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1[[WMG:The show concept was based on [[Series/TheDukesOfHazzard The Dukes of Hazzard ]].]]
2Two men who act like brothers but aren't, assisted by a beautiful but scrappy tomboy and a gruff but wise elder family member, aid the local folk in dealing with crime, evil businessmen, and corrupt government influences, while driving a souped up, classic Dodge Charger.
3
4This sounds familiar.
5
6[[WMG:The group that Mike now works for is the group he thinks he's fighting against, posing as an adversary of themselves.]]
7Duh.
8* Problem. Mike doesn't think he's [[spoiler:fighting anybody. He thinks they're all dead.]] Considering this ALL happened off screen however fuels the next WMG
9
10[[WMG: The government needed Kessler dead]]
11Michael Weston is clearly among if not the best spy and most dangerous man on the planet. If he wants you dead you die. While he's a brilliant man his judgement when it comes to being burnt isn't always rational. So the government takes the most dangerous man on the planet forges a few connections and turns the most dangerous man on earth against their problem. [[spoiler: So it's at least possible that the people who burned him got away with it, decided that keeping him out was more dangerous than bringing him in. They will continue to get away with it until someone trips and does or says something stupid. Or Mike sees some guy he interogated having tea and crumpets.]]
12
13[[WMG:Michael was burned by the yogurt industry.]]
14Michael and co. have to be the largest consumers of yogurt in the Miami area. Knowing he's much more useful to them sitting in his house unemployed, top yogurt executives called in a favor to the US government to can Westen. Fortunately, Michael can make his own entertainment when he's not eating yogurt.
15* It makes so much sense now! [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited The pop bands, the government, Project Cadmus]], ''everything!''
16** [[Creator/TomHolt The Milk Marketing Board are involved too!]] Perhaps even the USDA! Who knew they had a spy division?
17* Cellphone companies invented spies! WordOfGod says so! You see where this is going, right...?
18
19[[WMG: In the Burn Notice [[TheVerse 'verse,]] Michael [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis is the head writer]] for ''Series/CSIMiami''.]]
20He based Horatio's personality on the police officer who harasses him on a regular basis. But he also saw Horatio as a [[AuthorAvatar stand-in]] [[MartyStu for himself]]; thus, Horatio picked up some of his quirks. (Don't ask why Michael imagines himself played by David Caruso.)
21** Horatio isn't him. Since Michael's still trying to get back in, he can't risk telling too much about himself. Horatio is the good guy-{{Expy}} of Victor and Larry -- the two people who are about as close to him as possible without being him -- with a few of his own quirks tossed in.
22** Michael's in charge of writing, not casting.
23
24[[WMG: Michael was burned by [[Series/{{Chuck}} Fulcrum.]]]]
25He was being considered as a candidate for The Intersect, and Fulcrum knew that having all that badassery wrapped up in one package was just ''asking'' for trouble.
26* More evidence: I wrote that without seeing that someone had put the same theory on the ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' page. The hints are on ''both'' sides of the fence.
27** [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4818930/1/Chuck_Versus_the_Burn_Notice You know too much. Our agents will be at your house shortly. Good day.]]
28
29[[WMG: Michael is being groomed to take over a top secret Government Agency that deals with policing the Intelligence branches of the United States and its allies.]]
30It's a BatmanGambit. They need an agent who hasn't burnt out yet. Sharp and inventive. Capable to make ties with others and fight to win, no matter the odds.
31
32They burn Michael and dump him at home. They force him to rely on his spy skills to help others for profit, but in the meantime regain any humanity he may have lost on the job. He will be a mixture of rogue spy and modern day knight.
33
34When the time is right, they'll offer him the job on policing his former bosses and other agencies, balancing security needs with preventing them from going too far.
35
36[[WMG: The entire Gilroy/Simon plotline was ThePlan on the part of whoever has Michael now (probably Management) to get him under their power.]]
37And we won't see him again until several episodes in to season 4.
38* Jossed. Big time. [[EvenEvilHasStandards They didn't want anything to do with him.]]
39
40[[WMG: Michael is an insane person with multiple personality disorder.]]
41Each of the {{big bad}}s that Michael has had to deal with was similar to him -- a dark reflection, a version of him that was amoral, sociopathic, hate filled, ruthless, rabid, etc. In fact, all of what we have seen has been a way for Michael's mind to help lead him back to sanity.
42
43Sam and Fiona are important people in his 'real' life, as are his family. They've been necessary for him to rebuild and remake himself, thus letting him tackle the increasingly difficult and dangerous parts of his psyche.
44
45[[WMG: Michael is Series/{{MacGyver|1985}}]]
46He's just changed a lot since the 1980s. [=MacGyver=] was a pseudonym to keep people guessing.
47* The "street gang" phase of [=MacGyver=] was during an earlier burned period. He's not so patient now.
48
49[[WMG: Fiona is a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desolation_Jones Desolation]] survivor.]]
50Look at the facts: Very thin, perpetual sunburn, no problem with shooting people in cold blood. It's possible she was actually captured by British intelligence and subjected to the Desolation Test, but they disavowed any knowledge of it so Jones thinks he's the only one.
