Next week’s premiere picks up where last season ended, with Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) swimming ashore after spurning the recruitment efforts of the mysterious “management” man (John Mahoney).
So Westen can no longer rely on an invisible security net that protected him from enemies and law enforcement agencies. “He’s vulnerable and endangering the people he cares about,” Nix says. “People will come at him from a variety of angles, some good, some bad.”
Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) will appear in several episodes as a detective investigating Westen’s activities, while Ben Shenkman will have a recurring role as a spy broker who lines him up with profitable jobs requiring his unique skill set.
Westen will continue trying to return to legitimate spy work — at heart he’s a patriot — but he’ll also come to realize how that may conflict with his renewed relationships, particularly with Fiona.
“The time Michael’s been in Miami has changed his priorities and values,” Nix says. “Getting back in is not such a simple proposition.”
As for Donovan, Burn Notice‘s success resulted in a substantial salary bump this year and has opened doors, such as his featured role opposite Angelina Jolie in last year’s Changeling.
Donovan, who is featured in most scenes, says Burn can be exhausting. “You work 12 hours a day, five days a week, so you don’t have a social life.” Early on, he sought advice from Sharon Gless, a veteran of 10 TV series. “His concern was just how to stay on your game,” Gless says. “I told him to get an assistant, ask for what he needs and take care of himself. When the star is happy, everybody is happy.”
“I am happy,”says Donovan, who is under contract for three more seasons and since February a permanent local resident. “Life can only go downhill from here.”
Burn Notice is a fun show, although admittedly, not my favorite one.