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.

Round Two: The Deep End

The Deep End: Season 1, Episode 2 “Where There’s Smoke” (B)

To be honest, I’m actually still liking this show. I realize that it’s terribly playful and a bit over-the-top, but the new lawyers are just trying so damn hard that it seems worth it. It’s also quite entertaining and certainly engaging, so that’s definitely a plus. I am finding it impossible to remember any of the characters’ names, but I don’ t think that’s a major issue since I can already identify them by their faces and they’ll probably all end sleeping together anyway. I like how the structure of this firm works, and I think that the characters on all the different levels play very well together, at least for entertainment purposes. I enjoyed Hart and Rowdy bursting into laughter about the deathly serious marijuana situation presented to them moments earlier by Addy and Malcolm (I may just call him Eggs if I can’t remember his character’s name on this show next time). The dynamic between Addy and Malcolm is also fun, with Malcolm’s sarcastic response about her waiting twenty years for them to build a new train and her response to his offer that it was both convenient and nice. Dylan is definitely still getting the hang of things, which is fine, while Beth proved herself quite impressive in the face of intimidation and manipulation by her father. The subplot of Liam unable to match any woman’s kiss to the quality of his first kiss was actually quite fun, and really sunk in dramatically with his pause after Beth came up to him and did her worst. This show is soapy, sure, but I think I’m just going to deal with it and like it. Also, if you're looking for an expert on something scientific, I would definitely trust Dr. Pierre Chang from "Lost."