Burn Notice - Mixed Messages... like how soft Mexican killers have gotten...

by Jonathan Bredemeyer

Burn Notice (S06E02)

In short: Fiona's not safe anywhere, and Michael & friends play DEA for a day...

Fi's writing jail letters to Michael and getting the VIP treatment in her maximum security new home. Her depressing letter puts Michael into one of his (now common) rage moments. Sam suggests he tap his old contacts since he's now legit again. So, Michael hits up Tom Card, his former training officer. Card is cold at first, but Michael yells him into giving him a job, a job that apparently can get them both fired if it goes wrong.

Heading out to a '5 star' restaurant in Washington D.C. [which looks a bit like the Old Ebbitt Grill], Card finally gets down to business and shows Michael his next job: a Mexican cartel trying to move into Miami. Michael now has to find 2 tons [yes tons] of cocaine coming into Miami.

Back home, Michael's mother shows up with his brother Nate. They buy Michael's excuse about having a job and simply leave. Card and Michael meet up with Jesse and Sam [who drags in a corpse, yum]. The new plan is to send in Michael and Jesse as rogue DEA agents who shot their boss, and, for some reason, Card really, really doesn't want Michael to lose his eavesdropping pen...

With Sam and Card in the surveillance van, Jesse and Michael head to the pool filled with guys in suits next to girls in bikinis. Turns out, Michael knows one of the lawyers near the drug lord, so he has to let Jesse proceed alone. Returning to the van, Card freaks out, but Michael talks him back in... rough-like.

Jesse heads over to drug lord Montero's table, goes with his cover story, and exchanges a few words with the lawyer. After being turned away with a knife to the throat, he drops the 2-tons-of-cocaine secret. This gets a little more attention, and Jesse gets Montero to come back to the 'safe house.' Once there, the plan plays out exactly as... planned, and Montero seems to agree to move the site of the 2-ton drop.

In a cool twist, Montero doesn't take Jesse to the boss, but straight to a DEA agent on his payroll. Jesse changes it up when arguing with the DEA agent and claims a team is about to bust in and save him. Of course, the trio outside imitates this, saves Jesse, but Montero kills the agent [which apparently Card was going to do anyway for selling out all his agents]. Finally getting to the boss, Jesse gets another test and now has to go witness the raid at the 'already known' drop location, so Michael and friends dash off to be a fake DEA team.... again.

At the drop, Jesse spots the 'DEA team' easily enough, and sells it to Montero, who then says they have to keep them busy while the shipment comes in at the new location. Jesse shoots the van Michael is sitting in first, to let him get out, before he lets Montero shoot the back which then explodes. [man, this guy can't let the cops = pigs references just die...] While en-route to the next location, Montero gets a call saying that the DEA already has the 2-ton shipment. Jesse's life flashes before his eyes as he desperately convinces Montero to roll on his boss and become a witness. [This is way farfetched. Jesse is all alone with a desperate, sold-out Mexican who's already killed one agent today. He would have shot him, no questions asked.]

Card is happy with the outcome and says Michael will most likely get to visit Fi. Nate returns to the loft after Michael's second [at least] read of the letter. He reveals that Ruth left him and took the baby. [Apparently, their mom brought Nate over for Nate... not Michael.]

(Photo by Glenn Watson/USA Network)

Meanwhile in prison, Fi is getting harassed, tested, and going hungry. She pulls out all the tricks to keep away from women who really want to hit her... Her one friend warns her of an impending ambush, and she starts making weapons: a prison lighter and 2 clubs [magazines soaked in salt water]. Fi and her new friend start a fire in a cell, and jump the women who were going to jump her. At least Fi got out some anger by beating on them with her homemade clubs for a bit... This dynamic duo is alone at the end of the episode washing dishes when Fi's friend tries to kill her. Apparently, someone called her on a mystery cellphone under her pillow and said they would kill her sister if she didn't kill Fi. Good to know Fiona hasn't been forgotten...

Best Line of the Episode:
Cartel big-shot: "One of you is telling the truth, and the other is eating a bullet."

New Spy Lessons:

• If you find yourself in prison, you have to have patience. Stay out of trouble as long as you can, but trouble will find you.
• Convincing someone they're looking at an army that's not there is an art, and all about well-placed props and people.

Predictions: Fi needs more tricks to survive in prison, and Anson snakes back into the picture...