guest-starring roles on ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'', and he showed up in the best-forgotten ''Film/BookOfShadowsBlairWitch2''. Fiona is played by Gabrielle Anwar, most famous for her brief role as Al Pacino's dancing partner in ''Film/ScentOfAWoman''. Sam is played by famous chin Creator/BruceCampbell. Sharon Gless of ''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' fame plays Madeline. Jesse is played by Coby Bell, previously known for his work on ''Series/ThirdWatch'' and ''Series/TheGame2006''.

Michael is played by Jeffrey Donovan, a previously under-the-radar actor; prior to ''Burn Notice'', he had guest-starring roles on ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'', and he showed up in the best-forgotten ''Film/BookOfShadowsBlairWitch2''. Fiona is played by Gabrielle Anwar, most famous for her brief role as Al Pacino's dancing partner in ''Film/ScentOfAWoman''. Sam is played by famous chin Creator/BruceCampbell. Sharon Gless of ''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' fame plays Madeline. Jesse is played by Coby Bell, previously known for his work on ''Series/ThirdWatch'' and ''Series/TheGame2006''.

* [[Recap/BurnNotice Episode List]]

* [[ShoutOut/BurnNotice Shout Outs]]

->''"My name is Michael Weston. I used to be a spy. Until...(voice on phone: "We've got a burn notice on you. You're blacklisted.") When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history. You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who's still talking to you: a {{trigger happy}} ex-girlfriend; an {{old friend}} who used to inform on you to the FBI; family too--if you're desperate. And a down and out spy you met along the way. Bottom line: As long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere."''

Michael is locked out of his bank accounts, and he can't exactly get a job recommendation from his former employers. To make ends meet, he (reluctantly) accepts clients from around the Miami area and helps them solve their problems under the table. These problems usually involve saving said clients from various life-threatening situations, mostly of the "good guy gets deep in debt to bad guys" variety. While these tasks take up the majority of most episodes, the show also spends time on Michael's various attempts to figure out who in the government burned him (and why), his ongoing quest to clear his burn notice, and his interpersonal relationships with his friends and family.

->''"When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history. You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who's still talking to you: a {{trigger happy}} ex-girlfriend; an {{old friend}} who used to inform on you to the FBI; family too--if you're desperate. And a down and out spy you met along the way. Bottom line: As long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere."''

Michael is played by Jeffrey Donovan, a previously under-the-radar actor; prior to ''Burn Notice'', he had guest-starring roles on ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'', and he showed up in the best-forgotten ''Film/BookOfShadowsBlairWitch2''. Fiona is played by Gabrielle Anwar, most famous for her brief role as Al Pacino's dancing partner in ''Film/ScentOfAWoman''. Sam is played by famous chin Creator/BruceCampbell. Sharon Gless of ''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' fame plays Madeline. Jesse is played by Coby Bell, previously known for his work on ''Series/ThirdWatch'' and ''Series/TheGame''.

The show branches away from ''A-Team''-style clients-of-the-week in Season Five to focus on [[MythArc Michael's quest to clear his burn notice]]. It explores, expands upon, and develops the drama behind Michael's personal mission and how it affects his life. (A number of other shows on the USANetwork began to copy this approach in the hopes of reaching this show's level of success.) By the middle of Season Six, the show wraps up Michael's original mission and introduces new plot points to carry the story through a seventh and final season.

->''"When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history. You're stuck in [[UsefulNotes/{{Miami}} whatever city they decide to dump you in]]. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who's still talking to you: a {{trigger happy}} ex-girlfriend; an {{old friend}} who used to inform on you to the FBI; family too--[[AnythingButThat if you're desperate]]. And a down and out spy you met along the way. Bottom line: As long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere."''

----

->''"When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history. You're stuck in [[UsefulNotes/{{Miami}} whatever city they decide to dump you in]]. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who's still talking to you: a {{trigger happy}} ex-girlfriend; an {{old friend}} who used to inform on you to the FBI; family too -- [[AnythingButThat if you're desperate]]. And a down and out spy you met along the way. Bottom line: As long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere."''

