Burn Notice Season 5 Episode 2 Bloodlines

When Michael Westen is first spotted in the hot Miami streets after his tumultuous departure from the intelligence community, he is in a terrible state. Homeless, alone, and entirely disoriented, he eventually found solace in the guidance of his old sidekick Sam Axe and the stone-faced ex-girlfriend Fiona.

Now, in season 5, Michael is a different man. He's been working with the CIA for over a year, but he still holds onto that tangible love for his hometown of Miami and the tenuous relationships he's been able to form along the way. In "Bloodlines", the second episode of the season, Michael is asked by an old friend named Bly to help him in a delicate matter that requires his specific skill set.

At the start of the episode, Michael is gaining the trust of Bly with the promise that they can mend their strained relationship and work together as good friends. However, their plans are derailed when Bly's teenage son goes missing. Michael, being the man of action that he is, wants to help Bly in any way possible, but he knows that involving his old contacts could stir up some old problems that he had hoped to leave behind.

Compounding their predicament, it is revealed that Bly's son has gone missing after tangling himself up with a group of dangerous criminals. They're holding him hostage for ransom, and Bly cannot afford the requested payment. In an effort to reunite Bly with his only son, Michael taps into his old CIA resources in search of information on the kidnappers' activities, and begins to set a trap.

What follows is the kind of intrigue and action that has made Burn Notice a beloved show of action fans worldwide. Michael and his team must navigate through the dangerous waters of Miami's criminal underworld while maintaining Bly's trust and keeping his son alive. The directing is taut, and the tension is ever-present, making the episode a standout in an already excellent series.

Additionally, "Bloodlines" feels particularly poignant because it explores Michael's ties to his past in a way that completes his character's arc. The episode demonstrates that despite his elite level of expertise, Michael still retains his loyalty to friends and the principles he believes in. It's a satisfying exploration of Michael's character and serves to highlight the unique balance of external danger and internal struggle that Burn Notice has always done so well.

For fans of the show, "Bloodlines" is a standout episode that features all the things we love about Burn Notice: the tense action, the reliance on cunning over brute force, and the strong emotional connections between these characters. It's a perfect example of the show's strengths, and serves as a reaffirmation of why we've kept returning to this world time and time again.