Burn Notice News

Title: Pilot
Production Code: BN100
Directed by: Jace Alexander
Written by: Matt Nix
Originally Aired: June 28, 2007

While on a job in Nigeria, covert operative Michael Westen finds out he has been “burned.” When you are a spy, this means you have been fired. A spy that has been burned is blacklisted from all government agencies and resources; their bank accounts are frozen and their credit is ruined. Barely escaping Nigeria, Michael wakes up, beaten up, in a motel in Miami. To survive and fund his personal investigation to find the person how burned him, Michael gets the help of the only two “friends” he has: Fiona, an ex-IRA operative and his ex-girlfriend and Sam, a washed-up military intelligence contact who the FBI has keeping track of Michael. He is also forced to deal with his family, the people he went halfway around the world to get away from. His mother, Madeline, couldn’t be happier to have her son back in Miami.

Thanks to a former contact Michael finds out about a small investigation job, Javier, a caretaker of an estate, has been accused of stealing expensive art from his boss, Graham Pyne. The evidence points to the thief being someone on the inside and Javier, with very little money to offer, has nowhere else to turn. Michael quickly finds evidence that confirms it was an inside job; in order to collect insurance money Pyne orchestrated the robbery and framed Javier.

Michael confronts Pyne and shows him the incriminating evidence. Pyne and his bodyguard decide to go after Javier and his son, Michael is a step ahead of them and has already set up a trap at Javier’s house. After it is all said and done, Pyne has accidentally shot his bodyguard, and Michael has enough proof to send them both to jail for conspiracy to commit kidnapping. With the mounting evidence hanging over Pyne’s head he agrees to clear Javier’s name and provide financial support to Javier and his son.

With all of this going on Michael keeps trying to contact Dan Siebels, his old government handler, but he won’t accept his calls. Michael decides to get creative and resorts to mailing Siebels a fake bomb to get his attention. The plan works, and Michael finally gets to speak to Siebels about the burn notice. Siebels believes Michael has been framed, but there is nothing he can do to help him. He advises Michael not to leave Miami, unless he wants the FBI after him. On top of all that, Michael returns home to an open door and the floor covered with surveillance photos. It’s not the work of the FBI, but whoever did it has been tracking his every move, and they have left a message: Welcome to Miami.