Burn Notice Summaries

The "previously on Burn Notice" segment was so extensive it pretty much had to summarize the whole of season 3 - ending with Simon on the ground chortling "you're just like me," agent Callahan telling Madeline that there was "no telling what Hell hole Michael Westen was in" and M sitting dazed in an opulent sitting room with fruit baskets and a fireplace. A man named Vaughn entered in "$1,200 shoes" and thanked M for what he did for the "old man, Management," who was now safe in an undisclosed location and Simon, who was locked away in a prison. He proclaimed himself Ms new friend and M replied "you're not my friend." Vaughn tossed M a thick folder and said "let me know when you're ready to talk." After reviewing the extensive documentation inside a cell he called for Vaughn who wanted to know what they all meant. M said there were "crop burnings, … Read full summary

A refreshing change of pace, this episode didn't begin with Fiona ragging on Michael Westen for anything!  It was Sam… he had found out about Vaughn and didn't think M had thought this through -- working for a SOB who had burned him and whose name sounded like a vampire! Unlike Fiona however, Sam actually listened. When M did his typical "take on the world" thing by saying: "If I don't do this I will have burned an innocent man, Jesse Porter, for nothing," Sam actually understood and shut his mouth with "Ok, but I still think Vaughn is a vampire name," something Fiona NEVER does! Mike told Vaughn, when it was commented on, that his color coming back was because he wasn't locked in a secret prison by his "Pals" anymore -- Vaughn just smirked. Vaughn said that Jesse was pissed and calling around trying to find out who had burned him, and not to worry "He'll be taken care … Read full summary

Michael Westen, Sam and Fiona were still waiting for Jesse at the Carlito's while the voice-over explained that anyone in the spy business with any common sense considered coming on time to be 15 minutes late. Sam expressed that he would rather Jesse just be gone and done with, as Jesse came out of the back room with free drinks compliments of Carlito. Then he condescendingly pontificated that he was about to disclose code-clearance material and anyone who "didn't feel comfortable should leave." They all three just looked at each other amazed at his arrogance. He said that a year ago he began working for the Defense Department investigating global bombings, kidnappings, assassinations which looked like they had a pattern. Following weapons supply lines into the hottest spots, he found a connection right in the port of Miami so he moved here. He saw a lot of guns coming off ships which passed through … Read full summary

Fiona and Jesse got to go to the Bahamas to identify the "John Doe" body who might be Jesse's "Cobra" contact he had been searching for. Even midst wild partying, the moment Michael Westen made contact with her, she launched into her tiresome negative tirade about his relationship with her. Jesse used a believable Jamaican persona to manipulate a man named Ty, the coroner's assistant, into a fight so Fiona could pick his pocket for his morgue keys. Jesse barely found the needed records as Ty walked in with a cop so he needed to hide in one of the cadaver coolers. Unfortunately for Jesse he was ID'd going out the door, got chased by red light and siren's and needed to leap into Fiona's waiting speed boat. The report showed the body had been strangled and dropped into the water, had tissue under his nails from scratching someone, was of middle eastern descent (Cobra had a Lebanese … Read full summary

Michael Weston and Jesse labored at the computer trying to crack into the data disk they retrieved from Kendra while voice-over explained that it was harder for a spy to crack arcane or out-of-date software than it was the latest technology and this was the former. When Fiona helped, she brought her usual whining about "14 phone calls, 7 data recovery experts and 3 hours of arm twisting -- and it's still unreadable" which prevented her from even noticing the subtle clues of a trap. M noticed that temporary signs were routing everyone through a single point which could be observed and saw Kendra watching - realizing that they would be here eventually. M called Sam to help try and entrap her then slowly led her to where Sam had left a Taser - no luck, she felt the trap and did a cat-burglar exit up a ladder to the roof leaving a cell phone. He punched the call button and she coyly bantered with … Read full summary

What to do with the woman in the trunk (Kendra)? Sam and Michael Westen had captured the assassin, now Jesse was haranguing M with all the ways HE was going to "break her." M tried to wait patiently until Jesse had finished pontificating, but eventually even his patience wore thin and he had to exasperatedly say: "if I could just finish a thought!" Even during Ms explanation, Jesse interrupted "you're talking about a rendition play?" M finished "I was trying to!" Jesse pontificated again, "it's been successful in Afghanistan" to which M could only say "yea, I KNOW!  I hope you listen better in there," he told him. Kendra was arrogant enough to think she was in control and mocked that they should have "metal instruments." M told her that he had talked with Serbian's who were very interested that he was holding the person who had killed their weapons supplier. … Read full summary