51
52[[WMG: Jesse knows Mike's the one responsible for his burn.]]
53He's getting close to Michael et al to finish his job, and then take Michael down. Otherwise, he would have to be ''awfully'' thick not to have put together...well, as TWOP puts it:
54-->But since Madeline is still fishing for info on him, Jesse comes clean about being a former spy who was fired when someone used his clearance to steal a file, but luckily for him, Michael was there to help. You know, when he puts it that way, it's kind of shocking that he hasn't connected those two facts yet.
55* To be fair, he was lying to Maddie about that last part. Jessie actually sought out Michael because he was a legendary burned spy.
56* Of course, given how it's getting to be about OnceAnEpisode that Jesse screws up the plan of the week, it's also not implausible that he's just that dense.
57** Jossed, when [[spoiler: Jesse finally figures it out, after reviewing security camera footage from across the street from his workplace and discovers that Michael DID burn him. Cue RoaringRampageOfRevenge.]]
58
59[[WMG: Michael will meet Annie from Covert Affairs]]
60And the crossover are awesome.
61
62[[WMG: Michael was burned by Sam and Fiona]]
63That would be awesome!
64** I spent the first two seasons thinking Fiona was in on it, though it's probably not tenable now. But she's awfully eager to keep him around, and in Miami, isn't she?
65
66[[WMG: This season, or possibly next season, will end with a three part to be continued crossover, and then a movie.]]
67You can see that White Collar, Covert Affairs, and Burn Notice are all moving in similar directions. There's a shadowy organization doing shadowy things in the shadows that has to be stopped. This is the only suitably epic way to deal with it.
68** That... would actually be one of the less odd crossovers possible. Although the style of White Collar is somewhat subdued compared to the explody style of BN and the untested rookie style of CA. Yet at the same time, WC and BN pull off some really good schemes...
69** Season three of Leverage has them blackmailed by someone to take down a banker who provides his services to terrorists, criminals and dictators. There is definetly potential there.
70*** Though Leverage isn't a USA show while the first three are. This makes it a lot easier, at least in some senses.
71** WordOfGod says that while White Collar/Burn Notice would be pretty cool, the two shows film at the same time in different cities. This means in order to do a crossover between those two shows, they would have to give up an episode for one of the two shows and neither show would probably want to do that.
72*** Not if the only crossover part is the movie.
73* It could potentially be done really well if the movie includes intersecting plot arcs with both casts getting to the resolutions of their respective undercurrent conspiracy plots, and the audience finding out the two are connected. Maybe it could start out with Sam introducing Mike to one of his FBI buddies up in [[BigApplesauce New York]] - who turns out to be Agent Burke. We learn that Burke worked a case closely connected with some of the people that burned Michael. Meanwhile, Neal gets closer to one of his Series/WhiteCollar background conspiracies, and has Mozzie get in contact with one of thier underworld contacts - your friendly neighborhood money launderer - Barry - who happens to have some clue that Neal needs stashed someplace. Unfortunately, that someplace is overrun by bad guys and this deal is out of sight of the FBI. Fiona owes Barry a favor and turns up to run security on the job. In the end, it turns out the conspiracy was much bigger than mere art theft or international espionage, so team BN and team WC will have to join forces to bring down the BigBad.
74
75[[WMG: Matt Nix and the rest of the writing staff are tropers!]]
76They certainly pay a lot of conscious attention to such things, much more so than most other shows. Watching various episode commentaries reveals just how much Matt Nix and the team keep in mind when doing the show, whether big or small, long term or short.
77
78[[WMG: The narration ''is'' being given as a lecture]]
79At the end Mike is unburned, but for some reason or another isn't put back on field duty (given all the things he has done during his burn, finding a reason isn't hard), instead being used to train new spies.
80* Additionally the Show itself is training footage using actors that resemble Michael, Fi, and Sam (Creator/JeffreyDonovan, Creator/GabrielleAnwar and Creator/BruceCampbell?), that the real Michael uses to teach certain lessons to new recruits, I.E. how to handle reluctant assets, how to improvise, and why it's better to stay single in the field.
81* Darn it, I was just coming to add this one combined with the one below. Series concludes with Mike being given a teaching job at the CIA. It ends with the camera pulling back across the class as Professor Westen says "My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy, until..." Credits.
82* [[spoiler: Sort of confirmed. The final episode reveals that Mike has been telling everything as a story to Charlie.]]
83
84[[WMG: The last words of the series will be an IronicEcho.]]
85Specifically, either Michael will get unburned and finish the series by saying, "My name is Michael Westen - I'm a spy", or he'll repeat the "My name is Michael Westen - I used to be a spy" line in such a way that indicates he's made peace with not getting back in.
