Here's your BuddyTV High Five: The five big moments and questions from tonight's episode of Burn Notice, "Company Man."
Six months later, Michael Westen is in the good graces of the CIA again as a CIA asset as they
try and find the fugitives who burned him. But returning from civilian life isn't as awesome as
Michael's yogurt. Michael enlists Fi and Sam (unofficially, according to the CIA) to look for one
John Kessler, the key to the four-seasons worthy of conspiracies. So Michael goes undercover
as a Russian comrade to get into the workings of said John Kessler. But for once, all of this
hot operation stuff doesn't occur in Miami, but in Venezuela! Michael and Max, senior CIA
operative, locate Kessler -- but he shot himself in the head before Michael get the answers he
needs. Now, Michael's still working with the CIA, but it isn't the happy reconciliation he was
looking forward to all of these seasons... I mean, years.
High Five Highlights:
5. Interrogation Scene: Michael would so give a speech about rough handling, go to
all the trouble of disabling the cameras, and make himself look intimidating. And then behind
closed doors, he just wants to talk. It's a funny/important scene, but it sort of also shows how
Michael's always operated and changed since the CIA at the same time. It's subtle, but really
important to emphasize the difference between Michael the renegade spy vs. Michael the CIA
spy.
4. The Team's Back: Of course, to make this show the
Burn Notice we all love and catch
up on USA marathons, the team's got to be back in action. An episode on this show wouldn't
work without the trio (though apparently, TV network movies do) so this was necessary to
keep the show balanced. But having them on the sidelines, unofficially, allowed us to see how
essential they are to the show, but also to getting the job done. They definitely don't do things by
the book, but they always get the job done; a theme to this episode if you will.
3. Michael and Fi: I have no idea what that 'shipper name would be, but I like the
support for this volatile relationship. Even kind of happy, their relationship is based on
everything you wouldn't expect for the show's main love interest. I really missed this aspect of
their relationship during the hiatus -- not many shows literally base a relationship on adrenaline
-- and we only got a few minutes of them together. Imagine the unstableness for this season!
2. Irony: Michael's been searching for the people who burned him since the beginning
of this show. These people are part of the conspiracy to burn spies so that they don't have to go
through red tape, bureaucracies, the works, etc. And once Michael's back as a CIA asset, he ends
up doing things the way he's perfected for the last few years: no red tape to allow the freedom to
get what needs to be done. It's an interesting thought that institutions we provide on the basis of
protection and intelligence really aren't efficient because of the rules and regulations they make.
It's ironic, and hopefully Michael will appreciate by season's end.
1. Yogurt Shout-Out: Seriously, how has Michael Westen survived the last four years
with all this danger? He eats a lot of yogurt. Honestly, Michael Westen is the coolest yogurt
promoter/spokesman. Ever.
Questions:
- How long will it take for Michael to get 'burned' or on the outs with the CIA again?
- Did this episode make you excited for a fifth season of
Burn Notice?
Emily E. Steck
Contributing Writer
(Image courtesy of USA)