Burn Notice Friends and Family

Michael Westen slogged, exhausted onto the beach in his arm-less “T” shirt and suit pants, after swimming 5 miles to shore. The voiceover talked about it being “just part of the job.” Exhausted though he was, he immediately noticed a cop that seemed “too interested” in him and ran into a hotel followed on his heels by the cop calling for backup. He tapped into the phones in a utility room and called from Fiona who said that the police radio had a call about a mystery man who washed up on the beach and that he was now being chased into the McAlpin Hotel. She said that "however the bubble-heads figured this one out, they have you armed and dangerous” and it didn't seem like there was any evidence that the organization was leaving him alone, like they had promised to do, yet! Fiona advised that he should give himself up now or get ready for a city-wide manhunt. He walked out the front door bare-footed into a cordoned off circle of pistol-drawn lame-brains pretending to be cops. Voiceover said “sometimes it’s easier to dodge questions than bullets.” Sam came to see him in his orange jump-suit and claimed that he was still burned but now whoever had been keeping him off police and foreign watch-lists had stopped. He hadn’t been charged with anything but his “memory loss” and lack of any ID information kept the police stalling and Madeline was pissed about the blowing up of her "sun room." Ms sunglasses had been delivered to the loft along with a “missing you” card signed “let us know when you’ve had enough.” Sam told him to resign himself to hanging around in jail, which he did, until unexpectedly released.

 

As a favor when he heard of Ms arrest, an acquaintance from his past in Lebanon and Bosnia, Harlan, claimed that one of his “security clients” was a lawyer who accused the police of holding him as a “political prisoner." Of course when M got back home he found Fiona was ragging on Sam that “if you blow something up correctly you have nothing left to fix.” Also, Sam sprung the fact that they had a whole new set of problems now with everybody and their uncle knowing where they were; and, that he had already committed to help Harlan with a “girl down south.” Harlan brought a girl, Marta, who claimed that Rufino Cortez was bribing Venezuelan officials to steal land and had put her father in jail. They needed to grab him “off the books.” Obviously M didn’t trust Harlan’s “coincidence” but had no choice but to participate. Harlan had already scouted and come up with a plan to capture Cortez in his private room at a bar -- along with his “main man” Falcone. However, his bumbling got them into the back room without the code for the alarm and needing to escape – just like old times! Harlan told him that: "no matter what I’ve got your back.” Sam was sent to meet with Barry about making M look like a person Rufino would want to talk to.  He agreed only if they would have Rufino out of Miami before tax season. M realized that Madeline’s damaged sunroom had been originally built by his dad using “found” lumber, including wiring which had been torn out of their neighbor’s house. Sam was now dating MISS Reynolds (39 year-old daughter of Madeline’s neighbor) and been given permission to hang onto the vintage Buick.

 

M became Tom Wellington, Esq – a timid, ill lawyer for a shady international investment group who allowed himself to be bullied by Falcone to the point of dislocating his arm. He arranged another meeting at the train yard in Kendall the next morning for which Sam planned a distraction and grab. Fiona chose while they were arranging explosives to rag on Sam about why M just didn’t give up the quest for his old job back and kept at it until Sam had to tell her: “the fact that you have to ask means you’re never going to get it!” Unfortunately, Falcone came alone and again tried to bully M into doing the deal with him. M held out through being arm-twisted and shot at; but finally got a rolling meeting in a car with Rufino.  The next meeting was set for the train-tracks on 10th street and would be on the move which required Fiona and Harlan to steal a garbage truck. Fiona asked Harlan to pressure M into giving up the spy trade and he agreed. Sam said that Harlan had arranged for some Venezuelan commando’s to come for Rufino and were “really anxious.” M planted a knife into his father’s leather briefcase, that he had borrowed, which allowed Madeline her usual rant about how M was “corrupting” and “getting the dim-wit Harlan into danger.” M had set his proposed deal too big for the paper background that he had made up and Rufino said that he was too suspicious of dealing with “ghosts” at that level of involvement. M had to convince him that he was working for people where it was either “do the deal or die” so he agreed to listen a little longer. Fiona crashed into the car, Harlan shot out their engine, Sam “snipered” the whole deal and M used his knife to grab Rufino leaving Falcone to worry about dealing with his failure.

 

On the docks M and Harlan waited for the commandoes coming at dawn. Unfortunately, Harlan revealed his true self and killed Rufino saying that the commandoes were actually coming for M - a person who had denied them their justice. In their discussion, Harlan tattled about Fiona’s secret request. M used his hidden knife to cut free and escape then finally capture Harlan. He turned the tables and gave Harlan to the commandoes as a person who was working for Refino’s partners to make sure he was dead before the trial. Again the brain-dead Madeline tried to lie about not liking Harlan from the beginning then when called on it by M – changed the subject to “you three need to stick together.” [It really seems as though the writers are deliberately trying to kill off Madeline’s character with her unbelievable bafoonery.] Marta told them that people were going to get their land back and her father was going to be released from jail. Sam worried that it was going to be hard for him to protect M against everyone. M said he didn’t need a bodyguard, he needed an agency. He needed to get his “real” job back and figure out a way.