Jesse stood on the beach looking “at the one woman on the beach who should not be wearing a bikini” and finally admitted to Michael Westen and Fiona that he had them there doing surveillance on his old handler, Marv, who was at the Eden Roc Hotel for the International Intelligence Conference. M agreed that they needed someone with high level connections to help them find which bank they needed to look for and said he would help Jesse approach Marv.  They found Marv in the bar where M told him that Jesse had not done what he was accused of, “trust me."  He also said that Jesse hadn’t stopped working on what he was doing and that now they needed to know which bank had the robbery attempt. Marv claimed he didn’t believe Jesse was guilty but that he wouldn’t help any burned spies. As Marv was walking away, M noticed a Russian wet-work team, Spetsnaz, checking into the hotel; so, Fiona … Read full summary

Michael Westen and Jesse asked Madeline to help them case the Miami Trust bank and use what she did best – smoking. Jesse delivered sandwiches to the security room while Madeline lit up down in the vault to see what the reaction would be. Jesse’s plan nearly got her “burned” – except the security guard felt sorry for her having to put her dead husband’s photo’s in the box. “First thing Frank’s been good for in 30 years,” she told them. Ms plans were to get into the legal office above the vault somehow and then blast their way through the floor – “they’re lawyers, they have it coming!” Sam and Fiona got all dressed up in formal-wear to pretend to be Charles and Charlotte who were going to guard a rich man’s party and prevent anyone from stealing a new battery. Before Fiona left the loft her passive-aggressiveness was blatant … Read full summary

"Old Bibles make good code books because of the variation between books and numbering of chapter and verse" Michael Westen said in voice-over; but, only Simon Escher knew what the book paired with and Vaughn had Simon Escher. Not surprisingly neither Sam nor Fiona liked Ms idea to talk with Simon; but, Fiona took the book to hide until after Vaughn had left town. The hurricane hitting Miami didn’t stop Vaughn from appearing at the loft; or, from going back into the storm when M threw him out for saying “No” to the request to speak to Simon.  Probably only the second time we’ve ever heard M yell he told Vaughn that: "I have risked my life, got a man burned and caught an endless amount of grief over it – and before you say no, you  need to remember that I’m pretty dangerous too.” With his screwed up face, Vaughn had said “this is me saying no!” So out he went … Read full summary

Michael Weston gave up going to the gun range with Fiona in order to study Simon Escher’s complete life’s story so that he could better interrogate him – the key to “all of it.” Vaughn met M at the entrance to a secret villa/prison and said “you never have anything less than six eyes and three guns on him” and that the only thing he’d learned was that they guy has a “remarkable tolerance for pain.” M told Simon, under the view of cameras, that it was just between him and M and he could possibly make their time with them a bit more humane. Simon didn’t even blink when M said that he had found his bible; but, when he said that somebody else had tried to steal it before he did it, that seemed to take him by surprise. Simon quoted the Bible verse John 8:32 about the “truth shall set you free” then popped loose his metal-fatigued handcuffs and rammed M backwards through the lanai window. … Read full summary

Sam happened to have one “old school” government folder (which they still use in Japan) so he made up an entire set of papers which “tied all the loose ends” and allowed Jesse to come to the conclusion that John Barrett was the head of the “Cabal” which he had been looking for all these years. And, for the umpteenth time Fiona inflicted us all about “let’s talk about what we’re doing to Jesse” M decided to play it straight with Barrett and use the private phone number Vaughn gave him to interrupt Barrett in his conference room and tell him that they had the Bible, wanted jobs and it was here in Miami "whenever you’re ready to talk." Then he and Jesse set up a video monitored trap for the poor schmuk who Barrett sent to steal it back. Of course, Fiona manipulated M into a lunch meeting with Madeline so they both could take a shot at him over POOR, POOR JESSE and how M is HARMING … Read full summary

[Mid-season finale] Madeline claimed she came back to town because Michael Westen had called her; but, then, M tried to send her packing. She said she’d stay and see if she could get Jesse not to shoot him and M didn’t argue. M found Barrett’s compound and “counted coup” on him to test his security and let him know that he shoulg take him serious.  Over the radio he told Barrett to be at Donner Key, north end, noon Tuesday if he wanted the Bible. He said that in return, first he wanted to know what it decoded and second to work for Barrett… cause he could use some new staff. Vaughn pontificated that Ms work was impressive but he couldn’t have Jesse loose in the wind so would "take care of him." M stopped him, but was told that Barrett’s organization had been killing: a- civilians, b-spies and c-“my people” so this job was bigger than either M or Jesse. So, he better take … Read full summary

