Burn Notice 5.14 - Breaking Point

Plot: Michael no has clearance to view 'sensitive compartmentalized information'. Meaning he can easily upload Voidbot and wipe Anson's information from the CIA's computers. He hasn't done it yet, and calls a meeting with Anson to give Fiona an opportunity to plant a tracker on Anson's car. Michael's decoy doesn't quite work, but Fiona's determined and with a little crawling under some vehicles, she plants the bug. Which eventually leads them to an apartment complex. Then Sam suckers some do-gooder college kids into doing all the work of figuring out which place is Anson's with some b.s. about a class-action lawsuit over carbon footprints.

Michael has other concerns, though. His friend Ricky (last seen in 2.6 "Bad Blood") has just lost his brother, Andre, who was even more Mike's childhood friend than Ricky. Andre had spent some time in prison, but was working hard to clean up his community at the time he was shot. Ricky has no faith in the police, and wants Michael's help. The trail leads to Dolly, an old friend of Andre's, who tells us Andre was investigating the recent death of a gang leader that had stirred things up. Dolly knew who did it, Dion Carver, the man who took over as the leader. Michael dusts off his Mr. Turner alias (last seen 4.2, "Fast Friends") to pose as a weapons dealer. If Dion really did cover up a theft of a large sum of money by killing his boss, then offering him great weapons for settling grudges might be the way to get him to bring it into the open. That, combined with Dolly's testimony, might be enough.

Sadly, Dolly didn't stay at Maddy's, got spotted by one of Dion's guys, and wound up dead. So much for that idea, but Ricky's got another plan: Blow everyone up. Michael's not terribly happy, but manages to divert the plan onto a less murderous course that still lands Dion in prison. At least he experienced some success there, because he can't stall Anson any longer, and Fiona and Sam didn't come up with a lot when they tossed Anson's apartment. An encrypted military radio he's using to transmit information he wants to keep secret, but that's about it. Nothing that can keep Michael from uploading Voidbot and deleting those files.

The Players: Ricky (The Client), Dion (Andre's Killer)

Quote of the Episode: Ricky - 'Can you do me a favor? Tell Michael not to worry about making that meeting.'

Does Fiona blow anything up? Kinda sorta? She modified the bomb Ricky made to be less powerful, but Ricky made it initially, and Dion set it off.

Sam Axe Drink Count: 1 (19 overall).

Sam Getting Hit Count: 0 (7 overall).

Michael's Fake Laugh Count: 2 (11 overall).

Other: Like I said, Michael reprises his role as Mr. Turner.

I meant to mention this last week, but it still fits here. If Oswald made Voidbot long enough ago for him to taken into custody by the feds, then processed into witness protection, and send Sherry a big TV as a birthday gift, wouldn't Voidbot be obsolete? At the very least, wouldn't the feds have tested it and devised countermeasures, or at least ways to detect its use and point of origin? I guess you could argue they wouldn't share that with the Agency. Interdepartmental rivalries and all.

Along those same lines, no hard copies? No file folders with Anson's information on them? Nobody has printed it out to look over at home? Just another reminder to diversify your file storage methods.

I enjoyed Sam deflecting that one (probably) pre-law kid with the baby penguin defense. Invoking cute animals is a surefire path to success for any scheme!

I like Fiona's derision at Ricky's bomb. I imagine someone who makes them regularly wouldn't think much of an amateur's efforts.

I thought Ricky caved in really quickly there at the end. He went to all the trouble of making the bomb and trying to warn Mike off, then Mike seemed to convince him to tell where it was and go modify it with about two sentences. I could see it if Mike had said, "I'm going in there whether you tell me where the bomb is or not, so if you're OK with my being blown up, too. . ." Ricky clearly doesn't want Mike hurt, but otherwise, he seemed so pissed, so bent on vengeance, it's hard to believe it burned away that fast.

That aside, I did enjoy this episode. I still would prefer not to see Anson, but for the most part, he was in the background, everyone else moving around working while trying to avoid him. That helps. Past that, I liked this story. Andre changing his ways, which makes me think he was the Nate Westen to Ricky's Michael. Ricky's frustration when the plan seems to be falling apart. The fact that Michael refused to go the murder route when things went south. It parallels what he's doing with Anson. While Fi's contemplating turning herself in, going on the run, or simply killing Anson, Michael keeps going along, positive an opportunity will present itself to pull this thing out. It worked with Dion, didn't it? Even when Dolly was killed, he was able to use Ricky's attempt at homicide to corner Dion so he'd turn himself in. It's always worked in the past. Just keep your cool and there'll be a chance, that's what Michael's banking on.