The Spy Capers

Who’s in it? Jeffrey Donovan plays the down-on-his-luck agent,but despite all the blows that fate deals him— including a few gut-wrenchingly physical ones— he manages to keep his features fairly impassive and immobile. Perhaps it’s to do with his character’s history in espionage where,as everyone knows,you have to keep your face poker-straight no matter what you do. Or maybe it’s just a little rustiness in the acting department. But Donovan quickly slips into the role of the suave,tech-savvy spy who’s never afraid to get his hands dirty. Gabrielle Anwar plays his ex-girlfiend Fiona Glenane a former IRA operative who thrives on violence. Westen’s other close associate Sam Axe is played by Bruce Campbell — a retired spy,who now spends his days in Miami doing the occasional spy work,but mostly drinking and sponging off rich widows. Sharon Gless plays Madeline Westen,Michael’s mother,a chain-smoking hypochondriac who proves indispensable to her son’s new business,despite their frequent disagreements.

What’s hot? This is a tightly-written show,with plenty of action. There’s also a good dose of wry humour— mostly Westen’s one-liners— which go a long way towards lighting the show. Another good touch is the first-person narrative,where the voice-over is done in the manner of an instructional video for rookie spies,complete with tips and orientation information.

What’s not? While overall,the show is fun,it’s in the acting department that it suffers a little. Donovan’s is not a face that lends easily to expressiveness— that’s probably why he was picked to play a spy— but he could put in some more effort. His demeanor is so grim that the few times that he does smile,it’s a little startling. The supporting cast is pretty good,but of course,given the kind of show this is,there isn’t much scope for an Emmy here.

Should you be watching it? Burn Notice has crime investigations,thrilling car chases,humour and lots of good looking people,so it fits the bill for those looking for escapist fare.