Burn Notice "Rough Seas" (2008)

An entertaining episode even if the burn notice plot takes a back seat yet again after being given a fresh face in the previous episode. This episode shows how well the show can do without exploring the actual burn notice side of the series. In some episodes this season, the cases have only been so-so and it's noticeable that we're not moving along in the other half of the series. Here the SPI case was so diverting and amusing that it didn't feel that something was missing from the overall production. Bringing back a past character is also a nice touch as Virgil, one time client and romancer of Madeline, returns with a new case for SPI. Some missing antiviral drugs, for needy children no less, has been hijacked and Virgil turns to the only man he knows can crack the case. It takes meeting the new client and seeing the children that it affects to make him agree to take the case, but SPI has its mission for the week. Michael has his own side assignment in trying to keep Virgil away from his mother and he has no desire to the see the two of them get together again while Fiona's buddy arms dealer also has him working as a hired hand against some aggressive Bulgarians. All in all in was a jam-packed episode.

The thawing of the cold shoulder Michael has been getting from Fiona we saw last episode seems to have cooled down again as Fiona is pursuing another gentleman and can't help bringing it up whenever she has the chance. Michael clearly misses her as can be seen in the teaser as the camera gives us his point of view of watching her while his voice over discusses the problems of becoming involved with a teammate. He doesn't press for information about the new man in Fiona's life which she finds a bit strange but she is taken aback when he tells her she looks beautiful at the end. That's a compliment I don't think we ever heard from Michael before and further proof that he cares more for Fiona than he will probably ever say. At least Fiona's priorities are still straight as she skips out on her date to help Michael with the mission despite her wish Michael would get a little roughed up when he goes undercover. I wonder 1) if there is a new guy or it's something Fiona made up to make Michael jealous and 2) if he is real we get to meet this new man in Fiona's life. Him and Michael meeting up should make for some interesting viewing.

The ultimate highlight of the episode comes from Michael's cover identity for this mission. Here is a man who has flawlessly played smooth operators, playboys, con artists, professional criminals and blue collar workers. The most hilarious cover came in this episode as he plays a nerdy, frightened lab worker who is "sucked in" to the criminal's plot through no choice of his own. His high-pitched voice and overly-nervous persona is a perfect contrast to the Michael Westen we already know and come to expect. Prone to overreacting a bit much requires him to take a few puffs from his inhaler. Even when carrying boxes, he moves like a hunchbacked assistant out of a Frankenstein film. Some of the best laugh out loud moments come from this uncharacteristic portrayal and how others react to him. It's no wonder he's never seen as a threat and why it's such a shock when he disarms the men and pulls out that gun at the end of the episode. This show always finds a way to balance the humor with the thrilling exploits each week. The humor flows naturally from the characters and is never shoehorned into the episodes.

Charles Finley, Sam's go to cover, makes another welcome appearance in this episode and it's certainly evolved from when he first used it last season. Instead of an overly cautious, uptight business man, he's now a criminal who sells both guns and then medicine to patch them up for the next round. He can even handle himself in a bar fight. There's no real reason to love his use of the alias, but it's fun continuity for people like myself who notice things like that. I said before Charles Finley could be this series's version of "Art Vandelay" from Seinfeld and who knows maybe even Michael and Fiona will use an alias more than once so right before the end of the series they can all use them at the same time like in the "The Puerto Rican Day".

Favorite moment: The "heist" of the liquid steroids off the yacht provided some of the best laughs of the episode. From Michael babbling about how he needs a gun because they will be shooting and that means those people will be shooting back, pointing it a Gerard's (Max Martini) head while cocking back the hammer, his impromptu exchange with Virgil and his recognition of a certain refrigerator on the boat are all great highlights. SPI works best under pressure and that was never more apparent than here which was all thrown together at the last minute.