Burn Notice

False Flag

Season 1, Episode 10, Aired 9/13/07

Episode Summary

Michael is hired to track down a woman's estranged husband, who has disappeared with their son. Michael soon finds himself pitted against somebody just as skilled and dangerous as he is.

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Cast & Crew

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Sharon Gless

Madeline Westen
Jeffrey Donovan

Michael Westen
Bruce Campbell

Sam Axe

Fan Episode Reviews (10)

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Review

9.5

"Superb"

By cavanagh15, Feb 21, 2011 Report Abuse

Great episode. This show never tries to overdo it with its characters. I think thats one of the reasons Im starting to like more and more shows that are on the USA network. They have such a low budget but that actually turns out to be a good thing because it means less characters to follow along with as well as extended scenes for more character interaction because they dont have the resources to have but so many scenes in an episode. This episode in particular highlighted that fact with the extended scenes. The scene with Michael and the assassin on the rooftop was one of the best of the series. You have two people here with a breif history which was explained in the episode and although she was an evil woman it seemed like she was very happy to see Micheal in Miami and when she went over the rooftop I thought her final line, while being a bit made for television, was still very good. Loved the case, like how it turned in the middle from what we were expecting it to be. The man who burned Michael seems to be on his way down to Miami for the finale, perhaps we are finnaly going to get some answers for a change.moreless

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Filled with twists and turns.

9.0

"Superb"

By Nickylucas, Nov 06, 2010 Report Abuse

This episode was pretty much a mini example of what Seasons 2, 3 and 4 are like. The first half introduces the plot, the characters start to solve the problem, and then BOOM!, in the middle of it all something big happens that sets up the second half and eventually the ending.

The beginning of this episode was pretty average for a Season 1 BN episode. Some story involved about Michael searching for who burned him, then the client stuff comes in after Michael asks Lucy for a fake ID. The client is a woman named Evanlyn who has lost her child with her husband. So the gang starts to search the husband's house and Sam notices a catolog with a vacationy woods area thing. So they go search a nearby camp ground featured in the catolog. Michael goes with Evanlyn to question the dad, when the BOOM! moment happens.

The father is there, but he is not with the kid. In fact, the kid is at a friends house! So then Michael turns around and finds Evanlyn, who is not the mother of the kid, but instead an assassin sent to kill him. The father is now the new client.

The next half of the episode starts off with Michael trying to protect the father from Evanlyn, and eventually escapes. Back in Miami Michael, Sam and Fi are trying to figure out how to protect the new client and catch Evanlyn. Michael ends up running into Evanlyn in a public area and finds out that she was an old aquantince of his back at his spy days. The next part is where they end up escorting the father at a certain place and time, knowing that Evanlyn was watching. Michael catches Evanlyn and the bad guy...or girl...loses of course, but the way it was done was undoubtfully the finest of the season.

Now Michael gets a fake ID from Lucy to travel to D.C. and meet the guy that burned him, but Sam gives him some news: the man that burned him is coming to Miami to meet him, which sets up for the first of many Burn Notice finales.moreless

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I love the idea of retroactive brilliance, the idea that you have a bad impression of something until later on, when you realize what they were doing. I initially hated this episode, until the mid-way point...moreless

9.5

"Superb"

By KJMackley, Sep 08, 2008 Report Abuse

Sometimes what is presented to you is designed to throw you off the trail of the plot. The savvy television viewer is able to spot the solution to a plot long before it is executed by the heroes.

That is primarily the reason I enjoyed this episode, because it really kept me guessing. But let me explain the first half.

The introduction to the client of the week made me feel let down. Burn Notice had done such a good job on keeping things fresh and unique. Evelyn's presense for that first half of the story really grated on me. Michael started to get personally involved, and he says in the narration that it wa a bad idea. His "romantic" affections towards Evelyn was just awkward. It certainly didn't help that it was Lucy Lawless. Unfortunately being the "special guest star" meant that everyone LOVES her and that of course Fiona is jealous. All of the frustrating elements of the first half took a sky dive around one of the best narrative lines of the series. "A basic rule of covert ops is let someone do your dirty work, let someone else find the guy you want to kill. It's a great technique, as long as you're not the someone else." All of the problems I had with the first half felt like a distraction to keep me from guessing that twist. And the twist was good enough to make me forgive the first half. What made this so good was that finally Michael was outmanuevered. Someone actually beat him at his own game. Now Michael has to step up his own skills to beat her. And of course he does.

And with that same Burn Notice technique, he is able to accomplish his goal through intelligent planning and careful anticipation. It may not be entirely realistic, but the show has enough confidence in itself. That is how Burn Notice works. Michael does some amazing things but his logic behind his plans makes sense to the viewer.moreless

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good episode....

9.0

"Superb"

By Fwirrel, Jul 30, 2008 Report Abuse

Michael is asked to help a mother find her son. Michael gets attached to the case because of his past, which he soon finds out doomed him. The mother turned out to be an assasin that wanted a man dead and used Michael to find him. In the end, Michael was able to stop her and she killed herself. Interesting . . . I liked the character interactions between Michael and the mother. I also liked how Sam and Fiona reacted to it. I loved the idea of two spies pitted against each other. Overall, another good, solid episode of Burn Notice.moreless

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Well Burn Notice to me represent one of the best new show on television these days, though it's always a pleasure to see Michael and Fiona fighting, arguing and most of all form on of the best teams I've ever saw in a series.moreless

9.3

"Superb"

By tigger_20043840, Oct 06, 2007 Report Abuse

Weeks after weeks it's a pleasure to see Michael, Fiona and Sam taking a new case that leads them to a strange situation. The little explanations from Michael about different aspect of a spy help to understand more the show. I think sometimes series like this one should have more then 12 or 13 shows because we always has fan want more and more, but this series has made me appreciate every episodes and make me anxious to see those characters next season. I got hook in this series and would make a special places in the top 5 series of this years.

tiggermoreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Fiona mentions that Sam's old bullet-proof jacket smells of "Old Spice and bourbon". As of 2007, Bruce Campbell, who plays Sam, does television adverts for Old Spice. Edit
Notes
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- International Episode Titles: Czech Republic: Falešná identita (Fake Identity) Edit
- Original International Air Dates: Czech Republic: April 16, 2008 on Prima Sweden: April 20, 2008 on TV6 Australia: July 21, 2008 on TEN Germany: November 30, 2009 on Vox Slovakia: February 26, 2010 on JOJ Finland: April 5, 2010 on MTV3 Edit
- This is the first time Lucy Lawless and Bruce Campbell have worked together since Xena: Warrior Princess, where Bruce Campbell had a recurring role. Edit
Quotes
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- Michael: (voice-over) It's impossible to stop a good assassin from finding an opening and taking a shot. The best you can do is control where the best opening is, and sometimes that's enough. Edit
- Michael: (voice-over) Shoot a propane tank, and you'll just get a cloud of cold gas. You need an open flame and real good aim. Edit
- Michael: (voice-over) Remove the trigger bar spring from a SIG-Sauer P228, and you've got a 9mm semi-automatic door stop. Edit
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