Wednesday, December 5, 2012

What I’m Watching: Burn Notice


Burn Notice: Season 6, Episode 14 “Down and Out” (B+)

Things continue to be very bad for Michael and company as Olivia hunts them down with a vengeance and makes sure that Michael knows that she’s coming for him. Fiona’s passport guy reporting them was not a good start, and they’re quickly running out of friends in Miami. Fortunately, Sam still has some contacts, and Patton Oswalt’s Schmidt was a great guest for this episode. As usual, help never goes one way with Michael, and it would have been much easier to assist Schmidt in getting rid of his Syrian enemies if he wasn’t so eager to go back to his warehouse to make sure that his precious possessions weren’t obliterated by angry Syrian gunfire. Michael going undercover was useful as always, and faking Schmidt’s death was a productive way to get him out of there alive. Unlike past CIA contacts, of course, Olivia wasn’t nearly as pleased to get a consolation prize like Jabbar instead of catching Michael, and Madeleine is going to bear the brunt of her fury while Michael is still in the wind. The most problematic development of the episode is Sam’s uncertainty about coming with them, brought on by a rushed and unfortunate goodbye to Elsa. Aside from Fi, Sam has always been Michael’s most loyal ally, and having him decide that it would be better to go it alone won’t lead anywhere good, and it’s a move that Olivia would surely exploit. Sticking together is the best chance that Michael, Fi, Sam, and Jesse have to survive.

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