What Screenwriters Can Learn From Burn Notice

The design, themes and arcs are key reasons why USA Network’s “Burn Notice” is one of the most popular shows on television. This design allows new viewers to watch individual episodes, and while missing much of the background, still feel “tuned in” to the show. Other shows take the approach that if viewers miss one episode, they might as well skip the rest of the season.

Airing at 6 p.m. every Thursday, the series stars Jeffery Donovan as Michael Westin, a former CIA spy who was kicked out of the agency, or “burned” in the jargon. It also features Gabrielle Anwar as his gun-toting girlfriend, Fiona, Bruce Campbell as sidekick and ex-SEAL Sam Axe, Sharon Gless as Westin’s chain smoking mother. A relatively recent addition is Coby Bell as Jesse Porter, a spy Westin burns then gets reinstated.

The show is now in its fifth season. The first four seasons are available on DVD.

Taking a close look at the show reveals several consistent, non-human components.

Sets

Wide exterior shots tend to be aerial views of the greater Miami area. A frequent interior set—Michael’s high-ceiling loft apartment—has been kept virtually unchanged throughout the entire series three-year run. Other exterior shots, though supposedly from other tropical climates, are likely shot in the greater Miami area.

Some action-based exteriors can be shot anywhere, though visual clues lead viewers to believe everything happens in the greater Miami area. This includes using outdoor cafes, bars and hotels as sets.

Themes

Key themes are: Good guys may suffer occasional setbacks, but are never defeated (good triumphs over evil); wits and brains triumphs over muscle; violence is a last resort; and love of family and friends is more important than anything else.

These themes are consistent from episode to episode and season to season.

The themes also interact with the main and sub-plots in every episode, driving the main characters’ actions and motivating their choices. When picking one choice—Michael’s desire to resume his spy career over a long-term relationship with Fiona (career over love)—career wins out in the short term, but love eventually triumphs.

Plot Arcs

“Burn Notice” also has several hallmarks of good series television in its plot and character arcs and their evolution over time.

Each episode includes part of a series plot focus, season plot focus and episode plot, plus several sub-plots in the form of character interactions.

The series plot is Michael’s desire to resume his official status as a CIA spy.

The season plot focuses on steps he must take to resume that career.

Episode plots focus on single steps in the season plot line. Each episode tends to focus on a “save the victims from a fate worse than death” or good vs. evil. Roughly a quarter of each episode is spent advancing the season plot, which in turn advances the series plot.

Character Arcs

Watching “Burn Notice” over time shows development and maturity by the main characters.

For example, Michaels mother Madeline (veteran character actor Sharon Gless, who played a lead role in the detective show “Cagney and Lacey”) has evolved from being kept out of the loop to playing an occasional role in some of the shenanigans to now playing crucial roles in some episodes.

Bruce Campbell’s character Sam Axe was spun off into its own TV movie and has various guides on the DVDs.

The romantic arc between Michael and Fiona continues to develop over time as well, attracting some viewers. There have been on-screen fights and break-ups, plus plenty of lovemaking and making up, with an overall romantic progression.

Character Interactions With Plots

By this point, each actor (and the writers) knows their character well enough to understand what choices they would make, or not make, in a given situation. This knowledge and familiarity allows the writers to create their plots and text while much of the sub-text is done automatically as the actors express the emotional state of their characters.

A key concept is this: the characters’ actions are not only driven by the various plots, but also help drive plots.

For example, if Michael agrees to help someone in need, will the time taken away from his search for the people who burned him be critical? Will he learn something about himself while helping others?