Most of tonight’s episode was enjoyable. I loved watching Sam and Michael blow the safe and Michael getting phone service was classic. I’m even looking forward to the groundwork they’ve laid for next week, with the flirty assassin. Perhaps the best moment was the con at the end, when they became the victims, not the hostage-takers.
However, I did have a few things — five in fact — that irritated me about “Breach of Faith.”
I don’t like Jesse and Fiona doing a job together and leaving Michael out of things.
The division of Jesse/Fiona and Sam/Mike didn’t work for me. I missed the three main characters playing off each other in this episode. That’s really where the charm of this show lies (and in the yogurt — none of that tonight either) and this episode just didn’t click as much without that.
The subtitles made me a bit twitchy.
This was a complaint of mine last season as well. Previously, they were cute, but they took a turn for the tacky last season in that they crossed that line. They just didn’t know where to stop and they became over the top. Tonight’s “Thieving Bastard,” Out of Options,” and “Tough S.O.B.” did me in.
Josh’s clothes were too small for him.
Seriously, did they do a recast after the original actor had already gone to wardrobe? At least don’t tuck your shirt in, dude.
No Madeline.
Again, the way she plays off of the three — and now Jesse as well — is a big part of the show. I missed her tough and tender act, her chain smoking and the way she whines, “Michaaaaael!”
How did they know Michael was in there?
Did I miss something? Am I just not properly schooled in Hostage 101? I thought it was a bit too convenient that the cops somehow knew Michael was in there. They can’t be better than Michael….
Am I alone, or did some things bug you about tonight’s episode?
Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Jun 24, 2010 @ 22:23 EST5EDT
The cops got his name from his car, the head cop mentioned it I think.
Laughed outloud on the wacky titles and think it’s a great device.
Cops knew Michael was inside because they ran his plates when they were checking all the nearby cars.
Agreed with the points you bring out. Although the true weakness of the episode was Josh. His character albeit representing an admirable cause, was not only not believable but also extremely irritating.
I found myself rooting for Nick (who himself appeared too weak as the unbreakable/evil/bastard that the writers would have us believe).
The plot was interesting at first, but the characters were meak and appeared a bit too charicature like for my liking.
Frutrating episode, as so many good ideas and twists, were overshadowed by irritating decisions by the writers and weak execution on behalf of the supporting cast.
Gus
Glad to see that with the subtitles you now understand what I don’t like about the voiceovers. It’s a total writers’ crutch. Instead of exposition, slab a voiceover or subtitle over it. It got to the point where they didn’t have to write actual plot anymore and were left only with the banter. Problem is: you have to be regarded cool to get away with that and “Burn Notice” was never “Army of Darkness” for me.
*POST AUTHOR*
Now I still really love the voice overs, and I don’t look at either of them as a writer’s crutch. They are gimmicks, to be sure, but I embrace the gimmicks b/c that’s what make a show unique. Just growing a bit tired of the overuse of the subtitles. On another night, I might think they were cute!
Yes yes *eyeroll* I know you find these things quirky and fun :-)
To me “Burn Notice” is a robot in the uncanny valley. I just don’t like it. It’s not trashy enough to be fun like “The A-Team” and not cool enough to be “Remington Steele”. Every time I catch an episode I desperately with for a buzzer to zapp the writers for those “quirky” things they add ^^;