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?
The first season of Burn Notice was enjoyable, with a solid cast, good writing, and a great balance of comedy, action, and of course, drama. As good as the show was, there seemed to be untapped potential in Burn Notice, so would the second season up the ante? As it turns out, no. This second season walks in step with the first, just more of the same. That isn’t bad news, as Burn Notice is still a lot of fun, but it could be much better. Even so, with so many lame shows on television, it is hard to knock one that gets it right, just because it misses some beats. The cast continues to gel and the play between the main characters is great, not to mention some excellent guest stars and cameos, which add a lot. So while Burn Notice doesn’t blossom in this second season, it is still good enough to warrant a recommendation.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This show deserves a good transfer, but sadly, that doesn’t happen here. In a combination of limited source material and poor authoring, these episodes look more like second generation dubs than high definition. The show never looks eye popping, even in HD on television, but it should look better than this. The image is plagued by noise and white pops, which make the show look much older and more worn than it is. The colors also seem off kilter, while overall sharpness is mediocre at best. I am simply stunned that Burn Notice looks this poor on Blu-ray and fans are sure to share my sentiment.
Audio: How does it sound?
The DTS HD 5.1 soundtrack is solid, but unremarkable. The show offers a good amount of action, but the audio remains held back for the most part. Even when the guns come out or a tense chase unfolds, the surrounds stay quiet. This is a shame, as some presence could have added so much. At the same time, since the track sounds good, its hard to be critical. Even so, there is potential gone to waste here in terms of audio. The music sounds good though, while dialogue is crisp and consistent. This release also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
You can listen to audio comments on three episodes, each of which has a nice group of cast, crew, and guests. All three tracks prove to be solid sessions, with a lot of anecdotes, production stories, and other information shared. Boom Notice is a humorous short that puts a new spin on the show’s concept, while a brief featurette, a gag reel, and some deleted scenes round out the extras.
