Burn Notice

Michael: (voice-over) Eavesdropping and fieldwork go hand-in-hand. You wanna know what your target is saying, what he's typing into his computer. But technology can't work miracles: bugs don't plant themselves. Fact is, even the fanciest equipment usually needs help from a good old-fashioned crowbar.

Michael: (voice-over) A good cover identity keeps the target feeling in control: you talk too much, drink too much, just to let him know he's got the edge.

Michael: (voice-over) I don't like running from cops, but it has its advantages: it builds your credibility with a criminal, when you flee a crime scene.

Michael: (voice-over) When you go after a spy, you send another spy. The same goes for con artists. To catch one, you got to beat him at his own game: be a better liar than he is.

Michael: (voice-over) You can't choose your intelligence sources. Might be a heroin smuggler, a dictator... or your mom.

Madeline: I told them that you were the perfect son. That you always wrote me, you called me all the time, and that the most important thing to you was family. I told them that, and they wrote it down. Michael: Why did you tell them that? Madeline: I don't know, Michael. Just seemed nicer than the truth.

Michael: (voice-over) You've been in the business way too long, when you recognize the sound of a .45 caliber over a phone.

Sam: Wiring crap into a car is not an art. It's about as subtle as hitting someone with a brick. Fiona: Hitting someone with a brick takes a lot of skill.

Madeline: I really don't notice what my neighbors do. I'm not interested in them. Michael: You notice if the neighbor hasn't vacuumed his car. If the postman isn't wearing his wedding ring.

Michael: (voice-over) Con artists and spies are both professional liars. Cons do it for the money, and spies do it for the flag, but it's mostly the same gig. They run operations, they follow security procedures, they recruit support staff and issue orders.

Michael: (voice-over) Often, the best way to get intel is to provoke action, set people in motion. Pros know better, but they usually have to work with a few amateurs, and they panic. So you beat the bushes a little and see what flies out. Once your frightened amateur leads you to the pros, the work begins.

Michael: Would you put some pants on? Sam: What? I work better when I can breathe down there!

Michael: (voice-over) Truth is, identity theft isn't hard. A number and an ID is all you need to drain a bank account and return some money to some very surprised retirees. But why stop there? As long as you're stealing someone's identity, why not use it to contact some known terrorist organizations on unsecured phone lines? Why not use it to threaten federal judges and insult the local drug cartel? (grinning) Most fun I've had in Miami.

Michael: Fiona, you were supposed to stop the car, not blow it into the Everglades! What happened to shorting the ignition? Fiona: You said disable; it's not going anywhere.

Laura: So, are you two getting married? Fiona: We're thinking about it. I'd like to be a June bride. (Michael glares)

Michael: (voice-over) There's a reason spies don't have a lot of parties: everybody's got a history with everyone else.

Sam: So, you're helping old ladies now? Good for you, Mike. Hey, I saw a kitten up a tree on my way over here. Michael: They beat her up, took her life savings. You in or not? Sam: Well, you put it that way, what can I say?

Michael: (voice-over) My mother's understanding of my career changes with what she wants from me. One day, she can name everyone on the National Security Council, the next day, she thinks I work for the post office.

Michael: (voice-over) A hitman is like a plumber, a dentist or a mechanic. Everybody is always looking for a good one.