Life Lessons from Michael Westen

So, last summer I got hooked on a little show called Burn Notice. It airs on USA Network at odd times during the year, so I didn't really think it had much potential at first. Well, after catching a couple of episodes of the first season, I very quickly became hooked and got caught up on the entire first season in a matter of days. It's not often that the pilot for a show is enough to get me totally invested, but Burn Notice is one of those rare gems that come along every so often.

I gave the show a shot mainly because it has the insanely awesome Bruce Campbell in it, but I soon found that the entire cast is fantastic, particularly Jeffrey Donovan who plays the main character, Michael Westen. Likewise, the case-of-the-week storylines are always solid and the arc storylines are even better.

Here's the intro to the show that gives a little background on the premise:


The show is a kickass spy thriller, but at the same time, it's surprisingly funny (which really ups the re-watch value). I'd say it's more fun that Alias, but more badass than Chuck.

On top of all the rest, Burn Notice is supremely educational (in a good way). Even though most of the knowledge imparted by Micheal is largely esoteric and would only ever be needed by a spy or covert operative, you can't help but feel like you're learning incredibly vaulable information that will no doubt save your life in the future. After a Burn Notice marathon or two, you walk away supremely confident that you could take down a drug lord, infiltrate a crime syndicate, or excape from a Turkish prison. All very valuable information that will invariably come in handy...

In case those don't sound like the kind of problems you encounter every day, here are some life lessons from Micheal that might actually be useful in your day to day life:













Solid. Gold. And if your interest hasn't been piqued quite enough, here's a promo for season 2 for you to enjoy.