Burn Notice's first season was definitely enjoyable, but it was riddled with issues that prevented me from loving it. I don't quite love this season either, but it went a long way towards fixing a lot of those issues.
Right from the get-go, Season 2 addresses one of my biggest problems with the first season. There's an overarching villain this time, established from the very first episode, in Michael's "handler" Carla. Michael spends the season trying to use Carla to learn more about his burn notice while also being forced to work with her, as an intriguing mystery develops on what she's up to. However, the real highlight of the season is actually a subplot that kickstarts halfway through, where Michael is nearly blown up and tries to find the bomber. I found it to be way more compelling and it intersects with the Carla storyline incredibly well by the finale. Something I noticed about Burn Notice is that my enjoyment of the series is derived by how good the antagonist is, and the fairly detached Carla just isn't quite as compelling as, say, Jason Bly from last season. However, there were some good villains this season. The psychopathic Larry Sizemore was a phenomenal single-episode antagonist who I hope will reappear later on, and Victor had a great dynamic with Michael that made up for Carla's issues. Still, I'd say this burn notice plotline was overall better than the first. It felt planned out, with a self-contained storyline and an overarching villain.
As for the "clients of the week", they were still the weak link of the series for me, though a lot better than last season. I think the decision to lean more on Michael using silly covers gave them a bit more entertainment value, and it genuinely felt like some client of the week storylines weren't afterthoughts. I already mentioned how great of an antagonist Larry was in his episode, but there was also a fun episode where Michael pretended to be a nerdy scientist along with one where he gets trapped in a bank robbery with Bly. As for the characters, they're still pretty entertaining. The season explores Michael's darker side a lot, whether it's when working for Carla, for Larry, or dealing with the bombing. It makes him a far more interesting character and I'd love to see later seasons unpack this even more. The one thing with him that still doesn't work though is his relationship with Fiona, which goes from on to off to on again so fast and so frequently that I feel like I get whiplash every time. I also think Madeline is still incredibly annoying, though I'm starting to warm up to Nate a bit.
This episode had way more great episodes than the first, including:
Double Booked: This is one of the few episodes where the "client of the week" storyline was actually more compelling than the "burn notice" plot, which also served as great set-up for the midseason finale. Larry Sizemore was a great character, he's a truly chaotic and terrifying antagonist who gives us some more insight into Michael's darker past. And I love how the ending was a bit of a downer as well, with Larry getting away with what he wants.
Do No Harm: This was an oddly somber episode compared to the rest of the show so far, and I loved it! It was great that the bombing had an actual effect on Michael, and it was really fascinating to see tensions start to form between him and Sam/Fiona. There were a ton of really great individual scenes, like Michael turning himself in, the interrogation scenes, Michael fighting Sam, and Fiona's breakup.
Bad Breaks: "Bank robbery" episodes are odd. They're so common and their core premise is kinda contrived, but they're also nearly always good! Bad Breaks might just be the best one yet, having Michael be on top of things compared to most hostages is a nice change of pace. Jason Bly is back and his dynamic with Michael is better than ever, seeing the two finally get over their differences and work together was great. I also really like the robber, as played by none other than Leverage's Mark Sheppard.
Lesser Evil: While Season 1's ending felt a bit dull, this finale was thoroughly epic, packed with great action, high stakes, and an insane final few minutes. Michael and Victor's team-up was a ton of fun, as was Sam trying to protect Madeline, and the big final battle with Carla felt climactic and satisfying. The final scene where Michael cuts ties with Management should be a massive change for the future.
Overall, Season 2 was a pretty big improvement over the first, with a stronger overarching plot and some truly excellent episodes, even if it still struggles a bit with its villains and client of the week episodes.
4/5 Stars
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