86* Well now that [[spoiler: Nate has a kid, maybe it'll be a TimeSkip. The final show will be from the perspective of Nate's kid at a young age playing with a friend. All sorts of RunningGags will be used - the kid will eat lots of yogurt, play with duct tape, have fancy shades, etc. The final scene will be the middle of some NoodleIncident and have Team Weston PetTheDog before walking out of the house. The friend will be all in awe and ask who that is. The kid will say "That's Uncle Michael. He use to be a spy." as if being a former spy (and doing crazy things on a daily basis) is the most normal thing in the world.]]
87** Alternately, [[spoiler: (and this is especially possible to make something of a BittersweetEnding if Michael dies in the series finale) the epilogue will feature another TimeSkip of 5-7 years, at an elementary school class presentation where each student is presenting what they want to be when they grow up. And the series ends with the line, "My name is Charlie Westen. I want to be a spy."]]
88* Well, it's not the end of the series, hopefully, but we've finally gotten the official line drop tonight in Dead or Alive.
89** Finally? This is at least the second time.
90** And not hopefully since they were given two more seasons some time ago. So there's at least until season six to figure something out.
91** Confirmed.
92
93[[WMG: John Barrett isn't actually the Big Bad.]]
94It's Vaughn and the people he works for. Barrett is just a rival. We know Simon worked for the Evil side, and we know that Vaughn's people worked with Simon up until they decided to switch to Michael.
95** Well kinda Jossed. Barrett is a Big Bad but not Michael's Big Bad and -is- a rival of Vaughn. He had information that would take down Vaughn's group. How all that plays out is the basis of the second half of season 4.
96
97[[WMG: John Barrett/The Real Evil Side is behind the huge conspiracies on White Collar and Covert Affairs.]]
98Julian Larson and Ben Mercer both work for them, and ultimately we're going to end up with a three hour crossover movie at the end of Next Season.
99
100[[WMG:Michael's mother is actually working for the agency that burned him and she's secretly Michael's handler.]]
101
102* Think about: despite numerous situations that could have resulted in her arrested,injured or killed...nothing happens to her.
103She apparently has plenty of money for cigarettes,food and clothing,yet no visible source of income.
104Knowing that her son is a killer,a thief and a potentially an agent of a foreign government seems to have little impact upon her and in fact, she ENCOURAGES him to to do it.
105She doesn't seem to be surprised or even more than mildly concerned about the numerous violent acts that have suddenly started to occur around her.
106
107Why does this happen in this manner?
108Because she has been assigned by the group that burned Michael to "handle" him while he is in Miami.
109
110* Actually, a quote from the narration of pilot episode really seems to support this: "My mother would have made a great NSA communications operative. Drop me in the middle of the Gobi Desert, bury me in a goddamn cave on the moon, and somehow she'll find a way to call me and ask for a favor." That's pretty much the short definition of "handler."
111** Hilariously enough, it turned out that Madeline's counselor is the BigBad of Season 5. There might be something to it.
112
113[[WMG:Burn Notice will cross over with Dexter...somehow.]]
114
115Some possibilities:
116#Dexter will mistakenly identify Michael as just another Miami murderer and begin hunting him. Michael will become aware of Dexter and have to work to thwart him.
117#A family member of one of Dexter's victims will ask Michael to find the killer. In the course of tracking the killer Michael will meet Dexter in person, not realizing he is the target. The two of them will "team up" only Dexter will be secretly working to stall Michael's investigation. In the end Dexter will lead Michael to the wrong conclusion but the final shot of the episode will be Michael stumbling on some small factoid or inconsistency that makes him suspect Dexter was behind it all.
118** This makes the most sense as it would fit with Michael's "Sometimes you have to let bad people do good things... good people do bad things..." phrase. Yes, Dexter is a killer... but he only targets other killers. Michael may not be very happy that Dexter is killing people, but he's not likely to go out of his way to stop him either. It would also lead to the situation where Michael would have to help the client -and- protect the 'villain' -and- somehow come up with a happy ending.
119#One of Michael's clients will hire him to expose a known killer who escaped justice. Coincidentally, Dexter is also tracking this same killer to be his next victim. The two of them will run into each other by accident while both are casing the killer's house and the story will unfold like a superhero crossover. The two of them will briefly come to blows, then reach an understanding and team up. In the end Michael will be conflicted over whether to let Dexter go free to continue killing, and Dexter will be conflicted over the wisdom of exposing himself to Michael.
120Other tropers are encouraged to come up with their own theories.
121
122[[WMG:Michael will be out of the picture for a time]]
123Jesse is also a burned spy, which lets them keep the title, and it would provide for some interesting group dynamics by removing the leader. I actually thought it would happen earlier, like when Jesse shot Michael.
124
125[[WMG: Burn Notice and Mythbusters will do a crossover!]]
126Both shows tend to have lots of fun playing with wacky things. Heck, I can think of at least two BN things that the Mythbusters did (phonebooks as bullet resistant armor, fooling a motion detector with a sheet).
127
128[[WMG: Fiona is Scorpia from ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'']]
129
130Scorpia is a former IRA terrorist with a love of random violence and overkill, who has a record of double-crossing her employers and making people who annoy her dead. And her real name? Fiona.
