TV with MeeVee: Burn Notice is back, baby!

The summer doldrums can officially be declared over. The second season of "Burn Notice" starts tonight, and Bruce Campbell was right when he said there “ain’t gonna be a sophomore slump.”

Burn Notice follows a former spy named Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) who has been given his burn notice, which is a spy-speak for saying he’s been blacklisted. Now Westen must enlist the aid of his ex-girlfriend, IRA member Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), the ex-Seal Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) and his mother (Sharon Gless) if he has any hopes of figuring out who burned him.

The show is really perfectly structured to be a pillar in the summer programming. It has just the right blend of mystery, jokes, action, and intrigue to engage but not overwhelm the viewer. It’s a perfect escapist story and feels exactly like the television equivalent of a beach-book.

The first season ended with Michael apparently about to meet the people responsible for his burn notice face-to-face. Of course, anyone who believed that would happen had not been paying attention. Instead, the second season opens up with Michael pressed into service to help the very people who burned him.

Without giving away too much, this episode does a great job of continuing to wrap up the previous season (How does Michael’s mom feel about having to have run for her life? How will Sam explain his disappearance and subsequent torture to his girlfriend?) and setting the stage for what is to come (Where is Michael and Fiona’s relationship heading? What does the mystery group want from Michael? Will they ever have more than yogurt to eat in the fridge?).

This season has Tricia Helfer joining the cast as a Carla, Michael’s evil and sexy handler. Helfer brings that beautiful, dangerous quality that she seems to have trademarked while playing Number 6 on "Battlestar Galactica." Helfer is only given a small amount of screen time in the first two episodes but she really manages to pack a lot in, providing a serene face as she talks about killing and maiming.

The regulars are also in top form. Jeffrey Donovan continues to impress as super-spy Michael Westen. It is truly entertaining to watch him slide easily into fake identities but still struggle so much at being himself.

I would say that Campbell’s Sam Axe is sort of a modern day Falstaff with Michael Westin standing in for Prince Hal. I would say that, except that comparing light summer action/comedy to Shakespeare tends to get you a lot of weird looks from those around you. So instead I will just go so far as to comment that Bruce Campbell seems to be really adding a lot to his character and has become more comfortable in his role of comic relief. Also his chemistry with Donovan seems to be even tighter and sparklier this season.

I highly recommend that you check out the premiere this evening. You won’t regret it.