Diary of a Burn Notice Virgin – Do I actually like Michael and Fiona … together?

(Season 2, Episodes 10-12)

This is definitely the weirdest batch of Burn Notice episodes I’ve watched so far. I have been complaining quite vociferously about the Michael/Fiona storyline since the first season. I’ve never bought it for a moment; Gabrielle Anwar and Jeffrey Donovan, for all of their talents, have never managed to look the least bit interested in each other. However, that all changes. It’s been coming on subtly for a little while, but in episode 10, Michael just goes for it, and it was actually quite compelling. It’s a crazy world, people.

(Season 2, Episode 10 “Do No Harm”)

This episode is one of the best ones I’ve seen so far; it worked for me on every level: the mission of the week, the whole Carla (Tricia Helfer) saga, and even Michael and Fiona’s relationship. Hell has, indeed, frozen over.

The episode starts with Michael still dealing with the aftermath of the bomb that was planted in his apartment in the last episode. He obviously got out in time, but not before sustaining some injuries. What I like about this is that they really dealt with the aftermath. They didn’t do the typical action movie/TV show thing where they just jump out of the way as everything blows up in slow motion. Not only does Michael hurt his arm and probably sustains a concussion, but he’s shaken up as well. He’s freaked out by his brush with death, and it manifests itself in different and interesting ways throughout the episode.

The mission of the week involves a father who got scammed when trying to get treatment for his chronically ill son. Fiona gets put on babysitting duty, and the whole situation in dealing with a child seems to affect both her and Michael. Campbell, Fiona’s put-upon paramedic boyfriend, finally breaks up with her, after realizing that Michael is always going to be the most important man in her life. Between this, the kid, and Michael’s brush with death, both of them seem to be reevaluating things and moving closer together. This is the first time the Michael/Fiona relationship storyline has been remotely believable to me, so I’m all for this.

In Carla news, it turns out she wasn’t the one who tried to blow Michael up. She also wasn’t the one who blew up her own sniper, so it looks as though Carla has an unseen enemy of her own. This simply will not do, so she’s officially hired Michael to find out who killed him.

(Season 2, Episode 11 “Hot Spot”)

You guys, I feel weird and confused inside. The Michael/ Fiona relationship is moving forward, and I’m actually… liking it. Crazy, I know, but there it is. When Michael didn’t know whether or not Fiona was trapped inside of that burning house, the anguish was very apparent, as was the utter relief when he saw that she was sitting in his apartment waiting for him. It’s a little weird that she snuck out the next morning though, so maybe she’s having second thoughts.

The mission of the week involved a car-stealing ring, and I learned important information about how to steal cars and make them bullet-resistant. Hopefully both will come in handy. I like the new MO of having the people that they’re helping stay at Michael’s mom’s house. It gets her more involved in the storyline, and we get to see her interact with new characters. It’s a win/win.

Not too much happened in the whole Carla storyline, a fact that Carla herself archly pointed out to Michael. She’s not too happy that he’s spending most of his time and energy helping others instead of helping himself. She intimates that he may not have much more time, which is a good point, considering that the flaming home Fiona found herself briefly trapped inside belonged to the man who planted the bomb at Michael’s apartment.

(Season 2, Episode 12 “Seek and Destroy”)

It makes complete sense that they’re stretching the whole Carla storyline throughout the entire season, yet every time I sit down and watch an episode, I still foolishly expect some sort of big answer or resolution. This episode is no different. I expected some answers, and instead, we just got more questions.

That’s not to say Michael didn’t move forward — he absolutely did. With the help of our old friend Seymour, the arms dealer, Michael tracked down the guy who planted the bomb at his apartment. Turns out that he’s a bomber for hire who does a lot of work for the Russian mob. However, it wasn’t the Russians who hired him to kill Michael. It was somebody whom he had never met. Michael doesn’t get a name, but does get an account number, so that’s something.

The mission of the week was pretty fun. Marla Sokoloff guest-starred as the client, a woman whose artist father was murdered by his art dealer. Michael went in as a security specialist hired to find out who was spying on the dealer. We got to see Michael play a double agent, which was pretty amusing. In the end, Michael convinced the art dealer’s partner to kill the dealer, which is weird to me. Michael and his crew won’t get their hands dirty by doing the job themselves, but I don’t see much distinction in a situation like this. Maybe it’s just a practical concern: they don’t need a bunch of murders piling up and getting the police interested in them.

Clacked by Kona Gallagher
on Jul 26, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT