Network: USA
Episodes: 111 + movie (hour)
Seasons: Seven
TV show dates: June 28, 2007 — September 12, 2013
Series status: Ended
Performers include: Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, Sharon Gless, Paul Tei, Tricia Helfer, Seth Peterson, Marc Macaulay, and Brandon Morris.
TV show description:
This comedy/drama centers around a spy who’s received a “burn notice,” meaning that the agency that he works for has wiped him off the grid, leaving him with no work history, no money, and no identity.
Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) flees a Nigerian operation that is taken down after the sudden non-cooperation of his U.S. contact. He soon finds himself back in his hometown of Miami with his ex, Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar). A quick wit with two black belts, Michael’s assets have been frozen and he’s been abandoned by all of his business contacts. Michael learns that if he leaves Miami he’ll be taken into custody. So, working as a private investigator, he hopes to learn who burned him and why.
Fiona is a former IRA operative. She decides to stick around in Miami after Michael shows up and becomes one of his confidantes. She’s an explosives expert. Fiona and Michael are drawn to each other and, in their line of work, they really don’t have anyone else they can be with.
Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) is a former Navy SEAL and a semi-retired intelligence operative. He works as a double agent and has been asked to report on Michael to the FBI. He tells Michael about this and they pass false information to the FBI. Using the alias of Chuck Finley, Sam has no job and no place to live, so he sleeps with rich, older women in exchange for food and shelter.
When Sam’s not doing that, he lives with Michael’s mom, a chain-smoking hypochondriac named Madeline Westen (Sharon Gless). Madeline’s other son is Nate (Seth Peterson), Micahel’s down-on-his-luck younger brother who has a tendency to wager property that he doesn’t own. Nate still resents Michael’s joining the military and leaving him at home with their abusive father. The brothers are able to find common ground when it comes to their desire to keep their Mom happy and safe.
Episode #111 — “Reckoning”
Michael finds himself in a standoff between Fiona and Sonya: between loyalty and betrayal. Michael was planning on turning against the CIA and allying himself with Sonya, but when Sonya tries to kill Fiona for getting in their way, Michael shoots Sonya dead.
Michael’s now back on the right track, but it’s too late: not only are James and his entire organization gunning for Michael, but now the CIA is, as well. Because Michael didn’t make good on his agreement to take James and his entire organization down within 48 hours, the CIA has opened up a manhunt for Michael and his friends, releasing their pictures to every law enforcement agency in Florida.
With their faces all over the news and everyone in Miami chasing after them, Michael and the team have no choice but to go ahead and finish the mission. Michael is going to take down James and his network, once and for all, or die trying.
Michael learns that James has a communication relay center hidden in an abandoned building in downtown Miami. Inside, there’s a hard drive that records every message that passes through there. Michael plans to get the hard drive and deliver it to the CIA, so they can locate and neutralize every member of James’ terrorist organization.
Jesse goes to Maddie’s house to get Maddie and Charlie. Maddie sacrifices herself by detonating a bomb and takes out James’ men with her.
Michael shoots James who in turn blows up the building, seemingly killing Michael and Fiona. After Sam presides over a military funeral for his friends, we learn that they have escaped They are presumed dead so they can have a new life raising Charlie together.
Note: The series ended with a thanks to Freddie Figueroa. He was the show’s medic who passed away from cancer.
First aired: September 12, 2013.
What do you think? Do you like the Burn Notice TV series? Do you think it should have been renewed for an eighth season?
Loved the show and would follow it again, if the aired it. Bring it back with all the twist and turns for 2014. Thanks to the cast for a great TV Program.
Great show. Would love to see it again!!!!
Best show on TV
Great show, really enjoyed watching all seasons so far and think it could’ve gone on for another few seasons. Real shame it’s nearly over 🙁
Love this show. Great show and great cast. Please don’t cancel. Such fun to watch.
Every time I get to watch a series on Netflix, that is not totally stupid, it gets cancelled! So not fair! TV gives us few shows of any value, then you kill it!
AMEN TO ALL THE ABOVE COMMENTS!!! I Agree the show should never have been cancelled!
The show should have had more seasons but it seems the excellent tv shows get cancel…
I caught the show on Esquire. I am watching all the episodes on Netflix. It is a great show. I love all the characters. I can’t believe it was cancelled.
Please return Burn Notice. I love this show. There are no other’s like it. It is the best. I love the cast. Jeffrey Donovan is awesome. He was in an episode of ‘Monk’ playing an Air Force pilot who killed his girlfriend. That is the first time I had ever seen him, and of course, like him. Then he had his own show, ‘Burn Notice’. Why did you cancel it? Every show that I like on networks, are canceled or the stars decide to stop doing them. First it was ‘Monk’. Then it was ‘The Closer’. Now it is ‘Burn… Read more »
I am very sad this series has ended. Loved this show and all the people in it.
Why do “they” always cancel the really good shows? This show should have been on
for many more seasons.
My husband and I just finished watching Burn Notice on Netflix. It’s too bad that at a time when we are inundated with lousy reality shows and stupid dumbing-down shows that a great, twisting, turning, must-think-about-it explosive show should be cast aside. Burn Notice should have been continued for many more seasons!!
Its the only show of this genre that my mom would watch with me. She actually liked it and didn’t rip on it either. Something is to be learned about formulating shows for wide appeal from all of this.
The show was terrific, realy sorry it ended, The cast was excellent. Hope there is the a chance it will return.
I was very disappointed when I heard the news that my favorite show of all time was going to end. This is the only show that my husband and I watches together and love it. I looked forward to watching it every week. I turn on the TV now and look for reruns …please reconsider starting this show up again. I really missed Burn Notice.