Few shows have the gas in their tank to make it through five seasons. I believe that Burn Notice is one of the few shows that look no worse for wear at the five-season mark. Fox has just released their DVD set for the fifth season, ensuring that fans can keep up to date. This season begins with Weston getting eir position back at the CIA, a move which is put into jeopardy as ey is framed of a murder.
As Weston is attempting to clear eir name, the episodes of Burn Notice’s fifth season provide a greater amount of screen time for Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar). In doing so, there seems to be considerable momentum provided to the show. I felt that previous seasons focused a mite too heavy on Weston; with this fleshing-out, the show just seems stronger. The inclusion of Max (Grant Snow) as Weston’s partner further changes the dynamic in play. The show straddles the line between spy, drama, and murder-mystery perfectly without falling into the clichés or pitfalls present in these genres’ efforts.
The show still focuses on the main story arc – Weston is a good character that has bad things happening to eir – but revitalizes this premise nicely. The episodes of the fifth season represent a cogent plot, with the season’s finale leaving viewers on the edges of their seats. The Complete Fifth Season box set has stellar audio and video and will catch viewers up for when the show begins to air again. The sixth season begins on June 14th; buy this and see where exactly Weston will go throughout the summer.
Rating: 8.0/10
Burn Notice: The Complete Fifth Season (DVD Set) / 2012 Fox / 774 Minutes /http://www.fox.com