Sam answers Fan Questions!

One minute of Jeffrey Donovan on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Jeffrey Donovan does an interview with Jimmy Fallon. Video embedded from Hulu.com

Sneak Peek of "Breach of Faith" Burn Notice's Newest Episode

Michael and Sam walk into a hostage situation. You know this is going to be fun.

Burn Notice Fan Spotlight: Returns from Hiatus

The Burn Notice Fan Spotlight returns and this time, I’m putting my money where my mouth is by interviewing myself. Why? Because I really should not be asking questions of others that I am not willing to answer myself.

Hi, I'm Lexx, the writer of Creative Chaos, the lovely blog you are taking the time out to read. I'm an almost native Savannahian who happens to be on the southern side of thirty (though not for long) with degrees in both English Literature and International Studies. You can catch me on Twitter @ ourladyofashes or Email me at hurt.lee@gmail.com.

What am I contributing to the Burn Notice Fandom?

I’d like to believe that I’m bringing the fandom closer together by finding other fans promoting the love of Burn Notice. I also write about other aspects of the fandom such as my article at Associated Content about the people Burn Notice fans should be following on Twitter.

My Favorite Villain.

Personally, I really loved Carla. She was beautiful, she was feisty, and she went down with a bang. It was something of a pity she was starting to come apart when they finally kissed her good-bye. Even better that it was Fi who got to shoot her.

Favorite Cover ID

It seems like every time Michael takes on a new persona, I fall in love with him all over again. I suppose that is what being in love with a great actor is, you are always caught in a sense of being in awe at the mastery. Yet, I think my favorite is when he was Louis the Devil. The finger snap boom and the raspy Clint Eastwood impression just made it perfect.

Favorite Character

I would love to say that Fiona is my favorite, and I really do have a strong love for the trigger happy ex-girlfriend, but I have to say that Sam Axe as Chuck Finley is actually my favorite character. Yes, Sam as Chuck, not just Sam. Chuck is just the jack of all trades in Sam’s repertoire. I really do not know why I separate those two, but I do.

Why do I blog about Burn Notice?

I love to write and it is a lot easier to talk about the things that you like, simple as that. Thus, I write about Burn Notice, share my interest with others, and hopefully bring others to this fandom.

Favorite Gadget

Really, the faux bomb from the Pilot is still my favorite when you get right down to it. How to get attention without actually doing anything at all.

One other thing that makes me smile.

The cell phones. Every time you turn around, they are doing something with a cell phone. I have learned more about cell phones from this show than anything else and it amuses the heck out of me.

Remember: Burn Notice returns on June 3, 2010. Also, the show has already been extended into seasons five and six as of Thursday, April 15, 2010. So there will be Burn Notice and yogurt into 2012. Horray!

Got someone you want to nominate for the Spotlight? Leave a message here, catch me on Twitter @ ourladyofashes, or email me @ hurt.lee@gmail.com

Burn Notice extended through Seasons Five and Six

According to an article written by Stuart Levine USA feeling the 'Burn', Burn Notice has been renewed through seasons five and six despite the fact that season four has not yet begun to air. Burn Notice season four begins airing in the USA Network on June 3, 2010.

Burn Notice has been leading the pack since its inception in 2007. It makes me, a long time fan, quite happy to see it continue on through 2011.

Burn Notice Fan Spotlight: Hiatus Notice

Illness and technical difficulties have kept the Spotlight down for yet another week. My apologies, faithful fans, but do not despair. The Spotlight returns next week with another member talking about how much the fandom means to them.

Burn Notice returns to USA Network on Thursday June 3, 2010 @ 9PM. We draw closer to the new adventures of Michael with each passing week.

See you next week!

Burn Notice Fan Spotlight: Liz Vogel (YogurtWatch)

Well, well, Burn Notice fans, week two is upon us. More days down in our countdown to June. This week, I bring you estimable Liz Vogel. Miss Liz is the keeper of YogurtWatch, a blog post to track the yogurt which makes us all wish to be better eaters. Though she prefers to keep her personal information to herself, Ms. Liz would be quite happy to have anyone from the fandom drop in on her at YogurtWatch on LJ or YogurtWatch on Dreamwidth. On to the spotlight:

When did you notice the yogurt and why did you start following it?

I first noticed it in the pilot, of course, when Michael not only pilfered a yogurt from the bad guy's fridge but then went about nonchalantly eating it while he did his spy stuff. It was somewhere around the 6th episode ("Unpaid Debts") that I looked at my housemate and said, "Is it just me, or does someone have a yogurt fetish?" And I've always had a fondness for odd, slightly-obsessive details in shows (I used to note license plate numbers in The Sandbaggers), so YogurtWatch was a natural outgrowth.

If you could move Yogurt Watch to somewhere other than Livejournal, would you?

