Burn Notice (TV Series)

Friends and Enemies (2010)

Jeffrey Donovan: Michael Westen

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Quotes 

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  It doesn't matter how big someone is; there are certain points on the human body that are vulnerable. Pressure on the carotid artery will knock someone out in 10 seconds no matter how big they are.

  [big man rams Michael on his back against walls] 

  Michael Westen : [narrative]  Of course, if they're big enough, it can be a pretty unpleasant 10 seconds.

• Michael Westen : Don't make a move unless things go bad.

  Sam Axe : And if things go bad?

  Michael Westen : Well, it was nice seeing you guys again.

• Michael Westen : [to Sam and Fi]  *Guys*! *Guys*! I have a loaded machine pistol *in my hand* and I have *no idea* what I'm doing!

• [last lines] 

  Sam Axe : How'd it go, Mike? You get what you were looking for?

  Michael Westen : Well, it's a start. Did you find out anything about...

  Sam Axe : About your fall guy? Yeah, I made some calls. Turns out you were accessing the files of a counterintelligence agent named Jesse Porter. He's in federal custody.

  Michael Westen : Are they prosecuting?

  Sam Axe : Doesn't seem like it. They'd have to declassify the files. They're gonna blacklist the guy. Mike, you just burned a spy.

• Michael Westen : Let's start with, "Who do you work for?"

  Gregory Hart : This is gonna be a very disappointing conversation for you, 'cause I don't know anything.

  Vaughn Anderson : Yeah, well, you can do better than that. These weapons came from someplace, they're goin' someplace. Now who do you work for?

  Gregory Hart : I work for a 16-digit Swiss bank account and an anonymous email address, ehh?

• Hunter : [at gunpoint]  D'you know who you're messin' with? Your little buddy in there has got every Breaker in five states comin' for him. Comin' hard.

  Michael Westen : I know exactly who I'm messing with, and I'll pretend that means something, for three more seconds.

  [extends Mac-10s to arms length at 10 and 2] 

• Michael Westen : I know that, uh, it wasn't easy while I was away.

  Madeline Westen : Having you gone is something I've gotten used to. You know what was hard? Having an FBI agent in my house telling me that you're a monster. I still don't know what's going on.

  Michael Westen : I was chasing a man named Simon. He started off, years ago, as someone who did what I did. Something happened, he changed and he hurt people and a lot of things he did got blamed on me.

  Madeline Westen : Now, how is that possible, Michael? If you weren't there?

  Michael Westen : I spent my entire career officially being nowhere, so it's not hard to pin things on someone whose job is to never have an alibi.

  Madeline Westen : Well, there other things that he said, you blew up a bridge? You shot at police? You didn't do that?

  Michael Westen : Yeah, I did. I had to get Simon. He was going to hurt more people if I didn't stop him. So, I broke the law. I worked with bad people. I did it because I had to.

  Madeline Westen : That's it? It's as simple as that?

  Michael Westen : ...I don't know.

  [starts to cry] 

  Michael Westen : He laughed. When I caught Simon, he laughed. He said it was just a matter of time before I was just like him.

  Madeline Westen : [hugs him]  He's wrong, honey. That isn't the son I raised.

• [first lines] 

  Michael Westen : [narrative]  Name brands and decor can often tell you a lot about who you're dealing with. Official agencies operate with government budgets. You can usually rule out the idea of federal involvement as soon as you see a pricey antique or a pair of $1200 shoes.

  Vaughn Anderson : Michael Westen, in the flesh. It's an honor, truly. Hey, have a piece of fruit. We get the best tangerines here.

  Michael Westen : Where am I?

  Vaughn Anderson : [pouring a drink]  Ah, well... some folks... call it, a... private holding facility; others, a secret prison; and I think it's officially listed as a... document processing center, so you can take your pick. Hmph. Here, have a tangerine.

  [Vaughn throws Michael a tangerine. Despite his lethargy, he manages to catch it perfectly. Michael seems somewhat perplexed by this] 

  Michael Westen : I'm not hungry.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  It takes awhile to learn how to read intelligence files. They start as stacks of unrelated documents, but stick with it long enough and a pattern can emerge. Of course, not all intelligence is reliable, which means, when you're done checking the file, you have to check the source.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  Illegal weapons sales is a multi-million dollar industry. For a big-time gun runner, it's easy to live the life of luxury. The problem is, when you've spent your career dodging local law enforcement and making mortal enemies, it's much safer hiding in a tent in the jungle than enjoying a piece of beachfront property.

  Gregory Hart : Congratulations, you got me. I assume you want to talk to me, so what's on your mind?

