Burn Notice Review: The Last Sunset

It’s another summer finale on the USA Network’s series Burn Notice, and true to form this week’s episode introduces yet another loose end tied to Michael’s very complicated, very mysterious past. In this week’s episode, not one but three Michael Westen haters/enemies come to the fore looking to put the burned spy up on their version of puppeteer strings. And while our resident hero manages to shake and escape with the help of his friends, he finds that the enemy he never even knew is perhaps the most dangerous of them all.

Quick recap: once ejected from the CIA, at the end of last season burned spy Michael Westen finally found his way back in with the government. And while he initially thought that he would be in some useful or official capacity, Mike has now become the errand boy to the government: fetch this, take that, go break into this top secret rival government facility, knock out a couple guards and bring me back this here very important whatever it is. You know, the simple stuff.

Partnered with his CIA handler, an agent named Max, Mike pretty much continued on with his whole renegade thing this time at the unofficial behest of the government who has made it clear that if Mike ever gets caught, he’s on his own. Fast forward, Mike’s agent is murdered, with the hit man leaving clues that Mike is the murderer. So for the past few weeks Mike, Sam, Jesse and Fi have been working to clear Mike’s name all the while keeping his new agency contact, an agent named Pearce, one step behind them.

But as always you can only run for so long, and on last week’s episode of Burn Notice, Pearce confronted Michael with the business end of her gun and accusations about his role in Max’s death.

…Which is where we begin this week. Mike tries to convince Pearce that he’s been set up by this Romanian named Tavian who he has conveniently tracked down that very day. Now, we know it’s the truth but you can forgive Pearce for not buying into this. She snaps up Michael and takes him into custody. At this same time, Sam and Jesse are on their way to Mike’s place because as we know, Michael really is supposed to be meeting up with Tavian to discuss negotiations of a ceasefire. Tavian will give Michael more information on those who burned him and Mike will let the whole killing Max thing go. Because Mike isn’t answering his phone, Sam and Jesse get nervous. They show up at his place and see the Feds carrying out Michael’s files. They deduce then that Pearce has caught up with Michael and they make one last ditch effort to save him.

Sam and Jesse find the caravan of SUVs carrying Mike and they decide to disrupt the caravan hoping to talk to Pearce. Using Fi’s car, Jesse maneuvers between the cars and creates a roadblock by causing an accident. They try to talk to Pearce but she’s ready to haul them all off to jail, but Mike tells her that this is their only chance to catch the guy before he goes off the grid. Mike tells her that she owes it to Max and his family to ensure that they get the right guy. Pearce agrees with this and off they go.

Pearce’s leap of faith pays off quite well when within minutes of the meeting between Mike and Tavian, Tavian admits to killing Max. Tavian wants to deal, but Mike tells him that it’s too late because the Feds are moving in. But Tavian isn’t going to go quietly; in fact he’s not planning to go at all as he proves when he quickly kills himself. Death before dishonor I guess, but he’s fulfilled his purpose as Pearce lets Mike go on his merry way.

When Mike is released he’s surprised that the first person he sees is Madelyn. Fi was supposed to pick him up but Maddie says that she needs to talk to him. Maddie is just here to warn Michael that he’s not in this alone. When he first came back to Miami he was alone, but now he’s built roots here and he has friend who would do anything for him; anything including crashing into a CIA convoy and potentially getting themselves thrown in prison. Maddie just warns Michael that he’s not doing this alone now and whatever happens to him, happens to all of them. In the future Michael should think about that. How soon her words come true.

Mike’s headed home when he gets a visit from his old friend Larry, you know that guy who Mike and the team had sent to prison during a botched robbery. Yeah, him, he’s back. And he wants Mike’s help with a job. Well, actually, he demands Mike help him with a freelance gig or else he’s going to start killing people. Starting with the wife of this guy he kidnapped to help them on their task. The guy’s name is Anson, and he’s a psychiatrist for spies. Initial thoughts say that Mike should probably get that guy’s number before the day is through. But not now, because Mrs. Anson’s life is in danger and she needs Mike to save her.

The job Larry has this week is to break into the British consulate and plant some information into the government safe. They need Anson because he has the access codes in order to get them into the safe in order to make the swap. Before Max and Larry head off on the job, Mike gives Anson a knife and tells him to free himself while they’re distracted and head off to the Crest Hotel and tell Sam Axe what’s happening.