131
132[[WMG: Michael Westen's father was actually a spy like his son and may still be alive and have been the cause of Michael's burn notice]]
133
134It seems very convenient to me that Frank Westen died shortly after his son Michael became a spy and that no specific cause of death is given, you would think that the Westen family would have found this a very odd coincidence. Also the Westens never seem to mention what Frank Westen did for a living so it seems probable to me that he may have been a spy and he disappeared so that his enemies wouldn't figure out about Michael being his son and compromise both of their lives. From there Frank Westen may have been observing Michael Westen's career and saw the interest that all these hostile organizations had in his son and decided to put a burn notice on his son to protect him from them and so that he could find a semblance of normalcy back home with his mother and brother. The burn notice was meant to help Michael, but Frank can't reveal himself or both of them might be killed.
135* Highly unlikely -- especially from the "helping Michael" angle. I can see this making sense to an occasional watcher, but Frank has been established from day one as a no-good, abusive drunk with a history of chronic unemployment and criminal activity. Think of the recent episode where Maddie posed as a nurse and Michael had to shout at and abuse her -- they were both shaken because Michael was channeling Frank, and was a little too convincing for comfort. Michael fled home and joined the army at 17 to get away from him. As for whatever caused Frank's death, given his lifestyle, he'd have to have been hit by a meteor for it to count as surprising. Given the above, if Frank ''was'' a former spy, he would definitely ''not'' be one of the good guys -- any protective instincts would have revolved around himself, not his wife and children.
136*** Just seems to me that any man good enough for a woman like Madeline to fall in love with and have two sons with must not have been all bad. Even good men can spiral down into darkness, Michael himself is implied by Larry to have had a dark side during their time working together filled with wetwork and top secret black ops. It seems probable that Frank not making Madeline privy to his spy work wouldn't have a means to vent his frustrations like Michael does with Fiona and Sam and would hold on to those dark tendencies and emotions. I've heard all sorts of horror stories about soldiers struggling with post-traumatic stress emotionally breaking down in front of their families, its a wonder that Michael himself doesn't suffer from this. Also all the items that Michael's father left behind that conveniently help Michael in his job along with the fact that his emotional displays emulating his father give rise to the possibility that Michael is starting to realize he and his father aren't so different. Plus Michael can be seen arguing with his brother over who Frank liked more and thus who deserves to keep his car, arguing with his mother over whether Frank ever loved any of them, and visiting his father's grave which implies to me that Michael at least has a begrudging respect for his father and has a "Daddy didn't love me enough" complex. Frank's profession and moral character are up in the air since we only have Michael's word instead of a visual representation of the man himself.
137*** Certainly value points, but generally abusive behavior doesn't emerge until after the relationship is fairly well established. Before them, abusive people actually tend to come across as more charming and confident because they're trying to get close to someone first before they can assert authority.
138** At this point, I have to ask ... just how long has the OP been watching this show? The stuff Michael's father left behind that helps Michael -- it's been explicitly stated that he used those things for low-level criminal activities. Michael uses it because said activities overlap with his various con jobs. It's also been explicitly stated that Nick felt betrayed when Michael left, because Michael would draw their father's attention to keep him from abusing Nick. If there's a "Daddy didn't love me enough" complex, it's that "Daddy didn't love me enough ''because he was an asshole.''" As for Frank's profession and moral character, we don't just have Michael's word for it -- we have the entire Westin family, its collective behavior and its various mental and emotional scars to vouch for Frank. We haven't been ''told'' about Frank, we've been shown his legacy. And his legacy ''sucks''. To be blunt, "Frank was a spy and has secretly supported Michael" would completely break the show for me.
139* Probably Jossed as of "Depth Perception". [[spoiler:Michael's father was killed by Ansen. He described him as smart enough to get suspicious and too close to the truth, but that's the extent of his abilities]]. Which might have been a lie, but it seems unlikely.
140
141[[WMG: Max's "wife" is involved in his death.....if she exists.]]
142
143You've just been shot. The guy you've been working with comes into the room and asks what happened and who shot you. You're going to start talking about your wife being mad? Unless.......his wife is involved somewhat. Maybe there isn't even a wife in the picture. I fully expect Michael to say to the CIA chick investigating Max's murder "How's his wife taking this?" and getting a puzzled look and a "Max wasn't married" response.
144* Jossed. His wife was mentioned by the CIA agent investigating his death in Eye for an Eye.
145** Well, the "if she exists" part is Jossed. Still entirely possible Max's Mrs. is in on Max's death.
146*** Double Jossed as of the season finale.
147*** Still possible Max's wife had a sex cha........who am I kidding, octuple Jossed at this point.
148
149[[WMG: John Marston from Red Dead Redemption is an ancestor of Michael Westen.]]
