With Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) reinstated to the CIA (sorta), and the burn list he has been pursuing nearing an end, Season Five kicks off with Michael looking for the few loose ends in his burn so he can move on. It appears as if moving on also includes moving in with off again/ off again girl Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar). Despite working for the CIA again, Michael still enlists the help of not only his crew of Sam (Bruce Campbell) and Fiona as well as his Mom (Sharon Gless). Things seem to be wrapping up smoothly until a death within the unit points directly to Michael and he finds himself under close scrutiny again.


Burn Notice Box Set 1-5 Season Five sees some characters evolving but not always for the better. Michael becomes much too comfortable with using his mother as an extension of himself and inevitable seems to place her in danger. While Sharon Gless is a solid actress and it is nice to see her character grow, it doesn’t feel right for Michael to place such a small value on her life regularly. Speaking of Michael’s mom, she really does factor in more in this season than any other as she reveals more about her past with his abusive father and finds herself moving on and dating a new man. Jesse drops the bitter angle this season as he forgives Michael for his getting burned but he turns into a bit more of a comedic character. Normally that would be fine as he is pretty funny in the role. The problem is that Sam Axe is more than capable in that department and the series now seems to run the risk of overdoing it in that department, which could remove some of the drama from the show. The other big change is between Michael and the ever patient Fiona. The season opens with Michael making a much greater commitment to Fiona. Only time will tell if removing the sexual tension and making them a couple will work or detract from the show.


Michael is played by Jeffrey Donovan. The approach is a smooth, funny, yet deadly ex-spy that Donovan has honed over the past 3 seasons so that his character is now perfectly balanced. Playing Sam Axe is Bruce Campbell. His performance is so fluid and natural that this is the one time I can say I have watched him without ever thinking “Hey, that’s Ash from Evil Dead!” He is strong enough of a character to carry a show on his own, honestly. Gabrielle Anwar is Michael’s former girlfriend/best friend in a business relationship that is more than a little personal but never truly defined as to what their current state is. The conclusion of the season gives viewers a hint of future possibilities without ever making it official. Walt Disney’s 100 Years DVD Box Set, Sharon Gless is Michael Westen’s mom, Madeline. I admit the first few episodes I watched, the chain smoking, opinionated mom character got on my nerves but as seasons 3 and 4 played out, I think some subtle adjustments to her character have given her more depth and likeability. Guests of note this season include Burt Reynolds, Robert Patrick and Michael Ironside.


Special features include the enjoyable featurette “Sam Axe’s Guide to Ladies and Libations.” Bruce Campbell takes a look at the character and his vices in his normal irreverent hilarious manner. Bloopers are not worth watching as they are just not that funny. Deleted scenes lose any relevance when viewed outside of the episode. I wish instead Fox would give an option to watch episodes with the deleted moments inserted back into the story. This would make more sense to me. There is a nicely done featurette on the stunt work for Glee Box Set 1-3 and finally, a pair of “Roasts” between the writers of Burn Notice and their sister show “White Collar.” The roasts are purely PR pieces and aside from a few funny jabs, are not the best.


I have been a casual fan of Burn Notice since I first watched it during the second season. Season 4 is to me the strongest one yet, as the overarching plot is well executed and the episodes are all original and well written. After sitting through the season, my casual status has fallen off and I look forward to seeing Season 5. Strong performances by the cast coupled with the return of some characters from Michael’s past ensure make this True Blood Box Set 1-5 a great collection of episodes. I recommend this series for those of you who have not seen it or have not watched since season 1 or 2.