1.09 Hard Bargain

Summary and spoilers

A bespectacled bureaucrat is sent to broker a possible re-evaluation of Michael’s Burn Notice. After being carefully vetted, Michael believes him to be the real thing. But the paper pusher is actually a paid anonymous assassin, and when Michael drops his guard and starts wishful thinking, he almost gets strangled.

In the meantime, Michael is trying to make some money slash help someone out by rescuing the kidnapped fiancée of a mansion-sitter. Michael kidnaps one of the kidnappers, then poses as a hostage negotiator to buy some time while he, Sam, and Fiona can find out the location of the hostage. To further this aim, Fiona poses as a rich kidnap-worthy wife, and Sam as her disgruntled bodyguard. Sam strikes a deal with the kidnapper to help bag the wife in return for finding out where the hostage is being held. Then it’s time for Michael to go all MacGyver with explosives and the like, which Sam and Fiona use to free the hostage.

It’s also Fiona’s birthday, and despite all the other events happening, Michael remembers, and gets her the perfect gift; a gun.

Burn Notice Quotes

"I was vague. I said I was a freelance superhero Robin Hood sort of guy."
- Sam

Michael: No shopping, Fi. You got eyes on Nick?
Fiona: Yes, all the way from the escalators to that charming little lingerie store – they have a fabulous little teddy in there – make a great gift.
Michael: I’ve never seen you wear anything but men’s shirts to bed.
Fiona: Fair enough. There’s a men’s store on the third floor. Nice selection – the ones with the big buttons are easier to undo.

Michael: Say we let you go, and give this photo to your boss…along with the cooperating witness statement you’re about to give to the FBI.
Lucio: No, no, no, I never made no statement.
Michael: [holds up forged blank statement form] Here’s the form. Looks real, huh. We’ll fill it out, sign it on your behalf. Sam’s pretty good with the computer.
Sam: Oh, thanks, Mike, it’s just Photoshop.

Reyes: I take 20 percent of my price – I give you 20 percent of the girl.
Michael: Hostage negotiators hear that one a lot – it’s funny the first few times.

"I wanted my burn notice resolved…talked myself into denying my instincts. That’s nothing to be proud of."
- Michael

Michael: I talked to him [Nick] about you – about what I should get you for your birthday.
Fiona: A Makarov.
Michael: He said you would like it.

1.08 Wanted Man

Summary and spoilers

In the last episode, Michael and Fiona spent the night together. Now Fiona wants the relationship to become something more than a friendly one night stand. When Michael starts spending more time with his big dossier and not enough time paying attention to her, Fiona conveniently takes Tom, a handsome young fugitive, under her wing. Fiona enlists Michael to clear Tom of a charge of stealing a two million dollar broach. To do so, Michael must pose as a buyer and get the real thief to bring the broach out into the open, then get the police involved. It all backfires when the mark discovers that he is being conned.

To further his burn notice investigation, Michael makes a deal with Libyans agents to provide some intelligence in exchange for the Libyans naming Phillip Cowan (the NSA agent that either burned Michael or has information on who did) as a friend – while they are being eavesdropped. It certainly gets Phillip’s attention – Michael can expect to be hearing from him soon, and it may not be a pleasant visit.

Burn Notice Quotes

Barry: Name’s Christo – like Madonna, with the whole one name thing.
Sam: Like Charo -
Barry: Sting
Sam: Fergie
Barry: Pele
Sam: Spiderman
Barry: Liberace
Sam: [pauses] Crap, I can’t think of any more.

"Oh, and by the way, I should mention I went through your fridge when you were out. Do you know actually it’s one of the most frequently used hiding places? [holds up diamond bracelet] Found this in the orange sherbet. I assume you’re holding it for someone. I’ll keep it until our job is finished. Until then, you keep your mouth shut about our little chat."
- Michael (to Christo the Fence)

Sam: Mixing romance and work is a bad idea. Veronica, just the other day, she asked me if bullets came in different sizes. Isn’t that the cutest thing you’ve ever heard?
Michael: That is so adorable.

1.07 Broken Rules

Summary and spoilers

With Agent Bly ramping up the harassment by threatening to arrest Fiona, Michael needs money to fund the battle. His client is Ernie Paseo, a shop owner who is handing over daily protection money to two hoods who work for a woman boss. For 20 thousand dollars, Michael assumes the role of a crazy hood. He tries to scare the mob away, but instead ends up working for Concha, the woman boss. Concha’s first assignment for Michael is to kill Ernie - and his family. Michael manages to avoid this assignment and instead turns Concha’s lieutenant into her assassin.

Meanwhile, under threat of more harassment of his family and friends, Michael accepts Bly’s offer to take a job as a security guard. Michael has other plans, however; unknown to Bly, he sets up a joint Bly/Weston offshore business and deposits large sums of money over and over. Combining that with other incriminating evidence of their friendship, Michael makes it look like Bly is on the take. To keep this a secret, he requests that Bly get and show him his burn notice dossier. Then, just to finalize things, he drives off in Bly new red Mustang convertible!

Comments

There are a limited number of times that Fiona is going to accept "Can we talk about this later" as Michael’s response to discussing their relationship.

In this episode and the last, the split screen is used occasionally to spice up chase sequences.

Burn Notice Quotes

Fiona: You know, you have always had a problem with my work. I have always supported you!
Michael: I’m helping people! You’re running guns! Big difference!

Michael: I’ll see what I can do.
Ernie: No! Don’t ‘I’ll see what I can do’. Do it. It’s the last chance we got.

Michael: Here you go, Sam. [gives some money to Sam] Buy your girlfriend some flowers.
Sam: Oh, Mike, it’s gonna take more than flowers.
[Michael gives more money]
Sam: I mean, she’s pretty pissed. This Bly was rude, I mean really rude.
[Michael gives more money]
Sam: She’s feelin’ a little better now.
[Michael gives more money]
Sam: Okay, perfect, thank you. I’ll get the check.

"This neighborhood is mine! You hear me? My neighborhood! My neighborhood! This neighborhood is MINE!"
- Michael

1.06 Unpaid Debts

Summary and spoilers

Michael’s previous forays into finding out why he was burned has attracted the attention of a new surveillance team. These guys don’t just sit back and observe: they harass, or at least they will harass until Michael stops poking around for information. They trash him mom’s house, tow away his car, and destroy his home phone. Michael needs to keep being a pest so that this new guy stays around long enough to give some clues to who did the burn. So, Michael retaliates by jamming their bugging devices and planting a big magnet in the guy’s desk, wiping out his notebook.

Trouble is multiplying for Michael. Not only does he have to deal with this new surveillance, but when he takes a job to repo a boat, he ends up between gun-wielding Jamaican smugglers and mean corrupt cops. Somehow, he manages to get out of all jams, and he even keeps a little bit of that 10 million dollars for himself and Sam. But more importantly, he gets the name of the guy who has been harassing him.

Comments

This is a rougher, meaner Burn Notice. It doesn’t really work as well; it’s stretching plausibility that Michael did not get shot by someone during that last meeting where he was threatening to burn the money.

Burn Notice Quotes

"Sometimes intelligence gathering involves sophisticated techniques and a lot of high-tech equipment. But sometimes, it’s as simple as picking someone’s pocket."
- Michael