Smallscreen Features

Recap: Burn Notice 'Center of the Storm'

By Alicia Sutton Aug 6, 2010, 16:43 GMT

05/12/2010 - Jeffrey Donovan - An Evening With NBC/Universal Cable Shows 2010 - Arrivals - Universal Studios - Universal City, CA. USA © Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos

A storm is a-brewing in Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) land this week, figuratively and literally. 

With a hurricane approaching Florida, Michael contacts Vaughn (Robert Wisdom) and requests a meeting face to face with Simon, the owner of the bible cipher who also is the super criminal under lock and key with Vaughn’s organization.  

Michael gets worked up when Vaughn says no and threatens him, and yet Vaughn still says no.  Mike throws Vaughn out into the storm, not without Vaughn uttering an all too clichéd line regarding the storm outside not being the only storm coming.
Mike goes to his mother’s house (Sharon Gless) only to discover she didn’t evacuate like she said she was going to. 

Though not happy about it, Mike doesn’t argue with her.  While there, Jesse (Coby Bell) inquires into how Mike’s search is going regarding finding out about Simon - see Michael has to lie to Jesse in order for him to not find out about Michael being the one who burned him.  Jesse doesn’t press the issue after Michael tells him he is still researching.  Poor Jesse is going to be so heartbroken when he finds out - hopefully Michael will be able to soften the blow somehow.

While talking to Jesse, two FBI agents, Lane and Harris, show up and ask Michael for a favor to work for them off the books.  They lost an important witness when an assassin showed up to the safe house.  The witness took off and the assassin spared their lives.  They could get suspended if they took this to the Bureau.  Michael agrees to look into it. 

With some help from Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), Michael tracks down the gun dealer who supplied the assassin with a gun.  Speaking of Fiona, after last week’s reunion of sorts, I was a little disappointed to see that her and Michael are back to normal as opposed to being passionately back together.  I figured the writers would of played up the Jesse being jealous bit a little more to add fuel to the being burned by Michael fire, but I digress…back to the episode…The gun dealer gives Michael an address after being held at gunpoint.

Sam (Bruce Campbell) and Michael head over to the assassins house and while Michael breaks in, Sam stays outside.  The assassin, Cole (Jon Seda), thinks Michael is another assassin hired to take out the witness and takes Michael by gunpoint, making him work with him to find the witness. 

On the way out to the car, Michael sends a message to Sam by touching a car antennae, letting him know that he will contact him via radio.  Luckily for Michael, Cole agrees to getting an emergency vehicle so that unbeknownst to Cole, Michael can get access to a 2 way radio.  On the way, Michael notices a Marine Corps tattoo and tries to talk to Cole regarding his new lifestyle choice. 

He finds out Cole was dishonorably discharged for something he did not do and now he is quite disgruntled.

While Cole is cutting the lock to the emergency vehicle yard, Michael radios Sam and lets him know that he found out from Cole that the witness is staying at his girlfriend’s house and that Sam needs to find out where that is.  Sam sends Jesse, Fiona and Madeline to the witnesses house and all they find is a picture of the girlfriends house, which ends up helping Mike as they send him a coded message through the radio. 

While looking for the house, the assassin Michael is impersonating shows up, causing Cole to question who he is then he tries to kill Michael.  Michael escapes and runs to the house where the witness is hiding.  Cole follows and after and standoff that involved and a heart-to-heart conversation, Cole is persuaded by Michael to give up being an assassin and to help him save these people from the other assassin.  Cole quickly agrees and they get to work building a bomb out of an air conditioning unit.  The bomb takes out the assassin’s team and Cole ends up saving Michael from the assassin.  Hooray!

Meanwhile, Vaughn shows up at Fiona’s with a deal - in exchange for the bible, he will get Jesse his job back with a fake story as to why he was burned, therefore saving Michael.  Vaughn is adamant about Michael not meeting Simon for fear that Simon will convert Michael into a true monster capable of doing heinous things.  Fiona tells Vaughn Michael would never.  Vaughn leaves a meeting time and place for Fiona so that she can think about it.  Fiona immediately tells Michael, who is not happy about Vaughn messing with his girl.

Owing Michael a favor, the FBI agents show up to the meeting Vaughn set for Fiona and impress upon him that he will be put on the most wanted list if he doesn’t do whatever it is Michael wants from him.  After playing the overprotective boyfriend by telling Vaughn if he ever contacts Fiona again he will kill him, they move on to business.  Vaughn agrees to setting up a meeting with Simon, but warns Michael that Simon is super dangerous and that he will mess with Michael’s mind. 

“Burn Notice” lived up to its name this week after its dismal performance last week.  With Jesse getting closer to finding out who burned him, and more participation to the team by Madeline, “Burn Notice” is turning into a fun ride this season. 

I can’t wait for next week when Michael comes face to face with Simon…will Simon get under Michael’s seemingly tough skin???