Burn Notice – Episode 5-5 Review

Reviews, Top Story

My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy. Until… Well fans, this past week’s episode of Burn Notice has come and gone, and the hunt for Max’s killer is in full swing. Michael starts out by destroying the murder weapon from episode 4, and then meeting his new CIA contact, Agent Pearce. Pearce is Max’s former partner and she is willing to go to any lengths necessary to bring Max’s killer to justice. Michael volunteers to help in the investigation, telling Pearce that, as a non-agency asset, he can work off the books and get results faster than going through the bureaucratic red tape. Pearce agrees. Later, Michael meets with Ethan, a young Special Forces sniper seeking revenge on the man who put his sister in the hospital. After some digging, Michael and Ethan find that the initial suspect Brandon, was not responsible for Ethan’s sister’s beating. Brandon tells them that his boss, a con-man named Ramsey, is the one responsible for her beating. Doing what they do best, the team poses as con-men (and con-woman in Fi’s case) to bring Ramsey down and send him to prison. Initially, Ethan wants Ramsey dead, but Michael explains to him that it’s much more satisfying to convince a target to burn their life away…and be the one to hand them the match. Ethan is still reluctant, and even tries to take a shot at Ramsey, because he is impatient and feels that Michael’s way is taking too long. In the end though, Ethan sees the value of Michael’s advice, and arranges to meet with CIA recruiters about a possible career move.

As the investigation into Max’s death progresses, Michael (with the help of Jesse) locates the place the burner cell was purchased and used to call the police to Max’s murder scene. Jesse and Fi also get ahold of the store’s security tapes so they can be reviewed to find the killer. The plan is to have Maddy watch the tapes, so they blackmail the owner into giving them a free carton of cigarettes to go with the tapes. As the episode ends, Michael shows up at Maddy’s house for the unveiling. Maddy has some questions for Michael, and it is apparent that she is disturbed by what she found. As they watch the video, they see the burner phone purchaser enter, buy, and leave. The problem is…the culprit looks and moves exactly like Michael Westen!

So obviously now, the show is headed in a look-a-like direction, which will bring some additional craziness to Michael’s already crazy life. My first thought after seeing the look-a-like was, ‘hmm, I wonder if that’s Larry (our favorite undead spy). Larry was worked with Michael enough, and is skilled enough, to mimic Michael’s gait, posture, and he has the resources to duplicate Michael’s face using makeup and possibly prosthetics. So far, I like Agent Pearce. She has the tenacity of Detective Paxson (insofar as getting what she wants and never quitting) and, I assume, the voracity of Carla. I for one can’t wait to see what happens. Take care folks.