History Trivia / BurnNotice

* ShoutOut: In one episode, Fiona complains that she and Michael will lose their reservation at a restaurant called The Forge. This is an actual restaurant owned by Gabrielle Anwar's husband.

* ActorSharedBackground:
** Jeffrey Donovan comes from an impoverished family and has twenty years of martial arts experience (including a black belt in karate).
** Also, in "Fast Friends," Sam mentions that he once got to the "Michigan State Quarterfinals" with his arm (shot put? football?); Bruce Campbell is originally from Michigan (the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, to be exact).

** John C. [=McGinley=] plays Michael's former CIA mentor Tom Card. References to [=McGinley=]'s role as Dr. Cox on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' abound: among other things, Card displays expasperation and impatience with his young protege, he does a ton of {{Deadpan Snark|er}}ing, and he even does Dr. Cox's frustrated whistle in one scene.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Jeffrey Donovan himself can be seen in a dozen small roles before he hit paydirt with this show, notably as the slimy businessman Creator/WillSmith beats up in ''{{Hitch}}''.
** Michael's first post-burn notice client has the distinction of being [[Series/{{Dexter}} Angel Batista]] (or [[Film/TheExpendables General Garza]]), and [[TwinPeaks Leland Palmer]] (or [[Series/{{Reaper}} the Devil himself]]) functions as the first VillainOfTheWeek.
*** For that matter, the ''second'' villain of the week is [[Series/{{Supernatural}} also Lucifer.]]
*** And season 2 adds [[Series/{{Supernatural}} Crowley]] to the list of problems for Michael.
** [[Series/HowIMetYourMother Kids, in the summer of 2007 Uncle Ranjit]] took on a second job as a Libyan spy.
** [[Series/TheFortyFourHundred Tom Baldwin]] gets scammed out of a painting by Michael in "Seek and Destroy."
** It seems [[Series/{{TheWestWing}} Toby Ziegler]] snuck out of The West Wing for half an episode. Well, it seems we know what [[Series/{{OnceUponATime}} King Leopold's]] cursed identity is.
** They seem to be running through Jeffrey Donovan's old ''ThePretender'' co-stars. Patrick Bauchau (Sydney) plays Lucien the bombmaker in "Eye for an Eye", and Michael T. Weiss (Jarod) plays the lead bank robber in "Army of One".
** [[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 Number Six]] is Carla, who is also [[VideoGame/StarCraft Sarah Kerrigan]] and [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 EDI]].
** Victor is [[Series/StargateSG1 Daniel Jackson]]! He ditched the glasses and linguistics for badass shades.
** [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Cordelia]] [[Series/{{Angel}} Chase]] is the wife of a bio-weapons specialist in "Better Halves". Or [[Series/VeronicaMars Kendall Casablancas]], depending on your viewing preferences.
** [[Series/TheXFiles Alex Krycek]] is still playing on the wrong side of the law when Michael has to take down his squeaky clean politician brother, in what appears to be an inversion of Michael and Nate's relationship.
** James, the CEO of HLX, is [[Series/TheCape Peter Fleming]].
** [[Series/{{Dexter}} Sergeant James Doakes]] makes a brief appearance as one of Michael's temporary meeting facilitators in Season 3. Mike even injects him with a syringe [[ShoutOut Dexter-style]] to make him think he's been poisoned.
** Dead Larry is, depending on your age, [[Series/TheWestWing Vice President Hoynes]] or [[AnimalHouse Otter]]. Nerdy LAPD Detective [[{{Series/TheShield}} Dutch]] teamed up with him in the penultimate episode of Season 4.
** [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] comes calling as a terrorist leader bent on capturing Fiona and dragging her back to Ireland. Needless to say, [[BerserkButton Michael makes sure]] it doesn't end well for him.
** Simon is [[Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles Cromartie and John Henry]]! The scene with him slow-motion walking towards an injured Michael in a police uniform with a pistol gripped at his side is a clear ShoutOut. The show seems to have a habit of hiring former Terminators on.
** Dean from the Season 6 finale is the [[Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles Triple-Eight Terminator]].
** Jesse's good-hearted government contact Marv is [[Series/SpinCity Paul Lassiter]]!
** Vaughn is [[Series/{{Supernatural}} Uriel]] and [[Series/TheWire Bunny Colvin]]. And speaking of Colvin, a bunch of others from ''Series/TheWire'' also show up. Rawls became a Congressman from Florida, Ziggy apparently escaped from jail only to become a MadBomber, Dennis "Cutty" Wise and Kima are now in the CIA, and [=McNulty=]'s ex Elena from from being a real estate agent to a ClassyCatBurglar who pretends to be a real estate agent in her first appearance.
** Kendra the assassin is [[Series/{{NUMB3RS}} Amita]].
** Sherry, aka "Babycakes", in "Damned if You Do" is [[Series/{{Carnivale}} Libby]].
** Anwar, the Libyan operative from Season 1, is [[Series/HowIMetYourMother Ranjit]].
** John Barrett, the Big Bad for the first half of Season 4, is played by Robert Patrick, a.k.a. T-1000/Tom Ryan.
** TheBigShow appears as a goofy GentleGiant ex-con in Season 5 episode "No Good Deed".
** [[MortalKombatLegacy Scorpion]] gets framed for the theft of a prototype military chip.
** Ian, TheAtoner client from Season 5, is [[Film/{{Payback}} Val Resnick]].
** In Season 5 finale, Michael's CIA team includes [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} T-X]] and [[Series/LoisAndClark Superman]]. And they try to capture [[Film/TheExpendables agent Monroe]].
** Why haven't we seen [[Series/{{Community}} Prof. Slater]] in 2 years? Because she's a CIA agent.
** After Michael gave Harlan to the Colombians, he managed to escape and is now in deep cover in Series/CougarTown, with a severe drinking problem.
** [[Series/{{Scrubs}} Dr. Cox]] was Michael's CIA training officer.
** [[Series/{{Lost}} Ethan Rom]] gets literally {{hoist by his own petard}} in season 6.
** Once there was a poolside DesignatedGirlFight between Fiona and [[Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperboy Lana Lang]]. No, not ''that'' [[Series/{{Smallville}} Lana Lang]].
** Sam's friend's smuggler friend is [[Series/TheKingofQueens Spence Olchin]]
** [[Videogame/CallOfDutyBlackOps Frank Woods]] is an amoral mercenary in "Breaking and Entering."
** [[Series/{{Heroes}} Nathan Petrelli]] has turned to terrorism while Noah Bennet is still as shady as ever, this time for the CIA.
** [[Series/TheWalkingDead Merle]] shows up as a kidnapper in Season Four. [[Series/GenerationKill Corporal Person]] is the bomber who kills him in the next episode.
** [[Series/VeronicaMars Meg]] (or [[Series/{{Supernatural}} Jo]]) plays [[spoiler:Sonya.]]
** [[{{Series/TheShield}} Lem]] [[spoiler:killed Nate]] in Season 6.
** Takeda[=/=][[Film/TheWolverine Noburo Mori]] [[Film/AustinPowers once ran from]] NotZilla.
** [[{{Series/Heroes}} Eli]] is the second biggest heroin smuggler in Miami.
** [[{{Series/Frasier}} Martin Crane]] is Management.
** The NSA agent in the series finale is [[Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff Cameron]]!
** Holy shit! Colonel Veracruz is [[{{Series/GameOfThrones}} Oberyn Martell]]!
** [[ThePacific John Basilone]] shows up as--fittingly enough--an ex-Marine who earns a dishonorable discharge for trying to do the right thing, and turns to work as a hitman instead.

