There has never been a shortage of spy dramas on TV. In every other show, there’s someone who works for the CIA and they can’t wait to let everyone know that they have a desk and a computer with fancy sounds at Langley. Hey, I work for the CIA, Can I buy you a drink?
Most spy shows are absurd but if you search through the heap, you’ll find some gems. Homeland and Burn Notice are some of these gems. Homeland has always impressed critics but viewers have been divided. Some argue that it stopped being good after the third season. Burn Notice, on the other hand, was more popular with audiences than critics. Both shows stand out in different ways. But what really makes them unique?
Burn Notice: Best Intro
One of the things that turn a TV show into a cult classic is the intro. A good show shouldn’t just begin with ‘previously on’ followed by gloomy music which sounds like it was composed by music class rejects. A good intro should hook you right from the start. If there was a World Intro Awards, Burn Notice would have several trophies.
Interestingly, the show didn’t have an intro song, it had an intro monologue.
“My name is Michael Westen, I used to be a spy until one day….
Voice on phone: You’ve got a Burn Notice, you’re blacklisted.
When you’re burned, you’ve got nothing. No cash. No credit. No job history. You’re stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in. You do whatever job comes your way.
And as he tries to figure out what happened, Michael does indeed do whatever job that comes his way, including pretending to be a preacher in one episode in order to catch bad guys.
Homeland: Connection To The Real World
Oh my God! This would never happen in the real world. You can’t help but feel this way while watching a lot of TV shows and movies. The phrase ‘Only In Hollywood’ has been used to refer to things that are possible only in the minds of screenwriters and film directors.
Homeland has always kept its events realistic and very close to the happenings of the real world. The series has shed light on the negative effects of US foreign policy in the middle east as well as the horrors of terrorism. The show even predicted the emergence of ISIS attacks.
Burn Notice: Comedic Elements
Spy shows tend to take themselves too seriously. It’s like they are all directed by Zack Snyder. Come on. We know the world is a sad place but at least try to make us laugh. A single laugh per episode won’t be as bad.
While Homeland always takes us into the dark side of terrorism and politics, Burn Notice was keen on making its characters (especially the bad guys) occasionally silly in order to infuse some humor. Michael specifically enjoyed making the villains look like idiots.
Homeland: Phenomenal Female Lead
Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) proves why we need more females as main characters in spy dramas. For her role as the dedicated CIA agent Carrie, Claire has won more awards than Burn Notice as a whole.
Carrie had great on-screen chemistry with former marine Nick Brody (Damian Lewis) but when he was killed off, she went on to have another great partnership with Saul (Mandy Patinkin). She also embodies the challenges that working moms face. Watching her go to extreme lengths to do what she feels is right always leaves the viewer impressed and touched. She should donate some of her resilience to us since she has an abundance of it.
Burn Notice: Simple Plot
Do you know those shows that throw you into confusion if you miss a single sentence in the dialogue? Burn Notice was never one of those. You could rush to the washrooms for two minutes and still understand what was going on when you came back.
Homeland started as a show about a former marine who might have joined the Al Qaeda and was now being tracked by the CIA. However, it just got more complicated in future seasons. The plot of Burn Notice, on the other hand, was simple. Michael had been dismissed from the CIA in the middle of an operation. He thus wasn’t allowed to leave his home city of Miami. But as he tried to figure out who blacklisted him, he kept himself busy by taking up a job as a private investigator.
Homeland: Shocking Moments
Holy Nebuchadnezzar! Did just that happen? If you’re several seasons into your favorite TV show and nothing has shocked you at all, dump it. It doesn’t deserve your time.
Homeland served us some of the most shocking moments on TV and cinema, especially in the first three seasons. The most notable moment was when Nick Brody was hanged in Tehran while Carrie was pregnant. No one ever expected Nick to be killed off, especially in such a gruesome manner. TV deaths always catch us unprepared. They are something we’ll just never get used to.
Burn Notice: Likeable Characters
Character development was something that made Burn Notice stand out. Everyone felt like someone you’d love to hang out with. Michael Westen, the star who had been booted from the CIA, felt like a guy you could go to whenever you had a problem.
Michael’s mum felt like someone you’d go to for some shelter and pancakes if you were broke and hungry. She really loved visitors. Michael’s best friend Sam Axe was the talkative drinking buddy you wish you had mojitos with. Whereas Michael’s sometimes ex, sometimes current girlfriend made you want to work things out with the person you love.
Homeland: R-rated
PG can be boring. Sometimes adults just want to watch adult stuff. Whereas the producers of Burn Notice made sure it was a show your kids could enjoy, Homeland’s themes and story development os designed to send kids to bed and keep adults glued. There is nothing about a character like Saul that a kid would find relatable.
The violence in Homeland is always portrayed in a gory manner. The lovemaking scenes between Brody and Carrie were also quite… umm… let’s move on.
Burn Notice: Creative Action Sequences
Thanks to Michael’s skills as a spy, he could do crazy things like making bombs using paraffin or jam a gun using toothpaste. It was never just a case of grabbing a weapon and fighting. Creativity was a key ingredient in every action that Michael and his buddies ever did.
The fact that Michael narrated/explained how he did his genius stuff (like in Scorsese movies) made it even better. By the end of each episode, you felt like you could ditch your day job and become a spy.
Homeland: Suspense
You like it when your heart is beating fast and you’re playing a guessing game on what’s going to happen next? Homeland has got all the suspense and thrills you need from a spy drama.
The most memorable moment happened when Nick Brody was in an elevator with the vice president. Under his suit was an explosive vest. He had been instructed to blow himself up together with the VP. It was hard to contain your emotions as he kept on sweating and wondering whether he should do it or not.