''Burn Notice'', a Creator/USANetwork original series which ran from 2007 to 2013, stars Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen (no, not [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Weston that one]], although he has guested on the show), an American spy who gets blacklisted by the government (the titular "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burn_notice_(document) burn notice]]") in the midst of a covert mission. Michael barely escapes the mission, passes out on a plane, and eventually wakes up in his native UsefulNotes/{{Miami}} -- where he finds family, friends, and an old girlfriend waiting for him.

Michael doesn't have any money or income, though, and he can't exactly get a job recommendation from his former employers. To make ends meet, he reluctantly accepts clients from around the Miami area and works to help them solve their problems under the table. These problems usually involve saving said clients from various life-threatening situations, mostly of the "good guy gets deep in debt to bad guys" variety. While these tasks take up the majority of most episodes, the show also spends time on Michael's various attempts to figure out who in the government burned him (and why), his ongoing quest to clear his burn notice, and his interpersonal relationships with his friends and family.

Michael relies on Fiona Glenanne (his girlfriend and a former [[WesternTerrorists IRA]] operative) and Sam Axe (a retired spy/former Navy SEAL who Michael worked with in the past) to watch his back as he takes on con artists, mobsters, gang leaders, and various other underworld riff-raff. From Season Four onwards, the team gains an extra member in Jesse Porter, a counterintelligence agent who Michael accidentally burned as a side-effect of the MythArc. All of the members of this team have plenty of skill when it comes to crafting primitive explosive devices and homemade spy gear out of household items. Unconventional warfare serves as one of the show's major themes; at one point, Michael says, "Guns make you stupid. It's better to fight your wars with duct tape. Duct tape makes you smart." Another theme comes in the form of crafting ''identities'' out of nothing; when dealing with the bad guys, Michael and company often play the role of criminals (be they rivals or friends) or even innocent civilians, but never show their true colors unless someone or something forces their hand.

As noted above, Michael is played by Jeffrey Donovan, a previously under-the-radar actor (prior to ''Burn Notice'', he had guest-starring roles on ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'', and he showed up in the best-forgotten ''Film/BookOfShadowsBlairWitch2''). Fiona is played by Gabrielle Anwar, most famous for her brief role as Al Pacino's dancing partner in ''Film/ScentOfAWoman''. Sam is played by famous chin Creator/BruceCampbell. Sharon Gless (of ''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' fame) plays Michael's mother, Madeline, who often helps Michael find new clients (and sometimes plays a part in helping Michael's operations). Season Four adds Jesse, played by Coby Bell, previously known for ''Series/ThirdWatch'' and ''Series/TheGame''.

Michael serves as the show's {{narrator}}, explaining to the viewer why he chooses a particular course of action. Rather than doing a real time InnerMonologue, Michael narrates as if giving a lecture to a class of students. Viewers can think of Michael the Narrator as a slightly different character from Michael Westen. Through this method, the show addresses a large number of tropes (most of them spy-related) and [[PlayingWithATrope plays with them in a variety of ways]]. The show does its best to avoid typical action movie clichés: a car won't [[EveryCarIsAPinto explode]] unless [[ExternalCombustion someone's planted a bomb on it]], characters get hurt and are forced to spend [[WalkItOff several episodes limping around]], and making escapes involve either [[TryAndFollow dangerous stunts]] or being small enough to squeeze [[AirVentPassageway through an air vent]].

''Burn Notice'' eventually began branching away from ''A-Team''-style clients-of-the-week to focus on Michael's quest to clear his burn notice. From Season Five onward, the show explores, expands upon, and develops the drama behind the characters and the ramifications of the MythArc. (A number of other shows on the USANetwork began to copy this approach in the hopes of reaching the same level of success as ''Burn Notice''.) By the middle of Season Six, the show effectively wraps up the original MythArc while introducing new plot points to carry it through its seventh and final season.

A prequel movie to the series, ''Film/BurnNoticeTheFallOfSamAxe'', premiered on USA in 2011. Bruce Campbell starred in the film (obviously) and Jeffrey Donovan served as director.