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  With thermal imaging and laser target designators, an unmanned drone allows your enemy to launch a precise strike while staying completely anonymous. All you really know is that whoever you're up against has deep pockets and isn't afraid of tying up loose ends. *Surviving* a drone attack is about escaping the primary target area. That being said, dodging bullets and anti-tank missiles... isn't exactly a walk in the park.

• [Michael comes home. Madeline is mildly startled when he closes the door] 

  Michael Westen : Mom.

  Madeline Westen : [gets up]  Welcome home, Michael.

  [they hug] 

  Madeline Westen : [short laugh]  When I got the call that you were coming back, they guy on the phone was a little vague. I wasn't sure they weren't shipping pieces of you back in a cardboard box.

  Michael Westen : I think I'm all here.

  [Michael sighs, then slowly sits down with a groan] 

  Madeline Westen : It's good to have you home. Want a tunafish sandwich?

  Michael Westen : Maybe later. Have you heard from Fi?

  Madeline Westen : Um, I left a message... that you were coming home, but no, we haven't talked. I think she's probably just talking some time...

  Madeline Westen : [flicks lighter]  to herself to...

  Madeline Westen : [lights cigarette]  sort through all this, you know? You should go see her, Michael.

  Michael Westen : I'm sorry, Mom. About everything.

  Madeline Westen : [softly]  Go. We'll talk later.

  [Madeline walks off. Michael gets up quickly and goes out the door] 

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  The strain of having a loved one disappear a weeks affects people differently. Spend enough time as a covert operative and you know better than to try to predict the outcome a long-awated reunion.

  Fiona Glenanne : [softly]  Michael. Thank God!

  [Fi walks over, kisses Michael twice, then slaps his upper arms and goes back over to her guns] 

  Michael Westen : [narrative]  Of course, some reunions are more unpredictable as others.

  Michael Westen : Fi?

  Fiona Glenanne : I'm sorry. We're in the middle of something. Here, load this. Sam and I took a case and it's gotten a little out of hand.

• Fiona Glenanne : What?

  Michael Westen : Nothing.

  [Michael pops the trunk. Fi pauses, then looks from behind the raised trunk at Michael] 

  Fiona Glenanne : Are you pouting? Maybe I just moved on with my life? Is that it?

  Michael Westen : Well, I mean, I disappeared, Fi! I come back and you and Sam are taking clients, acting like nothing ever happened!

  [Fi connects a hard right cross against Michael's chin!] 

  Fiona Glenanne : Don't you *dare* say that! Don't you dare. Sam and I kicked in every door we could think of. We took a client out of respect for you, because we knew that's what you would have wanted.

• Michael Westen : [advising client not to run]  Once you're greenlit, you're greenlit. Every member of the gang is supposed to kill you on sight. And if you're not around, chances are they'll find anyone they can: a relative, a friend...

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  Infiltrating a hostile environment that reeks of testosterone and motor oil is tough, unless you're an attractive woman. The gender advantage ends at the door, however. It's tough to pull off surveillance when everyone wants to talk to you.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  Surveillance isn't always about learning secrets. Relationships are often just as important.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  Most digital cameras aren't intended to take clear pictures of documents. A handheld scanner, on the other hand, will prevent any contrast or blurring problem.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  If you've got a small enough frame, an old-fashioned ventilation system can provide a decent escape route... and it'll keep bigger-boned pursuers from following.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  It's best to breach a building from two directions. That way your target has to choose to defend the front or the back. If you time it right, both answers will be wrong.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  One of the most dangerous times in war is when peace negotiations begin: until both sides agree on terms, you're sitting on a powder keg. You know negotiations are off to a bad start when people can't even agree on terms with their own side.

• Winston : Wha-what do we do now?

  Michael Westen : Plan B.

  Winston : What's Plan B?

  Michael Westen : I'm workin' on it.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  Chasing a car with a motorcycle is a tricky thing to pull off... The obvious thing to do is shoot out the car's tires. Problem is, it's a very difficult shot unless you're alongside the car. Unfortunately, it's also pretty tough to hit a high powered motorcycle when you're in a swerving car that is taking fire.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  As a spy, you don't have to explain yourself much. You can disappear or a month and nobody asks questions. For a certain kind of person, that's one of the perks of going into the intelligence business. As a civilian, you don't have that luxury. Eventually, people expect a good explanation when you disappear, whether or not you have one.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  Most military bases have a civilian admin facility nearby. They're simple places - just office buildings filled with cubicles. Still, they're not places you just want to walk into causally as a burned spy.

• Michael Westen : [narrative]  One of the problems with stealing information is that it's usually someone else's job to keep that information safe. It doesn't matter how clean your getaway is; there's always a chance someone else will get blamed for what you did.