BURN NOTICE “Hard Time” Review

In “Hard Time,” most of the BURN NOTICE cast is secondary to Jeffrey Donavan’s lead, Michael Westin, along with Bruce Campbell’s Sam. The show opens with Michael’s anticipated Simon meet through Vaughn about the coded bible, but he’s doesn’t get much info, other than a lead in a graveyard. In the main story, a friend of Sam’ named Juan in prison has a week to go, but his life’s threatened by a gang leader inside. Sam plans to find a way to get in and save him but instead, Michael volunteers since Sam had been followed by gang members on the outside. Michael’s FBI “friends” seen in last’s week’s episode get him in, with a phone planted in his cell. Michael plays the meek guy at first encountering Cruz, who runs the joint. Then, when he figures out they’re going to get ambushed, he shows his stuff, taking out a line of tattooed nasty prisoners by goading them into the cell he shares with Juan. But Cruz warns them a riot is coming and people (them) will get hurt and worse. Meanwhile at a cemetery, Sam digs up a coffin with Fiona on hand, but they discover the coffin’s boob-trapped. Later, Fi and Michael’s mom return to the grave, covered by a big patch of grass and she uses an oil/water combo to get around that and pulls out the material inside, a recording. In the prison, Michael contacts Sam and says they’ve got to get Juan out ASAP with the help of a guarded being blackmailed by Cruz. Fiona visits Michael and slips him a wire to pick a lock through a massive deep kiss until a guard pulls her off him and she tramp-walks out. When the riot happens, Michael’s plan goes awry as Juan’s leg is broken so he changes tactics and near-blows up the infirmary. Sam and Jesse show up as guards to get them out and also take the packaged up Cruz who’s dumped in a warehouse with a gun, emerging to find police waiting for him as a fugitive. Juan is dropped off at home to reunite with his family. In the wrap-up, we’re back to the Simon sub-plot as the cassette reveals Vaugn was instrumental in burning Michael. In another meeting with the conniving Simon, he learns the man in charge of assasination plots and more is a billionaire corporate CEO, Barrett

There were some inventive “how-to-bits” in “Hard Time,” such as Michael creating body armor for him and Juan by ripping apart library books to use the hardcover bindings; Fi’s chemistry cleverness at the gravesite; and Michael using oxygen talks, ether,rubbing alcohol and a dental torch to set fire to the infirmary. The Maddy (Sharon Gless) and FI (Gabrille Anwar) interplay in the graveyard was good as well.

So overall, the Michael-centric prison episode of Burn Notice – written by Exec Producer Alfredo Barrios Jr. – had its moments. While Cruz came off a bit generic as the bad guy of the week, you did want to see Michael take him out. And questions remain: Did Vaughn really burn Michael? Will we see more of Simon? Can a “pawn” like Michael, as Simon called each of them, topple a “king” like Barrett? Just two episodes to go.