Burn Notice
USA | Release Date: June 28, 2007
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews
Positive:
22
Mixed:
8
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
NewsdayVerne Gay
Season 2 Review: It's smartly acted, well written, funny, expertly directed and hugely entertaining. And utterly, totally, profoundly devoid of pretension. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan
Season 2 Review: Watching Burn Notice and eating candy--it’s getting hard to tell the difference between the two. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorGloria Goodale
Season 1 Review: Brisk and witty, this is a good showcase for Donovan's super-tough-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold persona. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley
Season 2 Review: Everything isn't perfect on Burn Notice. Some of the subplots have to be wrapped up a little neatly. But the interplay of the core group has enough ambivalence and shadows to keep the show intriguing. Read full review
80
Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall
Season 2 Review: Nix and company had a very thing going last season, and they've found a way to change the show a little without screwing it up. Read full review
80
Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan
Season 1 Review: If “Burn Notice” can keep up the energy and the inventiveness of its pilot, it’ll be a must-see summer series for me. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd
Season 1 Review: The dialogue is always to the point, yet it gives even the bit players enough room to create something memorable. Read full review
80
NewsdayDiane Werts
Season 1 Review: These folks know how to hit a note, and hold it, which means "Burn Notice" doesn't wobble around wondering how serious/silly to be. Its pitch is perfect. Read full review
80
Baltimore SunRobert Lloyd
Season 1 Review: I'll take Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen in USA's delightful new action comedy Burn Notice. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman
Season 2 Review: In the best tradition of light but engaging (and highly entertaining) dramas, Burn Notice is plain and simple fun--you want to come back every week. Read full review
75
Detroit Free PressMike Duffy
Season 1 Review: It makes a smart, charmingly irreverent first impression, thanks to its pleasantly warped, deadpan writing and performing. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn
Season 1 Review: A standard detective story that's brightened by unusual characters and snazzy dialogue. Read full review
75
New York PostLinda Stasi
Season 1 Review: The show is slick and funny and a lotta fun. Read full review
70
The New York TimesGinia Bellafante
Season 2 Review: Burn Notice resumes its second season on Thursday like a sarcastic friend whose absences may not be lamented but whose reappearances are always surprisingly well met. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron
Season 1 Review: A little heavy on exposition.... "Burn" is at its best when Westen is outwitting and outracing bad guys. Read full review
70
Philadelphia InquirerJonathan Storm
Season 1 Review: Looking for something new and different on TV? It's not Burn Notice. Looking for some summertime fun? It is Burn Notice. Read full review
70
VarietyBrian Lowry
Season 1 Review: Graced with a sly voiceover and strong supporting characters, it's the kind of breezy romp that dovetails nicely with [USA's] most popular fare and which manages to look more effortless than it surely is. Read full review
70
Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland
Season 1 Review: This show has no illusions of being anything more than a solidly made and terrifically entertaining TV distraction, neat and crisp as citrus soda. Read full review
70
The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley
Season 1 Review: Mr. Donovan is likeably lighthearted and cool as a smart-mouthed loner; his character is a watered-down version of the kind of wiseguy once played by Michael Keaton. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyRobert Abele
Season 1 Review: It’s got a low-hum basic-cable charm, fueled by personality, breezy cloak-and-dagger ingenuity and smart-ass dialogue rather than a flashy, budget-driven broadcast network complex. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn
Season 2 Review: Right now, it's relying too much on Michael's chainsmoking mom as hammy comic relief. [11 July 2008, p.65]
63
USA TodayRobert Bianco
Season 1 Review: The goal is little more than light, disposable summer entertainment — and the show may even get there, if it can strip away some of its more annoying drags. Read full review
60
Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Season 1 Review: Entertaining, stylish, and, most of all, slight. Read full review
60
Miami HeraldGlenn Garvin
Season 1 Review: Lovably silly. Read full review
60
Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker
Season 1 Review: The show stumbles at maintaining a breezy tone and a professional sheen. Read full review
60
San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa TimesCharlie McCollum
Season 1 Review: The series is not great television by any means, but it has a kind of breezy charm and sly wit that make it one of this summer's better new shows. Read full review
58
NewsdayVerne GayJun 3, 2013
Season 7 Review: The first couple of episodes are on the tedious side. Bad guys still die, things still get blown up. Read full review
50
USA TodayRobert Bianco
Season 2 Review: The interplay among the main characters is by and large unaltered, and for some fans that will be enough. For others, though, what was once a summer pleasure is now a bit less pleasurable. Read full review
50
Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall
Season 1 Review: It wants to be a smart-aleck comedy/thriller hybrid in the spirit of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, but the jokes are rarely clever enough and the thrills rarely exciting enough. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineMatt Roush
Season 1 Review: The pilot is neither thrilling nor funny enough to earn notice. Read full review
Current TV Shows
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 92 The Pitt: Season 2
2 90 The Celebrity Traitors UK: Season 1
3 87 Hacks: Season 5
4 87 Industry: Season 4
5 87 Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal:...
6 85 The Beatles Anthology
7 85 The Traitors [UK]: Season 4
8 85 Bait: Season 1
9 84 Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
10 83 Lord of the Flies
11 83 Riot Women: Season 1
12 83 For All Mankind: Season 5
13 81 The Muppet Show (2026)
14 80 Outlander (2014): Season 8
15 80 The Other Bennet Sister: Season 1
16 80 The Mighty Nein: Season 1
17 80 The Comeback: Season 3
18 80 The American Revolution
19 80 One Piece (2023): Season 2
20 80 Dark Winds: Season 4
SEE ALL