Anson gets to Sam, who upon hearing Larry’s in town, calls Fi who gets all riled up when she hears about this. Fi hates Larry and she’s ready to finally take him down. But first they’ve got to save Anson’s wife. When they get to Anson’s house they are horrified to see that they are too late, Anson’s house has been blown up, killing Mrs. Anson inside. Anson is distraught and when Fi and Sam tell him that they’re going to make sure Larry pays, Anson tells him that he’s going to make sure of it. He’ll be sticking around until this is through.

Fi says to Sam that it doesn’t make sense that Larry went ahead and killed Anson’s wife. She is the leverage that he’s using to keep Michael in line. Anson tells Fi that Larry could do that if Michael’s own life is now the leverage.

Back with Larry and Mike, the two are trying to break into the consulate without the guards seeing them. By pretending to be with the CDC they get the guards to shut down the building keeping everyone else out. Larry’s keeping Mike busy with their little project, while he stares out the window where he sees Fi, Sam and Anson arriving. Larry calls Fi and tells her that they had better keep their distance or otherwise he’ll kill Mike. Fi seemingly in her place, Larry takes out his frustration on Mike telling him to hurry up and slip the report in a diplomatic pouch in the vault.

Larry’s been holding a grudge against Michael. Putting aside the whole getting Larry locked up thing, Larry is upset with Mike because Mike is pretending to be someone that he isn’t. A couple of times in the episode it’s mentioned that Larry had a soft spot for Mike and treated him like a son. Well, Mike’s turned out to be the prodigal son and Larry is the distressed parent watching him stray from the proper path. Finally, Larry confronts Mike and bitterly tells him that he deserved to be burned. Larry reminds Michael of a job they did in Chechnya where Larry killed people and Michael just let them die. Larry tells Michael that although he may tell himself that he’s different, inside he’s really not. Larry tells Michael that he needs to choose whether he’s a civilian or a spy; “until you choose, you’re just pathetic.”

While Mike is busy planting the file, Fi is taunting Larry. From outside she finds which room he’s in and manages to plant a bomb outside the window where he’s standing. It’s just a little bomb supposedly, so Fi’s not worried that anyone else will get hurt because, after all, Mike’s in another part of the building and the guards are on the ground floor. So that little puppy has Larry’s name all over it. Or so she thinks. Fi sets off the bomb and to her horror she sees the whole building explode with Mike, Larry, and the two guards inside.

Fi runs to the building screaming for Michael who appears unharmed. This cannot be said for the rest of the of people as the guards downstairs are presumed dead. Mike takes Fi home to the loft where Fiona beats herself up over setting off the explosion that killed the guards. Mike assures her that it’s not her fault and no one blames her, how could she know the building was wired? Even though Mike tells her not to blame herself, Fi can’t help it and says “I killed those men.” And that’s just what Anson needed.

Turns out Anson is not the poor innocent victim that he seemed. In fact, he’s the one who’s been pulling the strings all along for this mission. Larry’s employer? That was Anson, who bought Larry out of jail and pointed him to himself in order to pull Mike into this twisted circle of evil. And as for that explosion, sure that was Larry’s house, but the woman found dead inside wasn’t his wife. You didn’t think he was heartless, did you? Don’t worry, his wife is perfectly safe, that body they found inside was just “some lady.” Anyway, Anson put a bug in Fi’s purse recording her confession about being responsible for the bombing and the killing of those two guards. Anson tells Mike and Fiona that unless they do whatever he says, he’s going to have them put away for a long time. With this new information allow me to go back and revise a previous statement. Michael, ditch this guy’s number.

Somewhere in her, Michael has a meeting with Pearce in which she tells him that his standing with the CIA is the same. He hasn’t been dented because of Max’s murder. Mike is continuing on with the agency, and Pearce is to remain his handler, no matter how much she wishes that she wasn’t. And believe me, she wishes. Pearce thanks Michael for helping her finally be able to close this case for Max’s family.

Anson meets with Mike and Fi on the beach to have a little chat and here Anson gives us a little more about his background, this time for real. Turns out Anson was a psychiatrist that worked for the CIA. Hating to see talent going to waste, he started to use burned spies to carry out operations that the agency won’t touch. So basically he started this whole program in which Michael is currently enrolled. And now he’s ready to tear the program down and he’s going to use Michael to do it. Anson tells Michael that he’s been watching him every since he got burned five years ago, in fact that’s when they spoke to his mother about him. Michael is disturbed that Anson got in contact with his mother, but that’s nothing compared to how he freezes when Anson tells Mike that he shouldn’t be upset with the “things your father gave us before he died.” Anson leaves Mike and Fi telling them to enjoy their day, because after all “it’ll become dark soon.”

Season 5, Episode 12: “Dead to Rights” (original airdate September 8, 2011)

Images courtesy of Quantrell D. Colbert/USA Network.