** Jesse's good-hearted government contact Marv is [[SpinCity Paul Lassiter]]!

** It seems [[Series/{{TheWestWing}} Toby Ziegler]] snuck out of The West Wing for half an episode.

** In one episode, Sam is doing surveillance on Carla, who takes time to swim. Commenting on her ability, Sam says: "The woman is a machine." Carla's actress, Creator/TriciaHelfer, played a robot on ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}''.

* Michael used the alias Terry Miller in the season 2 premiere. Terry Miller is one of the show's producers.

* HeyItsThatGuy

* TropeNamer

** Michael also makes contact with a Libyan operative named Anwar in one episode.

** In one episode, Sam and Barry are discussing people who only use one name, and Sam says "Spider-Man" as an example. Bruce Campbell has a cameo in all three of the {{Spider-Man}} movies.

** In one episode, Sam is doing surveillance on Carla, who takes time to swim. Commenting on her ability, Sam says: "The woman is a machine." Carla's actress, Creator/TriciaHelfer, played a robot on ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}''.

** [[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Number Six]] is Carla, who is also [[VideoGame/StarCraft Sarah Kerrigan]] and [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 EDI]].

* In one episode, Sam is doing surveillance on Carla, who takes time to swim. Commenting on her ability, Sam says: "The woman is a machine." Carla's actress, Creator/TriciaHelfer, played a robot on ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}''.

* In one episode, Sam is doing surveillance on Carla, who takes time to swim. Commenting on her ability, Sam says: "The woman is a machine." Carla's actress, Tricia Helfer, played a robot on ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}''.

* Fake Nationality: Fiona is a rare triple Fake Nationality: her actress is British, but the character is Irish, faking an American accent. In one episode, the character faked a British accent, but it still wasn't Gabrielle Anwar's actual accent.

** Vaughn is [[Series/{{Supernatural}} Uriel]] and [[Series/TheWire Bunny Colvin]]. A number of others from ''Series/TheWire'' also show up. Rawls became a Congressman, Ziggy apparently escaped from jail only to become a MadBomber, Dennis "Cutty" Wise and Kima are now in the CIA, and [=McNulty=]'s ex became a ClassyCatBurglar.

* ActorSharedBackground: Jeffrey Donovan comes from an impoverished family and has twenty years of martial arts experience (including a black belt in karate).

** [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Cordelia]] [[Series/{{Angel}} Chase]] is the wife of a bio-weapons specialist in "Better Halves". Or [[{{Veronica Mars}} Kendall Casablancas]], depending on your viewing preferences.

** [[Series/Heroes Eli]] is the second biggest heroin smuggler in Miami.

** Carmelo Dante's [[Series/Heroes ability to clone himself]] surely helped him become one of Miami's biggest heroin dealers.