150
151Think about it. Both of them have been screwed over by corrupt forces in the government and are confined to a particular area until their mission is over and then they can go home. They help people on a consistent basis out of the good will of their hearts but always are realistic telling their clients that they "will see what they can do" because there are never any guarantees of mission success in life. They are highly athletic and talented gun-fighters being able to take on groups of much greater size in comparison to themselves and come out on top through skill, wit and ingenuity. Are highly personable people who are quite capable of talking their way out of a situation and prefer to give people a chance to surrender or walk away before they refer to violence, not to mention that despite being fighters are deeply philosophical and articulate in the way that they talk. Both of them have a rag-tag group of friends that may seem unreliable at first but deep down they know they can depend on with their lives. And lastly both have a family worth fighting for and coming home to. All in all John Marston comes off as a vigilante cowboy that works hard for the greater good and Michael comes off as a modern cowboy soldier fighting for the greater good as well. Coincidence? You decide. (it is already in my personal fanon)
152
153[[WMG: Anwar from season one is the same man as Ranjit from ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'']]
154Well, they're played by the same actor at least. Also, think of how useful a role driving a cab or limo in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity would be for intelligence gathering. Hell, considering that he works for Libyan intelligence, he's probably investigating Barney's employers - if he isn't working with them...
155
156[[WMG: Fiona Burned Michael.]]
157A few things kind of stuck out at me, one was that Fiona was right at Michaels bedside when he got to Miami. Now maybe it was coincidence or maybe she knew he would be there. It would also explain part of why she gets so irritated at Michael trying to figure out how he got burned and finding the source since he might discover it was her. It could also be part of why she seemed to react more strongly during season 4 with Jesse than Michael did, because that old guilt was surfacing again. To clarify, I think it was an accident, she ended up using one of his passwords or something similar and it all came tumbling down. It's also part of why Strickler wanted Fiona removed, aside from her reputation information about what she did and why would end up rippling back through others and cause him no end of grief.
158* The reason Fiona's there when Michael wakes up in Miami for the first time is because she's the contact on the "In Case of Emergency" card in Michael's wallet, which Michael failed to remove even though he left a while ago. Fi brings it up. The rest...well, it's up to you.
159
160[[WMG: Larry is still alive]]
161And he will be ''pissed'' that [[spoiler:the psych]] planed for him to be caught in the explosion. Providing a handy way for him to be killed without any of the group doing it.
162
163On the SortingAlgorithmOfDeadness, Larry's score
164* Cause of death: No one could survive that: 2
165* Type of show: Killed off for real: 3
166* Body found: Left for dead: 1
167* Reaction: Tricky to figure out
168* Last words: OhCrap expression: 4
169* Character: Regular: 2
170* When: Same arc: 1
171* Came back alreddy: Let's count the prison as a "death" due to the fact that it is treated like a death from a character reaction prospective and the first fake was such a defining character trait in-universe and say 2
17215 with 7 boxes is 2.1: Soon
173
174The biggest hint at his survival is the paper at the end says '''2''' were killed in the bombing, not 3.
175
176** Jossed as of the season 6 premiere: Bly tells Fi she's going to face '''3''' charges of murder. Dead Larry finally lives up to his name.
177** Plus, it's unlikely that the authorities would want anyone to know about the fact that there was an intruder in the building, even if he was discovered blown to bits.
178
179[[WMG: Mike was burned so he would eventually deal with someone inside/has control of the CIA]]
180Just like the other burned Michael.
181* Who are you talking about? Who's the "other burned Michael"?
182** [[VideoGame/AlphaProtocol Thorton]]
183
184[[WMG: The person who was "working with Anson all along"? [[spoiler: Pearce.]]]]
185* When Michael says this line in the preview, someone out of frame is holding a gun on him, and all we can see is their hand. The hand is slender, definitely female, and attached to a grey suit sleeve. The holder looks to be about four inches shorter than Michael. Also, [[spoiler: she's the only character this season who could pull off that kind of FaceHeelTurn and have it make narrative sense.]]
186** Unless they [[spoiler: introduce a new (possibly one-shot) female character and have Anson's mole be her. Jossed. ]]
187*** Aaaand {{Jossed}}. Not sure how long the new [[TheDragon Dragon]] will last.
188*** History suggests one episode, maybe two. [[StatusQuoIsGod (Which is probably the same amount of time Fi will stay in custody.)]]
189
190[[WMG: Larry will be the wild card that kills Anson in a public manner.]]
191There's the WMG that Larry isn't dead, of course. And given he's the kind of guy with a very long memory and a lot of resources and that he's been trying to re-retire again for a while, if he's alive, he's exactly where he wants to be... except he's probably very very pissed at Anson (and Michael, but he probably rationalizes it as Michael being an unwitting pawn). Anson - perhaps rightfully - believes Larry to be dead and so hasn't made any sort of plans against what he might be doing in the background. So Larry shows up and gets revenge on Anson in a very public way (Larry isn't one for subtlety after all). Team Weston will IndyPloy their way through the situation such that they can maintain their good guy status while Anson still gets killed and Larry gets caught.
192
193* This might partially confirmed as of Shock Wave, as [[spoiler: Anson and Nate :( were both killed]] in the presence of several CIA operatives and in public. Who would want to (or could) do such a thing? (Not) Dead Larry!