I already duplicate YogurtWatch on both InsaneJournal and Dreamwidth. If I had to pick only one, I'd go with Dreamwidth -- less traffic, but I like their attitude toward their users a lot better. But I've no plans to move YogurtWatch off of some kind of journaling service; it gets the job done, and I'm there anyway.

Who's your favorite character and why?

That's so hard to say -- all the characters are great! I suppose it'd be a tie between Fiona -- I love that the 98-pounds-soaking-wet female is the "muscle" -- and Michael, for his endless supply of clever spy tips.

Favorite villain?

Probably Victor -- if you can really call him a villain. I loved his fey, nothing-to-lose approach to mayhem.

What's the one thing about the show you would change?

Maybe a *little* less focus on having one big-bad per season or half-season? Overall, though, I love every aspect of the show.

The one thing that should never, ever change?

Other than the yogurt, you mean? ;-) Michael's informative voice-overs. I *love* getting a sort of Espionage-101 running commentary along with the drama.

Do you have a favorite quote?

There's so many great quotes it's tough to pick a favorite even per episode, but it's hard to beat "Duct tape makes you smart."

Since you follow the yogurt, what do you think are the best and worst yogurt moments of the show?

Worst: Well, Harlan's beer & yogurt combo was pretty revolting! ("Friends and Family")

Best: So many to choose from, but I think I have to go with Sam & Virgil having to find a place to put Michael's yogurt while cannibalizing his refrigerator. ("Rough Seas")

If you could suggest a scene to Matt Nix & the writers involving the yogurt, what would it be?

Mostly I love the subtle little running yogurt gags, just as they've been doing. But it would be neat to see yogurt featured just once in a bit of clever spy-tech, if it wasn't too contrived. I doubt you can make a yogurt-based explosive... would yogurt in the gas tank foul up someone's car? Something like that.

Anything else you'd like to share with the other fans out there?

Only that Burn Notice is fantastic, but they already know that!

Once again, be sure to drop in on Miss Liz Vogel (LJ or DW)and show her some love for her contribution to the Burn Notice fandom. Once again, if you know someone who should be on the spotlight, feel free to leave me a comment here or DM me on Twitter @ourladyofashes.

Burn Notice Fan Spotlight: Jason Burgos (BurnCast00)

Today is the first Thursday of Burn Notice's hiatus and we are all feeling the first pangs of withdrawal. However, through the absence of new episodes, we fans continue to show our love for the show, the actors, the creator, and the location. To that end, I bring you the Burn Notice Fan Spotlight, a look at the fans of Burn Notice and what they are doing to share their love of the show.

This week, we feature Jason Burgos, the creator of BurnCast00, a podcast specifically geared toward the Burn Notice fans. Jason is a 20 year old, massage therapy student with dreams of moving to Miami. (No, I'm not trying to sell him to you, so do not send me offers. Send them to him.)

So you run a podcast, what made you choose that medium to share your views?
I started watching the show when it began in the Summer of 2007 and loved the premise of it. The show hooked me from the beginning, to say the least. During the second season, I hooked my best buddy and co-host, Josh, into Burn Notice. We were always talking about the happenings of the show, Michael, and how hot Fiona is. Sometime later, in 2009, I wanted to start a podcast after listening to my very first podcast in 2008, Starkville House of El, and really found a love for it. So, I created this podcast about Burn Notice since no one else had which I found strange yet exciting. I could carry the torch, so to speak, on the podwaves for the show. Plus it seemed the best way to express my love for this show its actors, writers, crew, and Miami, my 3rd home.

What's your favorite Michael built gadget?
Wow! Tough question since there are so many. This season, I will say I loved the potato chip satellite can seen in Ep. 3.03 "End Run" where Michael hacks Brennen's phone and gets all the info he needs to hurt him.

Do you find yourself applying any Westen wisdom in your own life? Tell us about it.
Yes, I do actually. A lot of the voice-overs deal with how to take down enemies, build gadgets, or make bombs in Fiona's case, but when he talks about family and friends and how no agent is effective without SOME type of help from somewhere, I apply that to myself and always try to be there for my family and friends, even when they mess up my time with the ladies just like Sam.

If you could make ONE suggestion to Mr. Nix & the writers, what would it be?
Oooh, another tough one. Well, only one right? I would suggest Mr. Nix allow me to interview them. I kid I kid, though that would be nice. I would really suggest diving deeper into Mike and Sam's past to see just how they became such great and loyal pals.

Favorite character and why?
Wow, you really know how to make me think. I love each character and the flavor the actors add to them which make them unique but I will have to say Sam. I know you were expecting Mike, and he is a favorite, but Sam is loyal. No matter what, he will do what it takes to help. He has a heart of gold, or beer, but will risk everything, even his life like we learned at the end of season 1, to help or save Mikey.

