Burn Notice - Neighborhood Watch 07/01/2010 ***spoilers***

[netringer]

This "Neighborhood Watch" episode of Burn Notice has reached new heights of technical incompetence. I swear I could hear the roar of fellow techie geeks screaming in pain every time they called the DLT tape, "the tape drive." ARRGHHH!!! It's a tape! A tape drive is what the guy in the "data recovery" storefront(!!!) put the tape in.

BTW, the only problem you'd have in reading the tape is if the drive is not new enough to read the latest version. What you'd do to secure the data is have it encrypted. I'll allow that they could have modified the hardware to make it weird.

This when I just saw Jeffery Donovan say that they have a mysterious actual spy as a technical consultant, with even, "Where are you calling from?" Can't say. Gotta go. "and the next day I read that there was an assassination and coup in South America..." "When a spy gets burned it's really like that....everything we do on the show they do for real." Uh-huh.

It was bad enough when they had Westin use a random office PC to copy the whole phone book and call history over Bluetooth from the bad guy's mobile phone, using a Wifi cantenna which, BTW, even with Bluetooth won't work without the cooperation of the victim.

They couldn't check with any actual geek on the techie stuff?

Let us not mention that Kendra, the sexy killer had hidden the tape inside a finished wall. So she had opened up the wall in somebody else's apartment, put in an internal shelf (else it would have fallen to the floor) and did a perfect drywall patch and re-painted it? There were no better hiding places? She didn't even live there! There was no reason to keep it there.

And then she believes you'd be willing to sell it back to her?

I was willing to allow artistic license but the "tape drive" error is inexcuseable.

Please. This is painful stuff.

I wish they would stop insulting our intelligence.

I wish they'd stop putting in commercials for the cars. "It's handy to have rear wheel drive and 300HP." Yeah. We get it. Hyundai is the sponsor, like Saab was. I guess nobody is selling 1970s Dodge Chargers.

The guest stars are fun to figure out. On this one it took me a long while to guess why I knew I'd seen the drug kingpin before and like with "Dutch" I didn't hate the guy. He was Billy the crazy director from from "Entourage."

We also just had Ralph Malph as the intimidated security guard.

And Frank Whaley killed Jimmy Hoffa and was the on the receiving end of "Did he look like a B*h to you?" "This is one tasty burger!" "Say WHAT again!"

[Eddief66]

I'm wondering where the owners of the house are. Did she kill them or what? It would be too much of a coincidence for them to just happen to be on vacation and if they fell for the old "won a free vacation" scam then they deserve a lot more then just a hole in their wall.

[jjpk01]

I'm a techie. Software engineer, actually. I learned to turn my brain off when watching shows and, surprisingly, I can watch them without critiquing everything.

It's just a show.

[Rob Helmerichs]

In a show about people exercising the techniques of a terrorist, I guess there's a limit to how accurately I want to see those techniques portrayed...

[marksman]

I thought this was a real good episode, perhaps the best so far of the season. Didn't really care if it was a tape or a tape drive or anything else.

By the way I really am liking the fourth wheel. Logistically it gives them a lot more room to do two things at once.

[Bierboy]

Originally Posted by netringer

This "Neighborhood Watch" episode of Burn Notice has reached new heights of technical incompetence. I swear I could hear the roar of fellow techie geeks screaming in pain every time they called the DLT tape, "the tape drive." ARRGHHH!!! It's a tape! A tape drive is what the guy in the "data recovery" storefront(!!!) put the tape in.

BTW, the only problem you'd have in reading the tape is if the drive is not new enough to read the latest version. What you'd do to secure the data is have it encrypted. I'll allow that they could have modified the hardware to make it weird.

This when I just saw Jeffery Donovan say that they have a mysterious actual spy as a technical consultant, with even, "Where are you calling from?" Can't say. Gotta go. "and the next day I read that there was an assassination and coup in South America..." "When a spy gets burned it's really like that....everything we do on the show they do for real." Uh-huh.

It was bad enough when they had Westin use a random office PC to copy the whole phone book and call history over Bluetooth from the bad guy's mobile phone, using a Wifi cantenna which, BTW, even with Bluetooth won't work without the cooperation of the victim.

They couldn't check with any actual geek on the techie stuff?

Let us not mention that Kendra, the sexy killer had hidden the tape inside a finished wall. So she had opened up the wall in somebody else's apartment, put in an internal shelf (else it would have fallen to the floor) and did a perfect drywall patch and re-painted it? There were no better hiding places? She didn't even live there! There was no reason to keep it there.

And then she believes you'd be willing to sell it back to her?

I was willing to allow artistic license but the "tape drive" error is inexcuseable.

Please. This is painful stuff.

I wish they would stop insulting our intelligence.

I wish they'd stop putting in commercials for the cars. "It's handy to have rear wheel drive and 300HP." Yeah. We get it. Hyundai is the sponsor, like Saab was. I guess nobody is selling 1970s Dodge Chargers.

