What I’m Watching: Burn Notice

Burn Notice: Season 4, Episode 8 “Where There’s Smoke” (B+)

The setup of this episode was cool because it wasn’t quite like other installments. Fiona and Sam taking a simple security job to earn a little cash seemed easy enough, and putting Fiona in danger was the result of her following through on her assignment to protect her asset, which turned out to be a person instead of an object. If nothing else, Fiona is extremely resourceful and committed to getting a job done. It’s interesting to see how Michael is called in for backup when Fiona gets taken and promptly takes the lead and shows his face right on camera. Yancey Arias, who was great as a key cast member of FX’s too-short-lived series “Thief,” did a terrific job of playing the smart yet vulnerable kidnapper. Steven Culp, formerly of “Desperate Housewives” and many other things, was also a nice choice to play the client of the week (although not Michael’s client, so does that count?). Ultimately, however, it all comes back to our default team, and the new addition in particular. Madeline and Jesse’s relationship is quickly becoming one of the show’s most intriguing dynamics, and their conversations in this episode were poignant and heartfelt. Michael’s line “Where there’s smoke, there’s…Fiona” was certainly corny, but it served as a necessary buildup to their quick embrace which sent poor Jesse walking away all by himself. That last scene with Michael narrating how hard it is to lie to a friend was darker than most on the show and should certainly foreshadow an intense and difficult confrontation to come. For the record, this episode is yet another reason to learn how to blink Morse code.