Burn Notice 6.5 - Split Decision

Plot: Now that Rebecca's been convinced to stop killing people, Michael has to come through on his part of the bargain and find her brother. Except, he can't. Trent Lang did a good enough job going into hiding that none of Sam's buddies have any leads. Which makes Rebecca a bit cross, and she isn't a pleasant sort at the best of times. As it turns out, Trent had been working as an accountant at a club that turned out to be a front for an illegal operation. He turned the evidence over, got the patriarch sent to prison, and went on the run to avoid the revenge of the son. Even with the old man dead, the son (Wes), hasn't given up, even if his wife would like him to.

Michael presents himself as an acquaintance of the old man's from prison, delivering a message for the deceased. Trent Lang was the snitch, the police had another informant. Wes requires convincing, so Sam has to gin up a fake evidence file on it, and he and Rebecca have to get it placed in the police evidence holding facility, so Mike and Wes can steal it.

While all that is going on, Tom Card is trying to broker a deal that will get Fiona released from prison as a CIA asset, pending Michael capturing Anson. It requires her turning over her weapons provider to make some 'Middle Eastern allies' happy. I forget sometimes how much trouble Fiona used to get herself into, because I wouldn't expect her to be buying guns from a guy with that much clout. This job also requires her to spend an extended amount of time around Tom Card, something neither of them enjoys. Not that we've seen anyone so far who enjoys spending time around Card. He's just that kind of person. Anyway, Fi obviously can't meet for the deal, and Greyson won't meet with someone he doesn't know, so that leaves Michael. Who is a little busy trying to save Trent's life without getting the CIA involved. He pulls it off, though he does demolish Wes' marriage in the process. If Michael Westen can't have a happy relationship, no one can!

The Players: Card (Michael's Training Officer), Wes Foster (Obsessed S.O.B.), Greyson (Fiona's Gun Supplier)

Quote of the Episode: Rebecca - 'Why don't you just promise him a walk on the moon while you're at it?' Michael - 'If that will prevent him from hunting your brother, it's on the table.' Sam - 'Don't get him started. I don't have any buddies at NASA.'

Does Fiona blow anything up? No. She spends an entire episode in a locked room with Tom Card. I guess not being "officially arrested" means you can be tortured.

Sam Axe Drink Count: 3 (4 overall).

Sam Getting Hit Count: 0 (4 overall).

Michael's Fake Laugh Count: 0 (0 overall).

Other: This week, Michael plays Freddie Kupfer, ex-con and 'procurement specialist'. *pause* A thief. I thought about using that quote, but the bit about NASA was too good to pass up. He also plays Michael Westen, one who is angry at Fiona for screwing him over on a deal.

I don't think it was necessary for Michael to break Greyson's thumb. That's two weeks in a row with the excessive violence. He's running himself ragged. Some of it is the necessity of helping Rebecca without involving the Agency, which means his backup is limited on that front. But some of it is self-inflicted. He didn't take even a moment after the authorities had Greyson before he hopped in the Charger and tore back to his place to talk to Rebecca. We've seen Michael throw himself into work to deal with stress before (when he was nearly blown up in Season 2, for example), but it's caryring on for longer this time. I have to wonder if he's going to snap.

I notice Rebecca responds to downtime in stressful situations with pushups, much like Michael, though I think he prefers crunches. Beyond that, I don't have a lot to say about her. She's very abrasve, and while I understand why she's abrasive, it's hard for me to care much about her when she's really unpleasant. And the moments of honesty or vulnerability feel forced. The request that Anson suffer when he's captured felt genuine though. Her anger is very believable.

I didn't mention them in the plot recap, but Jesse and Nate worked together to get info on Wes' dad from his old cellmate. The whole argument about Jesse's car, and his taste in music was pretty funny. Nate's not a fan of Queen. Not five straight hours of it, anyway. Which I admit would tax my tolerance levels as well. "Shrilly" does seem an overly harsh assessment.

That whole bit where Card basically tells Fiona she should be thanking him for splitting her and Michael up in Ireland, because it saved both their lives, that was irritating. Admittedly, the only other thing I've seen much of John C. McGinley in was Scrubs, and I spent most of the time thinking someone should stab Dr. Cox in the eye, so perhaps it's a specific reaction I have to his delivery. But that whole thing felt very Anson-like. "Thank me for ruining your life, because really, I did you a big favor. I'm not an asshole, I'm just telling it like it is."

Yes, Fiona's being really hostile, but she's been in prison a while now, I think she's entitled. And Card spends the whole time shifting from smug, to impatient, to condescending, when he wouldn't be getting anywhere with anything without Michael and Fiona, that I can't fault her for it. That said, I'm sure Card isn't aware that's how he comes off, so to him, the hostility probably seems completely undeserved. I still don't like him.