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Recap / Burn Notice S 6 E 1 Scorched Earth

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Season 6 begins in a downbeat way as Michael pursues Anson and Fi is perp walked and then interrogated by Jason Bly who mysteriously wants Fi to name Michael as the mastermind behind the bombing.

Michael is also angry with Sam, having figured out that he let Fi turn herself in. Sam points out Michael was commiting treason and on the verge of getting people killed but Michael thinks they could have found a way to stop Anson and save Fi.

They track Anson to an abandoned chemical plant but Anson knows they are coming because Michael had used a truck to create a large roadblock (albeit a non-lethal one). Michael manages to get to Anson and punches him and then prepares to shoot but unfortunately Anson had enough time to rig a bomb in the plant (Pearce, Sam and a few personnel are still inside) and Anson has a dead man switch.

Michael reluctantly lets Anson leave and then watches as he blows the chemical plant up. There are a few suspenseful moments as he waits for Sam who had stayed inside trying to rescue a worker Anson had tied up.

Meanwhile Fi refuses to crack under pressure from Bly and is taken to prison.


  • Awesomeness by Analysis: Fi figures out the reality of Michael's roadblock by analyzing the photograph Bly shows her.
  • Big "WHAT?!": Michael's reaction to Sam saying Jesse might have a lead on Anson.
  • The Bus Came Back: CSS Agent Jason Bly gets tapped to interrogate Fi because of his past association with Michael.
  • Counting to Three: After getting the drop on Jesse, the mentally unstable patient demands to know where Michael is and counts down from five. He gets to one when Maddie opens fire from upstairs, which she says was needed to know where exactly to shoot.
  • Crazy-Prepared: Anson prepared a mentally unstable patient as a contingency plan in case Mike ever came after him. The man is paranoid delusional and Anson made the Westen family the focus of his delusions.
  • Friendship Moment: After everything that happens, Michael apologizes to Sam for being so surly towards him over Fiona turning herself in.
  • From Bad to Worse: Maddie is stunned to see Fiona has been arrested. She tries to make a call to get in the loop, only to find her landline is no longer working. Looking out the window, she sees ripped up equipment and a well-armed guy walking up to her house.
  • Hope Spot: Michael catches up with Anson and delivers a beatdown, but Anson manages to slip free and reveal he has one last card up his sleeve to allow for his escape.
  • I Did What I Had to Do: When called on his role in Fiona turning herself in, Sam says it had to be done because Michael was at risk of betraying everything he stands for to help Anson.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Downplayed. Michael causes a accident to prevent Anson from simply driving to Cutler Bay. That part works and gives him and Sam a better chance to catch up, but the methods and how no one ended up being hurt tipped Anson off that Michael was nearby, so he bailed on his car and started running. Anson goes as far to call Michael and mock him for giving him a heads up.
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Michael subjects Anson to one when finally catching up with him.
  • Oh, Crap!:
    • Anson, off screen, has realized that Mike is going to be coming after him now that Fiona cut the leash. He shaves his mustache, grabs a bugout bag, and goes to leave town ASAP.
    • Maddie is watching the TV, only to be stunned to see Fiona has been arrested. This even more so when she sees well-armed guy approaching her house and fully expects the worst.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Mike is scary in this episode.
  • Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: After Anson is pinned against the fence.
    Anson: You don't wanna do this, Michael.
    Michael: Oh, yes, I do.
  • Properly Paranoid: With her cell phone and her landline dead, Madeline realizes something is seriously wrong.
  • Race Against the Clock: Due flights being grounded following the last episode's explosion, Team Westen figures Anson is heading to Cutler Bay to make his escape out of the area. Sam reasons that the sheer number of marinas means it will be impossible to stop Anson, if he gets there.
  • Sadistic Choice:
    • Anson's mentally unstable patient is meant to force Michael into choosing which loved one to save, as he can either continue the pursuit in the hopes of exonerating Fiona or give up to try to save Maddie. Michael's gut instinct is to go try to save his mother, but Sam points out they're too far away for that (especially with the traffic jammed up). Sam resolves the situation by calling Jesse.
    • Just as Michael finally catches up to him, Anson reveals he has a dead man's switch and enough explosives to take out the building that Sam and everyone else are in. Michael has to let Anson walk and leave Fiona imprisoned, in order to save everyone else.
  • Significant Haircut: Anson shaves his mustache to help beat facial recognition.
  • Take a Third Option: Sam gets Jesse to go help Maddie so that Michael can continue pursuing Anson.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Michael badgers Sam for Fiona turning herself in, saying he's already figured out that she didn't overpower him as previously claimed. He spends the rest of the episode being short with Sam about all this.
  • You Keep Telling Yourself That: When again fighting over how Fiona turned herself in, Michael stresses that he knew what he was doing and would've worked everything out. Sam outright accuses him of lying to himself.

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