News anchors finally reported: “… the C.E.O. of a major telecommunications company stood at the center of some sort of cabal – a conspiracy to profit from war, civil unrest, terror abroad and the United States Intelligence community knew nothing about it.” Michael Westen was still unconscious after three days in the hospital, but in the penthouse of all hospital rooms! True to character, self-centered Fiona kicked the bed telling him to wake up… Now! He did. He’d had surgery, received blood, had a fractured clavicle and was lucky to be alive. Someone had taken the case with the Bible in it. M told Fiona that Barrett had a noc list which he couldn’t decode of cover IDs of all the people who burned him and the Bible was the code - they had to get it back. Jesse came to the hospital and told M that he had been trying to save his life; "shooting through you to do it was just a perk!"  Madeline … Read full summary

Michael Weston was outside the local police station waiting to break into its “Fusion Center,” where the master computer was. Sam gave him his cover ID – Elias Schmidt, of the Shady Glade Neighborhood Watch. Justin Walsh, who stole the NOC list from the thief who had stolen it from MW who stole it from a bank safe-deposit vault, had D.O.D. clearance so would be in the Fusion Center’s database. M had an appointment to meet with an officer on the floor below the database so "merely" had to dodge to the next floor, pick the lock, hack the computer, download it to his thumb drive and get out… which was the tough part. He had to steal a police jacket, throw a chair out the window and claim that Schmidt had leapt the building. Back in the car, Sam told him that: “you are the reason I drink.” Voiceover said that: "there is nothing more difficult to repair in the field than trust." Jesse … Read full summary

Jesse came into the loft waving their confirmation to attend the auction for the "book" in Santo Domingo while Michael Weston anguished on the side-line over not being able to go with them - due to his “burn” limitations. Gloating, Jesse pontificated that he could spend "family time" with Nate who was flying in.  In Santo Domingo, Jesse clumsily met with Justin Walsh, the thief, and found that Walsh was using a "moving loop" to protect the list from thieves. Jesse seemed ready to throw in the towel; but, Sam knew all about it and said that all they needed was some new “buddies,” his specialty. M, whose idea of R and R was “recon and rendition,” winced from his injuries as Nate hugged him at the airport; then immediately jumped on Nate about the “real” reason for the last minute trip home - booked on one day’s notice without any luggage. Reluctantly, Nate admitted that his buddy’s custom … Read full summary

Michael Westen sat at his computer trying to see if there was any way to copy the data from the memory chip of the people who burned him, which he had stolen back from Justin Walsh.  Walsh was the crypto-analyst who a thief had brought it to for decoding; but, when he recognized its value, killed the thief and took it himself to auction off.  M found that it wasn’t copyable. He and the others had decided to give the thumb drive to Marv, Jesse’s old handler; but Jesse said he was “doing a dance” trying to get Marv to work with M.  He especially didn’t like Ms idea to talk to Marv personally. [Still no mention of what Walsh had done with the original bible and NOC list, OR why Ms old handler couldn’t help!] Jesse condescendingly gave in saying “don’t step on any toes.” Incredibly, Marv seemed to believe that it was only M who had brought him to Miami and tried to blackmail him! … Read full summary

[Season Finale – Part 1] Michael Westen told the very angry Jesse, who wanted to go immediately after Brennen, that if Marv had been his close friend he would expect Jesse to keep him from doing something stupid like trying to take on Brennen. Brennen requested a meeting and told M that he had spent $122,654.32 in the last year keeping track of him – which had fortuitously led him to Marv and the ability to steal the list. He demanded that M start killing the people on the list and he would pocket the money he could make off of it – shades of Tom Strickler. If M refused, the audio file that Marv recklessly made of Ms naming names gets sent to Vaughn – and Brennen had set his computer to send it automatically at 5 every morning; unless, he personally prevented it from happening. He gave M his first target, a federal employee ID number of 132G. BX728 640 9485, who was … Read full summary

[Season Finale – Part 2] In voiceover Michael Westen said that "in a crisis the mistake was to act too soon, before you had assessed the threat." Sam told them that “It’s really bad.” Any time he called even the Carlito there was a major response at FBI headquarters from something that Vaughn was telling them. They needed to come up with something and Sam had the idea of who to “make friends with” and take the thumb-drive to: Bill Cowley. Back to her old obstreperous self, stashed in an out-of-the-way motel, Madeline whined about being asked to approach Bill Cowley again saying “it amazes me what becomes ‘normal’ to you guys.” She threw a sign at Sam’s head and howled “you put me in a non-smoking room” before she lit up. Vaughn called Ms cell phone number and they found that Vaughn had routed it through 3 different numbers when they tried to trace … Read full summary