194* Or perhaps [[spoiler: Management]] arranged for [[spoiler: Anson]] to be [[spoiler: killed]] to keep organization secrets out of CIA hands.
195
196[[WMG: When Anson is beaten, he'll still win, at least with Michael.]]
197See, Michael has been trying very very hard not to knock Anson on his ass. In the end, Michael will be the one to do so, willingly or otherwise. But the thing is, Anson is doing what Michael was doing as a kid - being calm and collected in order to focus someone's anger and abuse on to him as opposed to focused on other stuff. So in short, when Michael beats Anson, unless Michael can do it some other way, Anson will have played his final card: making Michael do something his abusive father would do and beat the crap out of someone in anger and fury. Michael will be left with a corpse and a heck of a lot of emotional baggage on top of the 30 years worth he already has.
198
199[[WMG: The real Professor Moriarty from BBC’s Sherlock is [[spoiler:Anson]]]]
200This assumes that the character we know as “Jim Moriarty” is actually working for [[spoiler:Anson]]. We know that Moriarty is at the center of a vast network of spies and criminals; [[spoiler:Anson]] certainly fits the bill. As a highly educated [[spoiler:psychologist, Anson]] fits the “professor” role better than “Jim”. Coupled with his intelligence and ability to construct intricate plots and manipulate others, this makes him a worthy Holmes adversary. Plus, the tactic of strapping explosives to helpless victims [[spoiler:and detonating them]] is something that comes up in both shows.
201In fact, the similarities in tactics are striking. In both cases, the bad guy eventually introduces himself to the target (Michael or Sherlock) after a long period of pulling strings and watching from the shadows. Both manipulate the target by threatening their loved ones. Both try to discredit the target by framing them for crimes they didn’t commit, casting doubt on an entire lifetime of service.
202So here’s the working theory: [[spoiler:Anson]] slowly builds up his international criminal/terrorist network as he lays the groundwork to burn and recruit Michael. During this time, Sherlock Holmes visits Florida to deal with the case of Mrs. Hudson’s husband. Sherlock’s talents and unique behavior catch [[spoiler:Anson]]’s attention, so he assigns “Moriarty” to play games with him, carefully observing how he’ll react so he can come up with a psychological profile. Eventually he realizes that Sherlock won’t be corrupted, so he sets up the[[spoiler: framing/suicide]] plot to get rid of him before he finds out about the organization.
203This theory explains why “Moriarty” acts more like a psycho underling (maybe someone like Simon) than a master criminal. He clearly wants to kill Sherlock at the pool, [[spoiler:but is ordered to let him go by a mysterious phone call from on high.]] Also, he [[spoiler:commits suicide]] just as it seems his master plan is coming together. This would be unusual for an arch-villain, but very similar to [[spoiler:Anson’s]] agents, who sometimes commit suicide or are killed to prevent Michael from learning more. So “Jim Moriarty,” like Simon Escher, is probably a psycho burned spy who worked for [[spoiler:Anson]]; this also explains why he is able to produce convincing cover I.D.s (such as[[spoiler: “Rich Brook” or “Jim from IT”]]).
204* A little bit of FridgeHorror, too: We know [[spoiler:Anson replaced Madeline’s psychologist during some of her therapy sessions to gain background information on Michael.]] John Watson has been visiting a therapist …
205** Who is a ''woman''.
206** Doesn't matter, [[spoiler:Anson]] wasn't Maddie's regular therapist either. He filled for a few weeks in while the regular one was on vacation.
207* And what about Moriarty's strange choice of words when threatening Sherlock? He doesn't say "I'm going to kill you" or "I'm going to destroy you." He very emphatically says "I'm going to BURN you."
208** To quote, "Burn the heart out of you." Not quite the same thing, there.
209* Dude, he's obviously a time lord. Kids these days, no respect for tradition ...
210
211[[WMG: Jimmy, from [=E2S3=], lived.]]
212Think about the ep ending: Jimmy and a third, unnamed guy (We'll call this third guy "Tre" just to put a name on him) are watching baseball when BigBad Sandoval comes in, gun drawn. Everyone pulls weapons, there's a lot of yelling. Cut to Sam standing outside, listening. Sam puts a round into the ground at his feet. We hear a few more shots, then Sandoval faintly begging Jimmy "please, no, DON'T DO IT!" and a few final shots. Figure after Sam's shot, Sandoval shot Tre just as Jimmy shot Sandoval, then Jimmy finished off Sandoval despite his begging. Possible we might see Jimmy again as a Mook for another VillainOfTheWeek, or perhaps a new ClientOfTheWeek. ("I'm in WAY over my head, man, I do this or they go after my family! You HAVE to help me!")
213
214[[WMG: Michael is a Timelord]]
215He suffered a fatal accident several decades ago, and due to some AppliedPhlebotinum, yogurt staves off his pending regeneration. Which is why he is almost constantly eating the stuff. He also lost his TARDIS in the accident which is why he stays on earth, making a living as a person that helps people.