How do you pitch the show to those who haven't seen it yet? (Shame on them.)
Well, when I was working at my previous company, I sold it to my friends there, and my cousin, as this show that was like James Bond, Jason Bourne and The Saint with Val Kilmer. I used that a lot. At first, they seemed to just watch it because I recommended it but after the first episode I became their dealer since they fell in love with the show. When this 3rd season started, I had the 1st and 2nd seasons on DVD and literally did not see my DVDs for 2, almost 3 months, because they were getting passed around so much.

Favorite villain.
Carla. She would just blow me away every episode from the 2nd season. I miss her so. From Twitter: @ourladyofashes: Dude, it sounds like you've got a crush on Carla going on there. @BurnCast00: Guilty as charged, more like a crush on Tricia Helfer. ha.

Favorite quote.
Hmm, that's food for thought. "Go easy on the mojitos."-Mike "They always go easy on me."-Sam. Again too many but this is one is classic Burn Notice.

Michael Westen versus Neil Caffery (White Collar), who would win?
Oh, hands down Michael Westen, I mean c'mon a thief versus an ex-counter intelligence agent. As Sam would say, "Easy-peazy."

Anything else you'd like to share with the other fans?
Just to keep showing all the love and support that this show has. It has the best fans out there where we all have something to love about the show and want to share. Kudos to USA and Matt Nix for this awesome show.

Please check us out if you love the show at http://burncast00.podbean.com/, email me (burncast00@gmail.com), or follow me @BurnCast00 or Josh @GreyWardenG on Twitter. We want to apologize to our listeners for the lateness of our podcasts, but real life does happen and we appreciate their patience. Thank You Miss Hurt for this wonderful opportunity! Go Burn Notice!

Would you like to be featured on the Burn Notice Fan Spotlight? Drop me a line in comments or DM me at @ourladyofashes on Twitter and tell me what you're doing to share the Burn Notice love.

Set Fire to the Bird: Burn Notice on Twitter

With the Season Three finale behind us, how do we keep the flame alive until June? Here's one way: follow Burn Notice on Twitter.

Set Fire to the Bird: Burn Notice on Twitter
A short list of the Twitter feeds every Burn Notice fan should be following and why.
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We are definitely raising a Geek

I am the proud co-owner of a four year old. I say co-owner because she is my niece and if I said I owned her, my brother (her dad) and my mother (her Mimi) would probably take serious issue. Ownership question aside, my niece is a geek. She probably does not know it yet, but she is just the same.

To illustrate, we are currently working on letter and word recognition. A. B. C. D. Apple. Bird. Cat. Dragon. Yes, dragon. She recognizes the word when she sees it and takes great pride in pointing out the dragons she recognizes on the Dungeons & Dragons poster I have hung on my bedroom door.

How did this come about? Simple, she was raised by geeks. My mother (her Mimi) has always encouraged targeted long-term acquisition. For her, it was Swarovski crystal and porcelain roses. My older brother collects the cartoon character Tigger from The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. My little brother has a heavy preference for video games (he was playing Tecmo Football at three). Me, I collect dragons and comic books. She's still too young for me to trust with my comic books, most of which are older than she is, and thus valuable enough for me to wait past the hamfisted stage of her development. The influences of each of us can be seen in her choices of activities:

She uses a dragon poster to practice reading and color recognition. She knows the Tigger Song word for word. She screams when she does not get a turn at Dance Dance Revolution while others are playing.

There are definitely people who would think now is a good time to cut off the geekishness at the pass through the use of the normalizing effect of television; however, in our family we watch CSI, Bones, Burn Notice, and Fringe, so I do not think that will help in any way. Besides in this day and age, I think raising a geek is something to aspire to. Now to start on her brother. He's only 8 months old, but you really should start young.

Burn Notice: A Dark Road

I cannot say that I agree with the whole half season hiatus thing, but it works on the old premise of: Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I have been missing Burn Notice since the hiatus was called. Whatever my personal feelings, here is the recap:

When we last left our group, Fiona had just been rescued from being returned to Ireland, and being put up on the auction block like a calf for the slaughter, by an openly distraught Michael and a less openly distraught Sam. Strickler, weasel agent to the spies, had just gotten two in the chest. I cheered, did you? Seriously, Victor (Season Two) was lovable. Strickler was just a pain. Diego, Michael’s legitimate contact, had just taken a swan dive off his balcony to splat on the pavement after calling Michael hysterical about the person coming to clean up after Strickler. I was actually starting to warm up to Diego. Pity.

