rivers_bend

This is the final season of Burn Notice. Every week when I watch an episode, I am sad about this, because despite its tropey premise and not-entirely-believable plots, I love it a lot. And every time I think about why, a lot of it comes down to the way the show treats women, and men as a result. I feel like in a lot of ways, this silly show about do-gooder ex-spies illustrates all those tumblr posts about how feminism isn't just good for women, it's good for men too.


Even though the two central female characters on the show are the mother and the love interest of the main male character, they do not exist solely to service his story. They have histories and interests and desires of their own as well. They also have skills and are encouraged to use them, and on the occasion that Mike (the show's ex-spy central character) wants Fiona (love interest) or Maddie (mother) to not do something, it's pointed out to him (usually by Sam, the BFF) that protecting the people we love is all very well, but she's the best person for the job, and you let the best person for the job do the job. And then the woman does the job and is awesome.

Mike swoops in to save Fiona or Maddie sometimes, but just as (if not more) often, Fiona swoops in to save him, her guns blazing and bombs exploding, or Maddie saves the day by being a badass in her own, less artillery-heavy way. Fiona, in fact, knows more about guns and bombs and engines than any of her male cohorts, and the men don't feel shame about this, or try to run her down in any way to make her compensate for her superior knowledge and skills. They make use of her as part of the team the same way they make use of each other, and the same way she makes use of them and their skills when it's her plan.

And Fiona gets to have plans! So does Maddie. For the first several seasons, the premise of the show is case-of-the-week. Mostly the cases are Mike's, but sometimes they're Sam's, or Fiona's, or Maddie brings them in. Sometimes the clients are men, and sometimes they are women. And sometimes they're emotionally vulnerable and sometimes they are too ignorant or stupid to stay out of bad situations, but I've never noticed the nature of their trouble being divided along gender lines the way it seems to be in so many shows.

It's not just a spy show, it's also a love story. Family love, found-family love, and romantic love. And the men and women are both made stronger by love and brought down by it. Michael and Fiona have a fraught relationship for much of the show's run. Both of them love passionately, both chase and are chased, both cry, plead, go cold, walk away, run back. Michael is her love interest as she is his.

And Fiona (played by Gabrielle Anwar) is a super sexy lady, who often uses her body and sexuality to get into or out of things, in the way that women do in this society where men tend to underestimate a woman with a hot bod and not a lot covering it up. She doesn't get shamed for this, or asked later to prove that she was just playing a role. And in an episode where Mike had to watch her doing this and got a pained expression (his relationship with Fi at this point was particularly fraught), another female spy they were working with said to him, "You know hers is the harder job, right?" calling him on any sexist bullshit he might have been thinking.

And she's not the only one who uses her sexuality to get things. Sam is quite the silver fox himself, and has a way of finding sugar mamas. When he eventually falls in love, he falls, and it makes him vulnerable. He's not protected from the consequences of caring about another person by his manliness.

And lastly (because wow this went on) on my yay-women list, Fiona and Maddie together. They come together because of Michael, but they have a relationship outside of him. Even when Fiona and Michael aren't speaking, Fiona maintains her friendship/protective relationship with Maddie. They help each other, care for each other, and bond not only over their love for Mike, but through shared goals. They each have their own character arcs over the seasons, growing and changing, and they impact each other's arcs in positive ways. They teach each other, protect each other, rescue each other, fight, make up, and learn to be stronger people because of each other. Bechdel Test passed!

So, yeah. Burn Notice. I love it a lot, and I'm sad it's going, though so far, they seem to be giving us a pretty banging final season. The first five are available now streaming on Netflix, so if you're looking for something to pass the time, maybe while you're waiting for someone in charge to realize we're fucking serious about wanting a Black Widow movie, check it out :D