Burn Notice - Brotherly Love

by Jonathan Bredemeyer

S04E15

We open at Mike's apartment with him watching Sam pack for a trip with Jesse to meet the sellers of Simon's decoded Bible list. Sam and Jesse head out to the Dominican Republic to steal this list from the auctioneer. After meeting with the 'auctioneer,' they learn the list is always in motion on motorcycles moving around the city. (Also, if you happen to be playing the Burn Notice drinking game, you're probably already feeling it. This episode is a tough one...)

Michael deals with his 'down time' ("A spy's version of R&R is recon and rendition") by picking his brother up from the airport. Apparently, this is a last minute trip home by his brother to help a friend who had some cars stolen. They head to the place and interrupt a fight between Nate's friends. It's revealed that one of the brothers lent out the cars to a drug dealer and the cars got boosted with drugs inside. Nate volunteers them to help out and signs up to find the car before the drug dealer comes for the drugs.

Fi finally shows up to do some recon on the security and peg how the cars were stolen. The drugs are in a GTO (nice...). Mike wants to take advantage of a contact from a previous op, so he jumps back into character that makes the two brother look a bit like the Blues Brothers. They meet the guy and learn that 'Buck Wild' was the one who stole the cars. Mike's contact wants 'Johnny' (Mike's character) to blow up the chop shop for him after they get the car back.

The bro team heads back to the car lot to find the drug dealers looking for their cars. Mike keeps his cover ID, and sells the drug dealer on a plan to let him get the car back... with a 'cheerleader' tagging along, and while he holds one of the car lot owners hostage...

Back in the Caribbean, Sam and Jesse have hired tons of people to watch every motorcycle that drives by. In the meantime, Michael tries to leave Nate at home, claiming it's too dangerous. Fi actually argues for Nate to come when his mom walks in and threatens him to keep Nate safe. They meet up with their 'cheerleader' and head off. They send Fi in with a stolen car and find all the cars but the GTO. They learn Buck Wild has the GTO and blow up the place before heading to Buck's house. The cheerleader comes and kills Buck Wild before the gang can get to him. They determine the cheerleader is double-crossing his boss and pinning it on them, but a bit too late to prove it...

Sam and Jesse have narrowed down the two bikes that are moving the list and determine it's not a two man job to grab it... Mike and Nate deliver the bad news to the remaining free brother. They decide they have to break into Caleb's ('the cheerleader') house to find evidence to prove he stole the car. Mike heads off to a meeting with the drug dealer... where Caleb claims he's found the car. Fi and Nate find an address for where the car is being kept and race to beat Mike and the drug crew there...

They win the race and Nate hotwires the GTO. They jet off as the drug crew plus car lot owner show up. Looking at the empty storage unit, the drug dealer isn't happy with Caleb and the gang still has 8 hours to find it.

Back at Mike's place, they tear apart the GTO and don't find the $2 million worth of heroin. The new plan is to put the car on Caleb's property and set him up. Mike's mom shows up to yell at him again and reveals Nate's about to be a dad.

They take apart the GTO and rebuild it in Caleb's backyard... impressive... They run out of time though and Mike heads off to meet the drug dealer. He doesn't buy the story so Mike kidnaps him and takes him to Caleb's place. Mike plays the 'if I'm lying, shoot me' line, as Fi and Nate barely make it out. Caleb leads them around back to find the car. Mike grabs the car lot hostage and takes off, leaving the pissed-off drug dealer with his double crosser.

Mike gives Nate all of the payment for the job 'for the baby.' They have the baby talk and then Mike calls Sam to check in, and head out to the Dominican Republic to help steal the list. Fi and Mike show up with guns and ammo on a rooftop. Sam and Jesse have planned the route and hold-ups. After making the bike take a wrong turn, Mike saws the list (in the form of a usb drive) off the frame of the bike as motorcycle backup shows up. They lift Mike out of the alley amidst smoke and explosives and hightail it out.

Back in Miami, the team are debating what to do with the list: give it to the government, take them out themselves, etc. The episode ends with Michael trying to answer the question from Fi: "What are you doing to do?"

Spy team quote about special forces: "In the end, you don't need a hero to succeed in the field. You need a team."