Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe
Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe is a 2011 American television film based on the USA Network series Burn Notice. It is the first and only official Burn Notice spin-off, starring Bruce Campbell as Sam Axe and directed by Jeffrey Donovan. The film aired on USA Network on April 17, 2011. Set two years before the show's pilot, it is narrated by Sam Axe as he is questioned by Admiral Lawrence about a mission in Colombia. Sam explains how he was ordered to track a terrorist group called Espada Ardiente and decide whether the U.S. should aid them.
In Colombia, Sam teams up with local allies and tries to warn a clinic about danger. The corrupt commander Veracruz plans to destroy the clinic to get aid. A young orphan girl Beatriz warns Sam, and he gathers help from Ben Delaney and Amanda Maples, and even a small group of shepherds called the Espada Ardiente. They flee to a CIA outpost and eventually to a military base, where Sam and his team hold off Veracruz until reinforcements arrive. The mission ends with Veracruz captured and Sam’s friends safe.
Back in the present, the Admiral warns of a court-martial, but Sam reveals Beatriz’s photos of the operation, which leads to a deal: exoneration for Sam’s friends, rebuilding the clinic, and Sam receiving an honorable discharge with pension and a ticket to Miami.
Production notes: announced at Comic-Con in 2010 as a lead-in to Burn Notice season five. Jeffrey Donovan also directed and even makes a cameo as Michael Westen. Filming took place in Bogota, Colombia in January 2011. The film received mixed reviews from critics and drew about 3.6 million viewers in its first airing. DVD extras include a mockumentary about Jeffrey Donovan, audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a feature from Comic-Con. Cast includes Bruce Campbell, Chandra West, RonReaco Lee, Kiele Sanchez, John Diehl, and Pedro Pascal.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 09:24 (CET).