Burn Notice – Episode 5-3 Review

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My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy. Until… Well ladies and gentlemen, we are now 3 episodes into our 16 episode season, and I have no idea where this storyline is going to end up by season’s end. My best friend said to me the other night that he still maintains that Fi is somehow behind Michael’s burning and that’s a large part of why she wants him to drop his obsession with reviewing his files (my fiancée disagrees about Fi being involved). Personally, I think that my best friend’s theory may have some validity to it, but I’m not completely sold on the idea. I think it would make one hell of a twist for a season finale, but I highly doubt that Matt Nix and Co. would go that route.

This week’s episode featured the return of Nate Westen (played as always by Seth Peterson), and now it appears that Nate is now a father. The client of the week is Jessica, the widow of a gambler buddy of Nate’s and owner of a yogurt shop, who is now being harassed by a loan shark named Wallace (played by Michael O’Keefe of Caddyshack fame) and his thug Carter. Carter is interested in obtaining Jessica’s boat as payment. Doing what he does, Michael approaches Wallace and Carter as another loan shark who offers to help Carter get the boat (he has a Las Vegas friend who can do magic with legal documents). Carter bites Michael’s bait, but Wallace isn’t convinced at first. When Michael provides the “ownership” documents, Wallace and Carter are both sold. Michael (obviously unbeknownst to Carter and Wallace) is planning on making the boat appear to be part of a police investigation, in hopes of turning Wallace and Carter off of the boat idea.

The second part of Michael’s plan involves making Carter appear to be an undercover cop so that Wallace will turn on him. Using Sam and Fi’s assistance, Michael gets them to plant a lockbox of police equipment under the floor of Carter’s home. After borrowing Jesse from his day job to pose as a police clerk, Michael presents the evidence to Wallace that the boat is under investigation by the police, which leads to the typical ‘your man must be an undercover cop’ routine. Wallace bites, and heads with Michael to Carter’s place. When Michael, Wallace and his other goons arrive at Carter’s, Michael encourages them to check the house. After some searching, Wallace’s men find Carter’s lockbox. But it’s not the one Fi and Sam planted…Carter is actually an undercover FBI agent. Using his skills, Michael manages to pass a message to Carter (and cuts his restraints). When Michael, Wallace, and Wallace’s goons get to the execution place, Carter escapes and is corralled by Sam and Fi, who help him escape. Michael has Sam and Fi work with Carter to make sure that he finishes the case he started. Michael convinces Wallace to leave Miami with all of his paperwork and files, and that he (Michael) can set them all up with new identities. Needless to say, Wallace falls right into Carter and the FBI’s hands while attempting to flee. Jessica is safe, Nate is happy, and Michael’s “payment” for helping, is a “Free Yogurt for Life” card from Jessica’s store. I’d say Michael is definitely happy about that.

Part of the episode focuses on Michael’s addiction to reviewing his file. As a former addict himself, Nate encourages Michael to keep digging into the past for answers. Fi is starting to get irritated with how much time Michael spends reviewing the files and how it is affecting their life living together. This was another episode where Jesse only appears for about 30-45 seconds total. I don’t get why Coby Bell is listed as a regular on the show, when he’s barely even on it. If they don’t start getting him more screen time, I think they need to remove him from regular to recurring guest star. By far my favorite moment of the episode was when Nate asked Maddy to support the baby’s head while holding her, to which Maddy replies that she has “done this a couple of times,” and Nate just shuts up. Who can argue with that point? Certainly not Nate.

That’s it for me this week folks. I’ll see you next week when Burn Notice guest stars Paul Wight (aka Big Show from WWE). Until then…stay frosty.