The Manda Looks Forward to the Burn Notice Season Premiere

Some people will tell you that drinking games are passe, and they may be right. At the same time, a good drinking game can create camraderie among members of your team and allow them to show off what they know in a relaxed setting, and they're a good way to celebrate the season premiere of a show you really enjoy.

When you're developing a drinking game, it's important to work within the ouevre of the show itself, capitalizing on the in-jokes and recurring plot points as much as possible. It's also important to choose the right beverage. In this case, the game's creators (K-Rock, NayNay and The Manda) suggest a nice mojito. Bottled beer will do in a pinch. And if you don't drink alcohol, we recommend a yogurt-based smoothie-- perhaps mango.

When you see one of these things happen in the show, you drink once:

-- voiceover explaining a trick of the spy trade (twice if the voiceover begins, "When you're a spy...")
-- montage of sexy beach people in Miami
-- Sam refers to a "special lady" (twice if it's a buddy who turns out to be female)
-- Fiona makes reference to buying shoes
-- Sam orders a mojito
-- An actual U.S. government employee appears on camera
-- Michael eats yogurt (twice if someone else eats Michael's yogurt; three times if the yogurt in question was Michael's last)
-- Madeline complains about Michael not calling or coming to visit
-- Caption appears at the bottom of the screen (twice if the caption then changes to accomodate a comment from one of the characters)
-- Reference to Eastern Europe or Afghanistan
-- Shirtless Michael

Other mandatory double drinks include:
-- Michael actually kills someone himself
-- Someone uses or modifies a cellphone for a non-calling purpose
-- Michael and Fiona kiss

And the triple drink:
-- Michael and Fiona have sex

Author's Note: This game is intended for entertainment purposes only. K Rock and I tried it out and got about halfway through a single episode before one of us-- I'm not saying it was me, but it was probably me-- had to go away for some alone time with the toilet bowl. Proceed with caution.