The guest stars are fun to figure out. On this one it took me a long while to guess why I knew I'd seen the drug kingpin before and like with "Dutch" I didn't hate the guy. He was Billy the crazy director from from "Entourage."

We also just had Ralph Malph as the intimidated security guard.

And Frank Whaley killed Jimmy Hoffa and was the on the receiving end of "Did he look like a B*h to you?" "This is one tasty burger!" "Say WHAT again!"

Someone take a leak in your Wheaties did they?

[tiassa]

Originally Posted by netringer

Let us not mention that Kendra, the sexy killer had hidden the tape inside a finished wall. So she had opened up the wall in somebody else's apartment, put in an internal shelf (else it would have fallen to the floor) and did a perfect drywall patch and re-painted it? There were no better hiding places? She didn't even live there! There was no reason to keep it there.

And then she believes you'd be willing to sell it back to her?

The tape was in "her" apartment, the one she was renting, it seems to me that if she is working for a "foreign agency" that she might want to hide something in a way that wouldn't be found if the place was searched, also if she got snatched on the street, she could come back at a much later date and be pretty sure it would still be there. The question is why did she try to grab it on the way out when Micheal and Co were chasing her? Why not just get away from them and come back to the house later?

Given the way the episode played out, I'm pretty sure both parties knew that the deal wasn't going to be ""Tape cassette for $50K"

Originally Posted by netringer

I wish they'd stop putting in commercials for the cars. "It's handy to have rear wheel drive and 300HP." Yeah. We get it. Hyundai is the sponsor, like Saab was. I guess nobody is selling 1970s Dodge Chargers.

If Hyundai throws a few more bucks at the show in exchange for a couple of plugs during the season I'm all for it. It makes the show more profitable and may keep it on the air longer.

I will agree they should have used the term "tape cartridge" or "tape cassette" tho.

[netringer]

Originally Posted by Rob Helmerichs

In a show about people exercising the techniques of a terrorist, I guess there's a limit to how accurately I want to see those techniques portrayed...

Jeffery Donovan said words to that effect, too., but in relation to how they won't show you exactly how to make explosives from stuff in the pantry.

I'm thinking that Matt Nix has put more reality in "The Good Guys" than "Burn Notice."

[netringer]

Originally Posted by tiassa

The tape was in "her" apartment, the one she was renting, it seems to me that if she is working for a "foreign agency" that she might want to hide something in a way that wouldn't be found if the place was searched, also if she got snatched on the street, she could come back at a much later date and be pretty sure it would still be there. The question is why did she try to grab it on the way out when Micheal and Co were chasing her? Why not just get away from them and come back to the house later?

Among other huge flaws. Remember they noticed that it wasn't her apartment because she wasn't in the pictures on the table.

So figure this: She took the time to thoroughly sanitize the apartment of the guy she killed next door to remove any evidnce or clues but she didn't even remove the pictures in the one down the way that she moved in to...and we don't know where those folks went.

Originally Posted by tiassa

Given the way the episode played out, I'm pretty sure both parties knew that the deal wasn't going to be ""Tape cassette for $50K"

If Hyundai throws a few more bucks at the show in exchange for a couple of plugs during the season I'm all for it. It makes the show more profitable and may keep it on the air longer.

I will agree they should have used the term "tape cartridge" or "tape cassette" tho.

They're theoretically doing these product placements to "overcome" us DVR users skipping past the commercials. All of those designer sunglasses you see are product placements, too. Visit the web site for how to buy them for $400+.

[IndyJones1023]

Why is Donovan a mouth breather?

[Frylock]

I thought the best part was when Michael referred to the tape as really old technology. Because no one uses tapes anymore

Other than that though, definitely a show you need to suspend reality to watch.

[netringer]

Originally Posted by Frylock

I thought the best part was when Michael referred to the tape as really old technology. Because no one uses tapes anymore

Other than that though, definitely a show you need to suspend reality to watch.

Well, that is almost true. In the datacenters, we're going to drive arrays and direct-to-disk backup servers, slowly.

The biggest problem is the tape capacities have hit the wall. You can have a 1TB daily backup from a single server.

[Turtleboy]

Funny, I enjoy not having to suspend disbelief or reality when I watch this show.

Unlike every other show that claims to be in Miami, Burn Notice is actually filmed in South Florida -- both externals and internals. I recognize landmarks. Compare with CSI:Miami whose externals never look like they are in Miami.

[photoshopgrl]

Almost everything on CSI Miami (except the arial shots) are done in CA.

[tiassa]

Originally Posted by netringer

They're theoretically doing these product placements to "overcome" us DVR users skipping past the commercials. All of those designer sunglasses you see are product placements, too. Visit the web site for how to buy them for $400+.

Agreed, but 20 seconds of Micheal's extolling the virtue of rear wheel drive and lots of horsepower while looking at a Tiburon is a hell of a lot less intrusive than every time a Red Sox player hits a double having the play-by-play guy say "<player's name> safe at second, Safe and secure New York Life"

[cheesesteak]

I wonder if there'll be any consequences from Our Gang blowing up a car, a house and shooting up a street. I remember the cop from last week noting Michael's fondness for explosives.

