# Burn Notice is back! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711 "2009-06-04T16:29:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/101 "2009-07-12T23:56:59Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > Ok, I’m confused by the overall plot. > > Mike was burned not by the organization he works for, but by another organization? So why can’t he get back with his original folks if the burn notice is lifted at the end of Season 2? The burn notice wasn’t lifted. The evil organization just said that they’d stop trying to get him to join them (but also stop keeping his existence secret from his enemies.) The CIA/US government still thinks that Michael was selling secrets to foreign nations. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/102 "2009-07-12T23:59:30Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > So why can’t he get back with his original folks if the burn notice is lifted at the end of Season 2? It was lifted? I thought he just met “Management” and they were keeping him burned to work for them. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/103 "2009-07-13T00:56:15Z")
So there’s two sooper-sekrit organizations, Michael’s and the burn notice one, and the burn notice one is still trying to grab him, hoping that as his life goes downhill he’ll switch to them? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/104 "2009-07-13T01:12:39Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > It was lifted? I thought he just met “Management” and they were keeping him burned to work for them. He didn’t know they were protecting him after he got burned. He wants to go back to being a spy/special ops dude, so he told Fraser’s dad to take a leap and jumped out of the helicopter. I think I read someone ( **Sampiro**?) surmise that Jeffrey Donovan might be gay. (Not that I care either way) but that niggles in the back of my head every time I see Michael turn down lunch with a very nicely dressed Fiona and a MichaelHeartsDiego user name on E-bay. It provides an interesting undercurrent to the show. We were on vacation, so we had to play catch up on this one and the episode with the guy from ER and the guy from NYPD Blue. I liked that episode, especially with the takeout of the bad guys in the meth lab and Michael getting Paxson off his back for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/105 "2009-07-13T01:26:51Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I think I read someone ( **Sampiro**?) surmise that Jeffrey Donovan might be gay. (Not that I care either way) Perha[s that comes from part of the storyline in [Touching Evil](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383153/), where Donovan’s character Creeger befriends a crazy guy. Creeger died from a gunshot wound and was resuscitated. He was pretty much nuts. I really liked that show, and it was killed after twelve episodes. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/106 "2009-07-17T01:57:29Z")
That was cool. And no Detective WhatsHerName. Memo to self: Do not piss of Mike’s Mama. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/107 "2009-07-17T03:01:40Z")
Madeline is a great character. I liked her line to Sam: Remember you sleep in my guest room. I could smother you in your sleep. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/108 "2009-07-17T03:21:13Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Madeline is a great character. I liked her line to Sam: Remember you sleep in my guest room. I could smother you in your sleep. And Sam was _scared._ I still say she is Jewish. “I found my son. Are you going to go get him, or do I have to do that too?” Did the gangster’s guys kill the Rooskies, or just turn them over to the Rooskie mobster to be killed? ---
**Author:** ![ProfessorX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@ProfessorX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProfessorX)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/109 "2009-07-17T16:52:05Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > He didn’t know they were protecting him after he got burned. He wants to go back to being a spy/special ops dude, so he told Fraser’s dad to take a leap and jumped out of the helicopter. > > I think I read someone ( **Sampiro**?) surmise that Jeffrey Donovan might be gay. (Not that I care either way) but that niggles in the back of my head every time I see Michael turn down lunch with a very nicely dressed Fiona and a MichaelHeartsDiego user name on E-bay. It provides an interesting undercurrent to the show. > > We were on vacation, so we had to play catch up on this one and the episode with the guy from ER and the guy from NYPD Blue. I liked that episode, especially with the takeout of the bad guys in the meth lab and Michael getting Paxson off his back for awhile. Yeah, I’m still catching up as well…I have to think Paxson is going to be gone for only a little while and frankly I was a little surprised that she even took the bait, so to speak, and left him alone at all. I guess he did do a huge favor for her after all. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/110 "2009-07-17T17:07:43Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > So there’s two sooper-sekrit organizations, Michael’s and the burn notice one, and the burn notice one is still trying to grab him, hoping that as his life goes downhill he’ll switch to them? Michael is trying to get back into the CIA. The other organization, the one that burned him, was a private espionage outfit. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/111 "2009-07-17T17:08:45Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > And Sam was _scared._ > I still say she is Jewish. “I found my son. Are you going to go get him, or do I have to do that too?” She’s quite obviously Irish. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/112 "2009-07-17T17:14:29Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Madeline is a great character. I liked her line to Sam: Remember you sleep in my guest room. I could smother you in your sleep. I’m just a teeny bit scared it is going to turn out that she’s been running the show all along and is also a spy of some sort. I have faith they won’t go there but see some groundwork if they wanted to. (Series finale: she burned him just so he’d be home more often). ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/113 "2009-07-17T17:33:47Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > I’m just a teeny bit scared it is going to turn out that she’s been running the show all along and is also a spy of some sort. > > I have faith they won’t go there but see some groundwork if they wanted to. (Series finale: she burned him just so he’d be home more often). That she and/or Fiona is the originator is the most likely from a motive standpoint, to be certain. However, the creators of the series have a greater motive to have Michael stuck with his mom and Fiona, so it’s more likely that it was serendipity for mom and Fi. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/114 "2009-07-17T17:52:11Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > (Series finale: she burned him just so he’d be home more often). More proof of Jewishness. _You couldn’t have time to visit your Mother already?_ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/115 "2009-07-17T17:52:28Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > That she and/or Fiona is the originator is the most likely from a motive standpoint, to be certain. However, the creators of the series have a greater motive to have Michael stuck with his mom and Fiona, so it’s more likely that it was serendipity for mom and Fi. That would be the lamest explanation they could possibly conceive of. It’d put the ending of the show up there with Battlestar Galactica as one of the worst payoffs in the history of television. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/116 "2009-07-17T17:57:55Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > It’d put the ending of the show up there with Battlestar Galactica as one of the worst payoffs in the history of television. My thought, too. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/117 "2009-07-17T18:50:45Z")
> [@ProfessorX](#): > > I have to think Paxson is going to be gone for only a little while and frankly I was a little surprised that she even took the bait, so to speak, and left him alone at all. Eh, you know detectives, a bunch of bitchy little girls. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/118 "2009-07-17T18:59:32Z")
Is there anyone but me that is tired of watching Michael turn down money and yet always seem to have plentiful operating capital? Fiona talks about him borrowing money from her and yet we’ve seen his antics blow her business as well. I love Burn Notice but I really hate the trope that good guys don’t take money. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/119 "2009-07-17T19:08:02Z")
Plus, Fiona is a doormat. I still like the show, though. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711/120 "2009-07-17T19:30:08Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Is there anyone but me that is tired of watching Michael turn down money and yet always seem to have plentiful operating capital? Fiona talks about him borrowing money from her and yet we’ve seen his antics blow her business as well. > > I love Burn Notice but I really hate the trope that good guys don’t take money. He doesn’t always turn down the money - early on he took quite a bit (IIRC) from his clients - he obvioulsy turns down money from people he doesnt want to work with, or in cases where taking that money would imply a relationship that could keep him out of his goal. Plus, a diet of yogurt isnt that expensive, its Sam’s Mohito budget that’s breaking him. Fiona’s the obvious “in league with the folks that burned him” - how did she know to find him in Miami at taht hotel? Was she his emergency contact or somethng? Is there a phone tree? Mike’s been burned, call Fiona, Fiona, call his mom… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burn-notice-is-back/498711.md?page=7)