Hail to the King baby!

In a world of many possible things to geek how do you decide what to spend your precious time on?   This is where ‘Geek This’ comes in.  A article to introduce your to the best things you may not have heard of.

You should be geeking Burn Notice.

Spies don’t get fired like regular people, instead they get burned.  When spies are burned, they are wiped off the grid, without access to cash or influence.  A burned spy has no prior work history, no money; in essence, no identity.  Michael Westen is one of the best spies and has always been loyal, but now he is burned and he wants to know why.

The show follows the yogurt fanatic Michael, played by Jeffrey Donovan, as he navigates the spy community facing off against a faceless enemy all the while trying to figure out who burned him and why.  In order to fund his personal investigation he goes to work as an unlicensed private investigator, spy, or soldier of fortune for anyone in town who can pay him any money. Westen battles and outwits an array of mobsters, con artists, contract killers, professional thieves, drug traffickers, sex traffickers, deadbeat dads, arms dealers, kidnappers and war criminals.

Aiding him in his weekly adventure is his ex-girlfriend Fiona Glenanne, a former IRA operative with an itchy trigger fingers and a passion for explosives; Same Axe [played by Bruce Campbell], an aging semi-retired intelligence operative and former Navy SEAL who sleeps with rich, older Miami women in exchange for food and shelter; and Michael’s chain-smoking retiree mother – Madeline Westen.  The cast, held together by excellent chemistry, is often helped by a memorable supporting cast including Seymour the erratic, eccentric, and clinically paranoid gunrunner who has an obsession with health food, Barry the metrosexual money launderer and Michael’s degenerate gambling younger brother Nate.

Why Care?

The show’s writing is exceptional, with the sly humour and the first person narrative, is a new take on the spy genre, and with its frequent use of jury rigging (with the characters improvising devices to do the job of more expensive, harder-to-obtain items gives the show) Burn Notice gives the feel of a modern A-Team or MacGyver.

The show also spreads it geek credentials with the actors that portray their support cast.  Battlestar Galatica vixen Trisha Tricia Helfer, Stargate Sg1 star Michael Shanks, 24 guest star Alex Carter, Terminator franchise stars Moon Bloodgood, Garret Dillahunt and Richard Schiff and the actor of the angel Uriel from Supernatural Robert Wisdom.  This, along with the ‘Hail to the King’ Geek Legend Bruce Campbell, makes for a strong geek presence in a show that can stand on its own excellence.

The highly successful show started its fourth season this summer with a stunning premier, this, plus the past three seasons available on DVD, is an excellent addition to any DVD collection, TIVO download schedule and if nothing more, a great way to spend an hour each week.  Now Geek This!!

If you like this:

• White Collar
• Covert Affairs
• The Good Guys
• In Plain Sight