If they're going to shoot up cars, there should be some bullet holes in the cars, not just sparks.

[netringer]

Originally Posted by cheesesteak

I wonder if there'll be any consequences from Our Gang blowing up a car, a house and shooting up a street. I remember the cop from last week noting Michael's fondness for explosives.

If they're going to shoot up cars, there should be some bullet holes in the cars, not just sparks.

What happened to whatsername the detective who was supposed to keep Michael and crew in her sights? I guess the producers decided to let her holding contract run out?

There have a been a ton of dangling loose ends with characters on Burn Notice. I guess if the writers run out of fresh ideas they can break out the series on DVD on decide on who to bring back.

[john4200]

Originally Posted by netringer

What happened to whatsername the detective who was supposed to keep Michael and crew in hers sights?

I thought Michael handled her. I don't remember the details. I vaguely remember him putting a big drug bust in her lap and I thought that convinced her to leave him alone.

[netringer]

When you're a spy you know that the star of cable's most inexplicably popular show Burn Notice hasn't acted since day 1 on the job.

http://www.rumormiller.com/viewtopic...7;28Updated%29

He does act about as often as Tom Cruise does, remember, "I WANT YOU OUT OF MY LIFE!!!!"

[verdugan]

Originally Posted by cheesesteak

I wonder if there'll be any consequences from Our Gang blowing up a car, a house and shooting up a street. I remember the cop from last week noting Michael's fondness for explosives.

The Doctors moved away from Miami. The cop from last week was Miami PD.

That and "it's a tv show."

[marksman]

I think that article about how bad Jeffrey Donavon is legally retarded. It is a horribly ignorant apparently supported by an equally ignorant phd.

I find it absurd that anyone could write that about the show...

[Rob Helmerichs]

Originally Posted by marksman

I think that article about how bad Jeffrey Donavon is legally retarded. It is a horribly ignorant apparently supported by an equally ignorant phd.

Well, it's basically true...Donovan has the acting range of a stone, one that's been in the river long enough to have all its edges worn down...but the show definitely makes that work to its advantage by writing a character for whom any actual display of human emotion would be out of character.

(Which could just make Donovan a genius actor, except that I've seen him in other roles...)

[dcheesi]

Originally Posted by netringer

He does act about as often as Tom Cruise does, remember, "I WANT YOU OUT OF MY LIFE!!!!"

Funny, this sums up my initial impression of the show perfectly:

His theory is that the bad acting leads the entire show to be considered simultaneously fascinating and unwatchable by first time viewers. "I feel viewers are confused by the juxtaposition of the great sets and stories with the very poorly read lines of the show's namesake" expounded Zimbardo.

OTOH, after I went back and watched the first episode I was hooked. I "realized" that all the deadpan and the super-fake smile were part of the character. But maybe my instincts were right the first time?

[dcheesi]

Oh, and the tape thing makes absolutely zero sense. Her whole job there was to watch the dead guy's place and make sure that no one turned up anything --so why would she bring her own set of important/incriminating evidence along?

And why keep the data with her on a bulky tape that she doesn't have the playback device for?! If the device had been in the house, Mike & Sam would have found it. If the playback device is stashed somewhere else, then why not stash the tape elsewhere as well? That way if her mission fails the opposition can't find it just by ransacking the house.

[cheesesteak]

I never heard of Jeffery Donovan before Burn Notice. He may be terrible but since I have nothing previous to compare it to, he's acting the part in character.

[IndyJones1023]

I think his most high profile previous work was on The Pretender.

[Rob Helmerichs]

He had a fairly substantial role in The Changeling a couple of years ago. And it was pretty indistinguishable from his role on Burn Notice (he played a corrupt cop).

[speedcouch]

Originally Posted by netringer

I wish they'd stop putting in commercials for the cars. "It's handy to have rear wheel drive and 300HP." Yeah. We get it. Hyundai is the sponsor, like Saab was.

Okay, I'll readily admit I'm not well-versed in the workings of rice-burners, but when they said that about Fiona's car, I yelled "And since when do rice-burners come in rear-wheel drive????" Plus I thought it was a Toyota. Shows how much I know about them -they all look alike to me.. Much more up on the workings of the classic Dodge Charger.

Cheryl

[Craigbob]

Originally Posted by tiassa

Agreed, but 20 seconds of Micheal's extolling the virtue of rear wheel drive and lots of horsepower while looking at a Tiburon is a hell of a lot less intrusive than every time a Red Sox player hits a double having the play-by-play guy say "<player's name> safe at second, Safe and secure New York Life"

Actually it was the Genesis coupe. Not the Tiburon (although they do share a similar look).

Hyundai has really been getting in shows these days. Leverage used the Genesis sedan for a couple of seasons.

[ClutchBrake]

Originally Posted by IndyJones1023

I think his most high profile previous work was on The Pretender.

He also starred in a previous USA show called Touching Evil. And pretty much played the same character.