!! We're TV Tropes, and we used to list all the ''Burn Notice'' tropes on this page -- but when a page gets too big, we have to break it into subpages. This doesn't involve duct tape, but it should.

'''''Burn Notice''''', a Creator/USANetwork original series which ran from 2007 to 2013, stars Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen (no, not [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Weston that one]], although he has guested on the show), an American spy who gets blacklisted by the government (the titular "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burn_notice_(document) burn notice]]") in the midst of a covert mission. Michael barely escapes the mission, passes out on a plane, and eventually wakes up in his native UsefulNotes/{{Miami}} -- where he finds family, friends, and an old girlfriend waiting for him.

Michael relies on Fiona Glenanne (his girlfriend and a former [[WesternTerrorists IRA]] operative) and Sam Axe (a retired spy/ex-Navy SEAL who Michael worked with in the past) to watch his back as he takes on con artists, mobsters, gang leaders, and various other underworld riff-raff. From Season Four onwards, the team gains an extra member in Jesse Porter, a counterintelligence agent who Michael accidentally burned as a side-effect of the MythArc. All of the members of this team have plenty of skill when it comes to crafting primitive explosive devices and homemade spy gear out of household items. Unconventional warfare serves as one of the show's major themes; at one point, Michael says, "Guns make you stupid. It's better to fight your wars with duct tape. Duct tape makes you smart." Another theme comes in the form of crafting ''identities'' out of nothing; when dealing with the bad guys, Michael and company often play the role of criminals (be they rivals or friends) or even innocent civilians, but never show their true colors unless someone or something forces their hand.

->''"When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history. You're stuck in [[UsefulNotes/{{Miami}} whatever city they decide to dump you in]]. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who's still talking to you: a {{trigger happy}} girlfriend; an {{old friend}} who used to inform on you to the FBI; family too -- [[AnythingButThat if you're desperate]]. And a down and out spy you met along the way. Bottom line: As long as you're burned, you're not going anywhere."''

As noted above, Michael is played by Jeffrey Donovan, a previously under-the-radar actor (prior to ''Burn Notice'', he had guest-starring roles on ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'', and he showed up in the best-forgotten ''Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2''). Fiona is played by Gabrielle Anwar, most famous for her brief role as Al Pacino's dancing partner in ''Film/ScentOfAWoman''. Sam is played by famous chin Creator/BruceCampbell. Sharon Gless (of ''Series/CagneyAndLacey'' fame) plays Michael's mother, Madeline, who often helps Michael find new clients (and sometimes plays a part in helping Michael's operations). Season Four adds Jesse, played by Coby Bell, previously known for ''Series/ThirdWatch'' and ''Series/TheGame''.

Michael relies on Fiona Glenanne (his girlfriend and a former [[WesternTerrorists IRA]] operative) and Sam Axe (a retired spy/ex-Navy SEAL who Michael worked with in the past) to watch his back as he takes on con artists, mobsters, gang leaders, and various other underworld riff-raff. From Season Four onwards, the team gains an extra member in Jesse Porter, a counterintelligence agent who Michael accidentally burned as a side-effect of the MythArc. All of the members of this team have plenty of skill when it comes to crafting primitive explosive devices and homemade spy gear out of household items. Unconventional warfare serves as one of the show's major themes; at one point, Michael says, "Guns make you dumb. It's better to fight your wars with duct tape. Duct tape makes you smart." Another theme comes in the form of crafting ''identities'' out of nothing; when dealing with the bad guys, Michael and company often play the role of criminals (be they rivals or friends) or even innocent civilians, but never show their true colors unless someone or something forces their hand.

'''''Burn Notice''''', a USANetwork original series which ran from 2007 to 2013, stars Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen (no, not [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Weston that one]], although he has guested on the show), an American spy who gets blacklisted by the government (the titular "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burn_notice_(document) burn notice]]") in the midst of a covert mission. Michael barely escapes the mission, passes out on a plane, and eventually wakes up in his native UsefulNotes/{{Miami}} -- where he finds family, friends, and an old girlfriend waiting for him.