Summary

Burn Notice, an American television series full of

action and drama, stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabriel Anwar, Bruce Campbell, and Sharon Gless. Created by Matt Nix, the show premiered on June 28, 2007 on the USA Network and is currently running into its fourth season. Both the setting and filming of this show takes place in Miami, Florida. The show provides an often over-glamorized portrayal of the Miami culture and lifestyle. Furthermore, the format of this show is organized under a first-person narrative, with frequent voice-overs from Jeffrey Donovan. To understand the premises of this show, one must understandwhat a burn notice is. A burn notice, issued by intelligence agencies, dismisses an agent who is considered disloyal or unreliable. When an agent is burned, they are wiped off the grid, with no access to cash, credit, jobs, or contacts; thus, they are essentially a person with no identity.

Michael Weston, played by Jeffrey Donovan, is a former spy who recently received a burn notice from an intelligence center. Thus, all of his possessions, i.e. bank accounts, identity, and job history, are completely frozen. He’s relocated to his hometown, Miami, Florida and now has to rely on friends and estranged family to regain his old life. The government burned Michael under the false beliefs that he murdered multiple innocent people and furthermore committed treason to the country. As a result, throughout each episode, Michael Weston attempts to clear his reputation, win back his old job, and discover who burned him. At the same time, Michael has to deal with an ex girlfriend and overprotective mother while using his special ops training to help others in need. In almost every episode, a new “client,” struggling with the evils of Miami, comes to Michael for his services. With the help of his friend, Sam Axe and ex, Fiona Glenanne, Michael poses under different identities and fights criminal organizations. In this show, violence, crime and action in Miami appears like an everyday occurrence with danger lurking in every bar.