Plot: What’s it about?
Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan) used to be a secret agent, a high level spy used in important missions. But then he was burned, the spy equivalent of being fired. That meant that when he was undercover on a case, his cover was blown and he barely escaped with his life. So of course, he wants to know who was behind the burn, so he can settle the score. Weston just wants his life back and while Miami is fun, he wants to leave it behind. As he tracks down the responsible party, Weston winds up making a couple of contacts with former agent Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) and Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar). To pass the time and pay the bills, he and his team take on various cases in town, but Weston’s focus remains on the big picture. Now that he is close to the burner, will Weston finally uncover the truth?
After the conclusion of the third season, Burn Notice had some answers to give us in this fourth season. The events that happen early in the season signal that these episodes will take us on a different path than previous seasons. But while some major plot shifts do happen, this is business as usual for Michael Weston and his crew. That’s not bad per se, but I was hoping for a more substantial shake up. Even so, all what Burn Notice has done well in the past still works, so the show is fun to watch. I didn’t enjoy the episodic adventures as much this season, but the larger story arc works well enough. Burn Notice shines because of how well the cast works, which continues here as usual. The addition of a new regular doesn’t cause much disruption, so the chemistry remains as sold as ever here. So while Burn Notice’s fourth season wasn’t quite as good as the third, the episodes provide solid entertainment and keep us hooked in for the fifth season.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This show never looks good in the traditional sense, as the visual design calls for softness, grain, and tweaked color schemes. This meshes well with the tone of the show and the Miami locale, but doesn’t impress in the technical fashion. Even so, the show looks as it should here and all of the little touches done to the image are intact. The image doesn’t pop or dazzle, but it looks as intended and that’s enough said in this case.
Audio: How does it sound?
This show has a good amount of action, but this Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack isn’t that remarkable. I’ve never really found the show’s audio to be memorable however, so the mix isn’t to blame. The series has some minor presence at times, but not as much as you’d expect, given the show’s set pieces. The action sounds passable, but lacks the kind of punch you might expect. Even so, dialogue is clear and the music sounds good. So it gets the job done, but without many frills to speak of. This release also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A lot of bullet points, but not much actual content. A lone commentary track is found on the season finale, while the “roasts” between Burn Notice and White Collar are rather disappointing. This release also has some deleted scenes, a featurette with Bruce Campbell, a gag reel, and a short look at some of the show’s stunts.