216Sam + Fi are aware of this, but being the smart people they are, don't say a word. Mama Westen? Woman Michael helped out long ago, developed a soft spot for, and adopted her as his mother. Anything that doesn't line up with this theory? AWizardDidIt + TimeyWimeyBall
217
218[[WMG: Anson is a decedent/relative to [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Aizen Sousuke]].]]
219They both manipulate people to their bidding, and make things go 'just as planned'. Aizen's zanpakuto power, Kyōka Suigetsu, works against people's senses via hypnosis, and Anson has been making psychoanalyzes on Michael via 'substitute therapist'. They've also set their own plans years in advance. Not sure how distant Aizen would be (since he's been dead for who knows how long) but he would definitely be part of the same family tree as Anson.
220
221[[WMG: Michael uses yogurt as a safe substitute for alcohol.]]
222While Michael's okay with light social drinking, he uses yogurt as a comfort food/snack food to help distance himself from the possibility of becoming an alcoholic especially since he knows he may have to fake drink a lot for a job any given day.
223* Perhaps he's also trying to avoid becoming more like his father than he already is.
224
225[[WMG: Michael will quit the CIA for good at the end of season 6.]]
226Think about it: he's been told multiple times since the start of the series that he's been taking the investigation into his burn notice too seriously. Granted the reasons may not have been entirely selfish once it became clear that his burn was part of something bigger. However it's put considerable strain on his relationship with Fi and put him as odds with the rest of his friends and family more than once. [[spoiler: Anson may be dead now but it leaves the question of who pulled the trigger on the bullet that ultimately killed him as well as Nate.]] In the end it's highly likely that [[spoiler: the loss of his brother]] will be the thing to make Michael think that his full reinstatement as a spy for the CIA isn't worth it anymore.
227* In the season 6 summer finale, "Desperate Times," Michael expressed the desire to retire from the CIA and his vigilante-for-hire lifestyle for good.
228
229[[WMG: [[spoiler: Management arranged for Anson to be shot]].]]
230Think about it: he disappeared in season 3, with no mention of him being caught or killed, despite all the other members of the burnt spy organization getting rounded up [[spoiler: except for Anson]]. [[spoiler: Anson]] mentions that [[spoiler: Management]] was the ''other'' founder of said organization, starts re-building the organization, and then was about to get busted. [[spoiler: Management]] probably had him [[spoiler: killed]] to keep him from blabbing.
231
232[[WMG: The sniper wasn't after [[spoiler:Anson. They were after Nate]].]]
233[[spoiler:Nate's]] gotten in over [[spoiler:his]] head with shady people before. One of them saw an opportunity and took it. [[spoiler: Anson was the collateral damage, not Nate.]]
234
235[[WMG: Anson was working with [[spoiler:Tom Card.]] ]]
236At some point in time, Anson allied himself with [[spoiler:Card]] to rebuild the "Burned Spies" organization from the ground up, but when Michael's actions forced Anson to go on the run, [[spoiler:Card]] decided to cut his losses and take him out. [[spoiler:Nate]] was collateral damage whose death has necessitated [[spoiler:Michael's elimination.]]
237* Seems to be confirmed now. There's still unanswered questions obviously but at this point it looks like [[spoiler:Card]] was the one who was really pulling the strings. Once it became apparent that Michael would capture Anson it would have only been a matter of time before everything came crashing down. Of course [[spoiler:Card's death]] could potentially keep those questions from getting asnwered.
238
239[[WMG: As of Season Six's finale, [[spoiler: Michael has taken over in the CIA for [[KlingonPromotion Tom Card or another dead agent]].]]]]
240* It's a likely theory, seeing as [[spoiler: he seems to be giving other agents orders of some sort. Likely he's been given command of one particular operation that will probably last a couple of episodes into season 7. After all, StatusQuoIsGod, for the most part.]]
241** Certainly the possibility that [[spoiler: he's back in deep with the CIA is strong since the suit he's wearing is the same suit he wore in the pilot.]]
242* Jossed. He's being used to run an extremely dangerous mission, and it's obvious he's on ''very'' thin ice with the higher-ups.
243
244[[WMG: As of Season Six's finale, [[spoiler: Fiona is pregnant with Michael's child.]]]]
245* Improbable, but not impossible, as [[spoiler: women can still be fertile in Fiona's late 30s-early 40s age range, and she and Michael had obviously resumed a romantic relationship. Not to mention her reaction at the end of the episode is ''especially'' strong. Once almost a ClingyJealousGirl when it came to Michael, even with all his foibles, she ''recoils at his touch.'' More than likely TheReveal will be one of Season 7's early- to mid-season {{Wham Line}}s.]]
246** Most likely Jossed. The opening of Season 7 takes place 9 months after the finale of Season 6. A baby would have been born already in that time frame, and shown on screen.
247
248[[WMG: Sam Axe is [[Franchise/EvilDead Ash Williams]]]]
249After defeating the Deadite hoardes, Ash grew bored of his adventureless life at S-Mart, and attempted to join the Navy. They, of course, turned him down since he was technically handicapped (not considering a chainsaw to be a useable limb.) Disappointed, he used the Necronomicon to grow his hand back, then attempted enlistment again, successfully this time, under a different name: Sam Axe. He then became a SEAL and eventually the beer-swilling hero we know and love.
