By: Amrie Cunningham
…Michael Westen had bid Fiona a fond farewell, shared a bro-goodbye with Sam, and was ready to accept the fate that he may have said good-bye to his friends for the last time, as he drove into the back of an 18-wheeler.
The season premiere, airing tonight on USA Network pick up a short time after that. As we find Michael trying to get himself out of the truck. He gets a phone call from a mystery woman (Carla, we come to find out), who lets Michael know that he now works for the people who burned him, whether he likes it or not.
Following a slightly lackluster resolution to last year’s finale, the first two episodes take off – they’re full of action and the fun we’ve come to love from BURN NOTICE. There are some great scenes between Michael and Fiona. Gabrielle Anwar gets to show another side in the premiere that just made her climb higher on my favorites list. I love the Sam and Michael relationship – everyone needs a best friend like that. Michael’s continued exasperation with his mother is classic. Jeffrey Donovan and Sharon Gless share a scene that just kicked my sappy ass, so I’m interested to see where the mother/son relationship heads this year. I am starting a petition right now for more Fiona/Sam scenes. They’re great!
What I loved most about these first two episodes (besides the super sweet accent Jeffrey Donovan adopts in the premiere – cut to me, swooning) is the interaction between Michael and Tricia Helfer’s (ridiculously beautiful) Carla. Even over the phone, the tension is high. They joke with each other, kind of pick on each other like kids on a playground, all the while getting down to business. I love that we’re going to see this duo continue to go at each other; I can’t wait to see what the writers do with the storyline (and what happens when Fiona finds out how smoking Carla is).
If you haven’t seen Season 1, go out and get it on DVD, cram those 11 hours of TV in before the premiere – you will not be disappointed! If you watched Season 1, watching these episodes of BURN NOTICE is like welcoming a friend back from a long vacation. 
