Year: 2007-2013
Genre: Espionage, action adventure
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 111, plus one tv movie
Special Notes: I watched the whole thing on Amazon Prime. I don't normally rate shows, but this is a solid five stars.
Summary: Cut off from his life as a spy, Michael Westen sets out to discover who burned him and why, all while helping people out of sticky situations.
Every show needs to be like this. It is now one of my top shows of all time and, dare I say, near perfection.
The first five-ish seasons focus on episodical clients, their woes, worries, weapons and wealth. Meanwhile, the overarching plot of Michael’s burned-ness runs across all the seasons. These are my favorite because the tone of the show is this perfect blend of fun, excitement, and mystery and it starts from the very first episode.
The last two seasons—especially the final one—take the darker route and they’re more one story with the occasional client. But it’s not the “dark and gritty” that taints so many other shows of today. Humor is still a staple and even when stuff gets bad, it doesn’t have that soul-crushing depression of, say, the miniseries Chernobyl. The characters find themselves in extreme conditions, but they aren’t all living in mental hellscapes that bring only bad thoughts to the viewer.
I’d imagine when this show was airing, it might have bothered people that the question of who burned Michael wasn’t answered quickly. But since we watched all of it in a month, that’s not an issue I have.
Overall it seems like actual thought was put into creating a cohesive plot and progressing it toward a tangible goal. It doesn’t get to the spot where you can tell they have no clue what they’re doing *cough*The Blacklist*cough* And I think there’re only a few episodes I don’t like.
Michael Westen is probably the greatest protagonist of any show I’ve ever seen. Just imagine me squealing excitedly for twenty minutes and that about covers everything. I just…like…how can you not love him? He’s great. Allow me to explain.
He’s been a spy for roughly twenty years and every persona—accent, mannerism, wardrobe, backstory—he takes on is pretty much flawless. Couple that with his ability to think on his feet and the immense compendium of knowledge he has and you have the most competent man on the planet. Not to mention he’s hilarious in a way that doesn’t relegate him to comedic relief. Even his flaws, which can be frustrating, are played in such a way that they still enhance him without ever diminishing his likability. And you know in some shows how a character will get dumb just to service the plot? That doesn’t happen here.
Something else about Michael I find fascinating: the actor, Jeffrey Donovan, is not what I would call attractive, BUT as I got to know Michael, he became attractive. I’ve seen this in other characters (William in season one of Westworld is another example) and as a writer, it’s good to know that personality can outweigh appearance. It’s nice to see good writing change my perspective of someone, and that happens often in this show.
I have a very sorry history when it comes to female characters. I can count on one hand the ones I genuinely like. Fiona is on that short list. She’s competent like Michael, but the key difference between her and other fictional females is that she keeps her femininity. Yeah, she likes guns and explosives. However, she doesn’t try to act like a man. Instead she goes shoe shopping, wears dresses, and uses her feminine wiles to her advantage. In her relationship with Michael there are disagreements but nothing is stretched to outrageous lengths so as to become completely unbelievable.
Then there’s Sam Axe: the charmer, the buddy. He’s sorta the main source of comedy, but as an ex-Navy Seal he’s also a skilled fighter, something they always need. His friendship with Michael goes through every test but what I love is that at the end of everything, he’s there to help.
Finally, we have Jesse and Michael’s mom. I liked Jesse almost instantly and he only gets better as it goes. The mom starts out a little annoying but she turns into a helpful civilian to complement their professional spy-ness.
All the characters remain true to themselves. I never thought their actions were completely out of character because this show is ridiculously well written.
I really appreciate that the villains don’t outstay their welcome. They’re there for a reason and once it’s done, they’re done. They also seem more like real people with motives and less like evil cardboard cutouts.
Throughout the show Michael does voiceovers like, “As a spy, you blah blah blah.” This unique element accentuates the action and provides a different kind of humor, all while illustrating just how amazing Michael is. He doesn’t outright tell you how to make a bomb or run covert ops, but the strategic tips and tricks he talks about sound legit and there’s quite a bit of good advice to remember as a regular person or writer.
Something I can’t get enough of is the loyalty on display here. No matter the disagreements the heroes may have, if they need each other’s help, they don’t (often) hesitate to give it. Seeing them count on each other to be there, get the job done, and go every extra mile is so heartwarming. It also decreases the needless drama and increases the bonding and camaraderie. Loyalty should never go out of style and watching it here shows exactly why it’s a wonderful thing.
If ever a show needed a revival, it’s this one.
I will absolutely watch it again and if you need a new show to binge, this is it.