Burn Notice 4.16 - Dead or Alive

Plot: Michael's decided to turn the flash drive with the list of people who burned him over to the government. So, no bloody swath of vengeance then. They opt to give it to Marv, though he'll only agree if Mike goes on the record, while being polygraphed. Mike agrees to it, maybe just to get Marv to shut up.

Meanwhile, Sam has a buddy in trouble (for the 3rd time this season, I believe). Kevin is a cop who's gone missing. He's also suspected of killing some drug dealers and stealing their coke. Sam promised Kevin's wife Claire he'd find her, and for once, Michael doesn't complain about being asked to help. Sam's rather determined, so he goes outside the law a bit to track down a two-bit loser named Ted Kevin had been talking with. Turns out Ted was working with Kevin's partner, who is the real killer and drug stealer, and they killed Kevin. Which means all that's left is to convince Pete to bring the drugs out, so he gets busted, and Kevin's name is clear. Mike poses as a distributor who used Ted to approach Pete, then killed him so it could just be him and Pete. Certainly impressed Pete, but maybe scared him too much. They attempt to nudge Pete, by suggesting Kevin's still alive out there, working to clear his name, but that only convinces Pete to try and kill Mike. except, because that fails, it gives Mike the perfect excuse to lean on Pete until he finally brings the drugs out and gets busted. So that ended well. As well as it could, but Kevin was already dead by the time they got involved.

That's where the good news ends. Mike and Jesse hand the list off to Marv, who is acting very nervous all of a sudden. Perhaps it has something to do with the silencers on the Homeland Security guys' guns. Or perhaps it was just because they were threatening to kill him and his family. Because they're working for Brennan, and now he has the list.

The Players: Marv (Jesse's Old Handler), Claire (The Client), Ted (Drug Dealing Scumbag), Tyler Brennan (Part-Time Spy/Full-Time Sociopath)

Quote of the Episode: Marv - 'Oh please. I've seen your file. Where there's that much smoke, there's usually a flame or two.'

Does Fiona blow anything up? Nope. She borrows cop shoes from Madeline, and states she'll kill Mike if he bails on her the way he did last time, but that's it.

Sam Axe Drink Count: 2 (39 overall). At one point he turned down a mojito, and I thought this would be a Sam doesn't drink at all episode, but no.

Sam Getting Hit Count: 0 (9 overall). He even held a non-dirty cop at gunpoint and got away with it.

Michael's Fake Laugh Count: 1 (3 overall).

Other: Michael's Ray Gant.

I don't see why Mike has so much trouble understanding Fi. See, she wants Michael to no longer be burned so he has a choice of whether to be a spy or not, and then she wants him to turn it down. He doesn't understand, as he puts it, 'You want me to have the choice, but you want me to choose to turn it down?' I've not been in a relationship nearly as serious as his and Fi's, and I still understand the idea of sacrifice and compromise for people important to you. How is this such a difficult concept for a guy who routinely risks his life helping people?

Do schoolchildren pay enough attention to the news to know one of their classmates has a dad accused of being a dirty cop? I have a hard time believing that. Unless their parents are yapping about it. Maybe.

I like the interrogation of Ted in the shipping container. How Sam's face is in shadow once Ted starts talking. Not subtle, but Sam rarely gets to play the heavy. Even Maddy gets to play scary more often than him. How when Ted says "the body", they show Michael's reaction first. Which is to glance over at Sam. It's a mixture of concern for Sam, and concern about what Sam might do to Ted.

I'm disappointed Michael didn't tell Marv that he's kept his mother in the loop (sort of). I'd love for Marv to try interrogating her. He wouldn't be able to sit down for weeks. You know, if he hadn't been killed shortly thereafter.

In some ways, the end of the episode works even better when you know what's coming. Maybe because it makes me appreciate Marv a little more, the fact he's about to die only because he was someone in the government they knew and felt they could trust (who would actually talk to Michael). Mostly, I was giddy about seeing Brennan again. I could not wait for the SUV to drive by, for the thug to shoot out Jesse's tires, and the to see Brennan lean forward and smile at Mike as he drives by. Michael's quiet "Brennan" says everything. Dread, anger, defeat, concern. He's the guy who keeps squaring off with Michael and getting away, and not because Mike has some misplaced compassion for him, ala Dead Larry. He's the one who came closest to killing someone close to Mike, and it meant nothing to him. Just business. Even now, he's taking the list because it's an opportunity for him. Sure, screwing over Michael is a nice perk, but he wouldn't do it if he couldn't profit from it.