Ep 16. Dead or Alive

Michael Westen is a former spy who has a particular set of skills that make him invaluable to those who seek his expertise. In season 4 episode 16 of Burn Notice, titled "Dead or Alive," Westen is called upon by a former enemy to help him track down the person responsible for betraying him to the CIA. Westen wants nothing to do with this man, but his sense of obligation to a former comrade leads him to take on the job.

The episode begins with Westen receiving a phone call from the last person he wants to hear from: Anson Fullerton, the man who had previously blackmailed him into working as a spy for the unrevealed organization. Anson tells Westen that a former associate of his, a man named Mark Kendrick, has gone missing and that he suspects the CIA may have captured him. Anson wants Westen to find Kendrick and bring him safely back to Miami to help him prove his innocence.

Westen reluctantly agrees to help and recruits his friends Fiona and Sam to help him track down Kendrick. They quickly discover that the CIA is indeed holding Kendrick and that they have been torturing him for information. Westen concocts a plan to rescue Kendrick from the heavily guarded CIA facility where he is being held, but things quickly go awry when a rival group shows up at the same time to extract their own prisoner.

The situation quickly devolves into a firefight, with Westen, Fiona, and Sam fighting for their lives against both the CIA agents and the rival group. Amidst the chaos, Westen manages to break Kendrick out of his cell, but they soon find themselves trapped in a janitor's closet with no way out.

Meanwhile, back in Miami, Jesse, a former spy who has been working alongside the team, is tasked with investigating Anson's claims of innocence. He discovers that Anson has been lying to them all along and that he is actually guilty of the crime he is trying to clear his name of.

The episode concludes with the team narrowly escaping the facility and barely making it out of the area alive. Westen delivers Kendrick safely to Anson, but he is left feeling uneasy about the situation. He knows that Anson is not who he claims to be and that he is likely up to no good.

In "Dead or Alive," Burn Notice delivers its signature blend of action, intrigue, and drama. The episode is filled with edge-of-your-seat moments as Westen and his team fight to stay alive and complete their mission. At the same time, it delves deeper into the morality of espionage and the thin line between right and wrong. With its well-crafted plot and strong performances, "Dead or Alive" is a standout episode that is sure to delight fans of the show.