250
251[[WMG: "Management" hasn't been mentioned or seen because...]]
252...He went to another dimension, which is none other than the show ''Series/{{Revolution}}''. He's the one who arranged for the [[spoiler: nanomachines]] to absorb all electricity and cause a blackout worldwide. Why? Because he could.
253
254[[WMG: Michael Westin will die in the final episode]]
255With everything Mike has put the gang and his family though, and the massively illegal things he and his friends have done it may be that Death Equals Redemption. He might be required to die so the rest can escape or he may simply be unlucky. He might be dead for real or merely faking his death to, or simply a case of did not find the body.
256* [[spoiler: Jossed, he's alive. Although the "used to be a spy" line ''was'' echoed.]]
257[[WMG: Michael Westin has been dead all along, the whole series is a him telling the story to St. Peter or someone in the afterlife.]]
258Michael dies in the end or is between life and death and St. Peter or someone is curious about how he came to be dead (or St. Michael, they share the same name.
259
260Alternately, Michael is [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory Jesus in Purgatory]]. He died in the pilot in Nigeria and is perpetually stuck in Miami (purgatory) until he has made amends for all the sins of his life. At the end Michael will finally sacrifice himself for the crimes of his friends and be at peace.
261
262[[WMG: Michael Westin's final Get out of Jail Free card will be a Presidential Pardon...]]
263Michael's Exploits will have reached the President's ears and after Michael and friends complete the mission, he will be called into the oval office and be asked how this all came about (conditional for the pardon). Mike will ask "where do I begin?" The president says "at the Beginning" Mike will answer, "My Name is Michael Westin, I used to be a spy..."
264
265[[WMG: Larry will make a reappearance in the Season 7 episode "Tipping Point"]]
266The preview for "Tipping Point" reveals that Michael will encounter the last person he would expect to see. Larry makes the most sense, because he's supposed to have "died", even though it was never definitely confirmed. The reason would be that Strong recruited Larry because he knew Larry was the kind of person who would get the job done by any means necessary. He'd be the perfect choice to lead a hit squad to eliminate James. Plus it would be an opportunity for Michael to finally resolve his conflicted feelings about Larry once and for all.
267* Confirmed, [[ImagineSpot kind of]].
268
269[[WMG: Strong is a rogue agent]]
270He's using Michael to take down James's organization because he wants to take control of it himself.
271
272[[WMG: Chuck Finley will guest star before the series finale.]]
273Sam Axe's "lucky name" is an actual person; a former MLB pitcher and 5 time All-Star, and an old friend of Bruce Campbell's. [[OldShame Although he's probably better remembered for being the unfortunate victim of domestic abuse; his former wife TawnyKitaen brained him with a stilleto heel during a 2002 incident.]] Be kinda nice to see the inspiration for Sam's alias on-screen before the final curtain comes down.
274[[spoiler: Jossed, although maybe he'll be in the spin-off.]]
275
276[[WMG: The CIA knows just as well as Sam and Jesse about Michael's fate.]]
277* [[spoiler: Specifically, that he didn't die. But they decided to just let him go.]]
278* This could eventually tie into a future TV movie. Matt Nix has expressed interest in possibly doing one down the line. This will depend on how USA and Fox feel about the idea however.
279
280[[WMG: There will be a spin off with Sam and Jessie as the main characters.]]
281It seems like the logical thing to do, plus we gotta have something to watch on Thursdays.
282
283[[WMG: Jesse knew Michael burned him the whole time, or at least very early on.]]
284The show goes to lengths to point out that Jesse works in ''counter-intel.'' Sam even directly tells Michael that Jesse is exactly the type of person who would see through him. Jesse later stops and tells Michael, straight up, that he will kill whoever destroyed his life, keeping eye contact the whole time. He figured out Michael burned him before this point, and decided to test Michael by hinting that he knows and seeing how Michael reacts - he might know Michael burned him, but he likely doesn't know ''why''. Michael deflects, and at this point Jesse assumes Michael is just another amoral espionage type. But then Michael does the OnceAnEpisode noble vigilante deed, and this confuses Jesse. So he tries another test - in the next episode, he tells Madeline that she raised a good man, where Madeline also figures out Michael burned Jesse (thereby confirming it for him as well). But Jesse ultimately comes to the correct conclusion by working with Michael, that he's a good person at heart who didn't maliciously burn Jesse. That's why Jesse makes a big show of getting mad when he comes across evidence of Michael's involvement that he can't deny having or knowing about, but he's really only mad for a couple episodes before coming back in the fold.
285
286[[WMG: Michael worked for IMF and being burned is the modern terminology for disavowed]]
287This would be the original TV version of [[Series/MissionImpossible IMF]], not the [[Film/MissionImpossible film]] version. Michael's methods tend to mirror the old IMF methods. He prefers to keep violence to a minimum when possible and prefers to lead his targets to self destruct, rather than attack directly.

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