Matt Nix and his team bring us off of hiatus with a bang. A Dark Road is all about fire, fast cars, and moral dilemmas. Fiona, in spite of the fact she was planning to go back home, has taken a job to help a widow being squeezed by crooks running an insurance scam. Calia, the poor widow, is being strong armed into suing the city to pay off the criminals her husband was in cahoots with. As Fiona is still suffering the ill effects of her near death experience, Michael takes on the job in her name, rather literally. As usual, nothing comes easy because while he is dealing with Fiona’s little problem, Michael has a bigger one in that there is a mysterious cleaner about who happens to use torching hotel rooms as his calling card and finds shooting high powered rifles at Michael to be therapeutic. Not exactly the kind of guy anyone wants to get too close to. Freelance psychopath describes him very well, I think.

The highlight of this episode: Michael in his wife beater showing off in the charger. The man is hot. The car is sexy. Together, brain disconnecting hot.

I promised you this was about fire (the burning hotel room), fast cars (the charger & the insurance scam), and moral dilemmas, didn’t I? Well, the moral dilemma is a classic: who gets to decide what is the greater good? Madeline gets a taste of the kind of math Michael does when he goes out helping people and what he does in order to balance things out in the end. In order to bring down the scammers, Michael realizes he needs records from the County Records Office. Records he cannot get. However, Madeline can. So she tells a little white lie to get the documents and in turn becomes friends with Tina, a woman who works there. The dilemma comes when Michael needs more records and Madeline is pushed into blackmailing Tina, her new best friend, to get them. Tyne Daly turns in a wonderful performance as Tina. In the end, Tina gives up the documents and Madeline loses a friendship, not to mention becoming rather upset with her son and his morality. However, Michael makes it all better by doing what he does best, covering his tracks. He stages a break in at the Records office so that no one will ever know what Tina took and the woman will not lose her job in spite of what she did for the greater good.

It all ends on a heartwarming note. The good guys win. The bad guys go to jail. Michael still has a psycho trying to decide whether to shoot him or invite him for a beer. All is right with the world.

Burn Notice Premiere & Contest

Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day! It’s only Monday but my eyes are firmly fixed on Thursday and the Burn Notice Premiere. Check out SideReel for their Burn Notice contest consisting of: Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD, a flashlight, Burn Notice: The End Game (the Burn Notice book), and a Burn Notice t-shirt. I’ve entered. Have you?

Even if you don’t enter the contest, you’d better not miss the premiere airing at 10/9c on Thursday, January 21st.

Burn Notice: Yogurt Watch

Burn Notice is getting encore episodes. I am almost giddy. This does not make up for the lack of new episodes by any stretch, but it's like an appetizer, a reminder of why this show rocks completely. Already, the 4th season has been okayed, so 2010 is going to see more antics beyond even the end of the 3rd season we are still waiting for.

Since the show is getting encore episodes, I thought I would take a moment and do a shout out to LizVogel over at Livejournal for her Yogurt Watch. A hardcore fan, she watches each episode for the yogurt which has become a bit of a game for the fans. We know that Michael has a thing for it, so we are eagle-eyed in watching for it and even a little disappointed when the yogurt does not make its expected appearance.

Best Yogurt Moment: Episode 35 'Shot in the Dark' | In response to Michael's pep talk after the case is over, Joey says, "So you're saying I should eat a lot of yogurt?" (Michael's response: "Couldn't hurt.")

Worst Yogurt Moment: Episode 29 'Friends and Family' | Harlan pours beer in his yogurt. *shudders*

Yogurt Watch, Ladies and Gentleman, stop bye, say hi, and let LizVogel know her attention to detail is appreciated.

Summer Finales

BETTER KNOW AS: How channels try to pull you into something else.

I know that I am not the only person who forgets that there are not going to be new episodes of their favorite show and thus sits down at the appointed time only to get sucked into something else put on to cover that time slot. I cry conspiracy.

I simply cannot wait for the next episode of Burn Notice. The summer finale has me waiting with bated breath to see what will come next. Michael shoots Strickler. Diego is thrown off a building. The noose appears to be tightening though who is holding the rope no one really knows.

In the meantime, I refuse to fall prey to the channel conspiracy. I will instead watch episodes on Hulu.

Burn Notice continues to own my life

So Burn Notice, USA Network’s flagship show about burned spy Michael Westen, continues to own my life. Things keep getting more and more interesting even though they are getting to the end of their third season. After all, one would assume that the need to get back into the spy game wouldn’t take up more than one season, much less three that have managed to not only hold interest by consistently wow those who take the time to sit down and watch it. The characters are perhaps more interesting than the plot itself. The plot is great, but the characters, Michael, Fiona, and Sam make it all worth it. Even Madeline, Michael’s mom, pulls you in as she consistently gets dragged into the workings her son is pulling off as a side character.

I will never forget her discussion at the end of Season Two when she tells Sam to go save her son rather than worrying about her, the job that Michael gave him.

I am almost breathless waiting for the end of Season Three. Season One, they had to save Sam from drug dealers. Season Two, Michael jumps out of a helicopter off the coast of Florida to escape Management. What is it that the writers have in score for us now?

Missed an episode? Check it out on HULU.