I know it's been ONE episode and all, but it was made very clear that someone wanted Michael in Miami. And unless someting else crops up to completely disprove my theory as based upon one episode...well, I'm going with this theory for awhile.

Here's the theory:

His Father did it.

Yes, they said his father was dead and all...but, if he was a high ranking Spy, it would be easy to fake his own death to go deeper undercover. For some reason, he decides his Son must come back home to try and patch things up with his Family, since Michael already is annoyed with his mother and brother.

Until more information is available, this works for me.

Anyone else got any theories to see devlop or be completely shattered in I dunno, episode 2?

Okay, I will say now the he was burned by a family member. Father or brother and maybe be mother. But we must wait tell mid secound year to find out.

I totally agree, and my money is on his 'dead' father...which works until we get more information.

-Sicod, I mean it has been ONE episode

Oh, so, anyone can burn him?
It doesn't have to be another spy or someone higher in rank?

Very interesting. Does family have enough clout to put a very capable spy out of action? Does another spy have enough influence that whoever heads this agency would believe without investigation what this spy has to say? Seems to me that whoever put out a "burn notice" in a heart beat would be someone who without question could. Hmmmmmmmmmm. The game is a foot Watson and I for one will be watching every Thursday for any clues but more importantly, when Westen does find out, what he will do.

Well, he really wasn't too popular with his family. Like he said in the show: The last thing his father said to him was "see you in hell, boy" and the last time he saw his brother, he threw a phone book at him.

I don't understand why he got fired. You know what he might do, you just don't know how he'll do it.

Possibly a mishap in conduct or something in afganistan.

Fiona looks like the foil for his burn notice. Ex-spy/bank-robber/lover, who's
made it pretty clear she'd like him to settle down in Miami. I don't think
his mother or brother have the where-with-all to pull something like that, and
at the end of the opener, there's a floor full of photo's with him in action,
specifically when Michael, Fiona and Sam are planting the cell phone bug in
Pynes car. Sam doesn't have much motiviation to keep Michael in Miami,
but Fiona does, especially after hearing how she was the closest to a relationship
that Michael ever had.

BB

I think it was the brother that his mother wants him to see. The brother is the only other character mentioned so far and he obviously lives in or near Miami. It will be interesting to see if we get more 'clues' about the brother as the series continues.

Fiona is the best candidate, IMHO. She is immediately on the scene in Miami,
nursing Westen back to health. How else would she know he's getting dumped
in Miami if she didn't have anything to do with the burn notice. Then she gives
his mom his cell phone number, which causes no end of frustation for Westen.
Wouldn't someone who wanted a relationship with someone, to respect the ties
to his family,even if it's pretty dysfunctional and estranged one? The more ties
he has to Miami, the less likely he is to bolt if the burn notice ever gets revoked.

Later, Westen confides in Fiona that thier relationship was about as much of a
relationship as he is capable of handling. Didn't she suggest to Michael that he
should settle down and give a relationship a try, now that he can't "leave Miami".

Then, at the very end of the episode, there are tons of surviellence photos
(espeically those of Michael, Sam and Fiona planting the cell phone bug in Pynes
car), along with a welcome to Miami. Sam doesn't seem like the kind of guy to
go to the effort to set him up like that, but Fiona definitely has motive.

His mom is totally self serving, along with her hypochrondria, but doesn't appear
to have the where-with-all to pull off a burn notice. His dad's been dead for
8 years (supposedly) and his brother threw a phone book at Michael the last time
he saw him. Michael's been sending money home to his mom, so he can't been
seen as totally estranged from his mom, other than having to deal with the
constant nagging of why he can't live his life according to her wishes.

See, i totally agree that (for now) i'm working w/ the theory that it's Fiona. As you said, she was immediatly there, and knew everything. She can't be a stranger to spy-related-things (didn't she say she was a spy or something like that in Ireland?) by the way she acts (although that could be from being with Westen). She could have done the phone thing just to keep his mind off of how she actually knew everything, That's that thing where, if you've got a headache, someone'll offer to stomp on your toe. Sure, now your toe'll hurt too, but it'll take the attention away from your head. momentarily.

Now, i disagree, however, that it was Fiona that did the "Welcome to Miami" thing. I've watched a few of the previews (like the one right after the season premiere) and it looks (to me) like it's that "Sugar" guy, the pretty boy drug dealer that's the spy. I don't think he's working for the feds, (because as Westen said, the feds wouldn't servailance their own) but someone whom we don't know yet (maybe the dad or the brother as suspected in previous posts). I'm not going to theorize right now about his family...i'll just concentrate about who burned him was...

~BF~

I am going for the dark horse and say the mother is behind it..I think she is a spy and is one hell of an actress to pull off what she is doing..

If true it will certainly come out of left field..

Nice theory. I was thinking that we might begin to meet his enemies and given clues but you point out that we already have been given clues. Now you'll have me thinking about that during the show. I wish it came on every day!

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http://www.gracecentered.com/christian_forums

See I think it could be his mom. He did say that when you go under cover, it is best to stay in a role at all times. She could be getting back at him for making the family fall apart and not being there for her all those years. She may be an agent and Mike may know anything about it.

First I was thinking it could be his mother. Until last night, when she gave him the numbers of the men that came to the house.

I think Fiona KNEW about the Burn-but didn't actually do it. She was in the IRA she said (or he said) and I wouldn't think she had the ability to get a burn notice.

The way she looks when he talks about it makes me think she knew though.

I do keep wondering about it being his father or the brother. I know about throwing the phone book, but they are brothers and you know, Michael doesn't seem like he'd be easy.


What about Sam? He could have, he could have some reason.

Problem with the whole mother idea because she doesnt even know that he was a secert agent (second episode proved that.) She wouldn't have any clue that he's out of the job if he wouldnt have told her.

I dont dont beleive any of these theories Sam would have no reason too, the mom would but she doesnt know hes was a spy, Fiona is a possibility and can't be proven wrong so far but I'm gonna keep waiting to find out, I'm gonna stay neutral for know.

As I've said, this is just the theory I'm working with and looking for confirmation, anything could happen.

But I agree that I believe Fiona was aware of the burn notice but did not have the ability to pull it off herself, since she ins't part of that organization, but one that is at odds with them.

I go with the father idea, just because he's 'dead' which gives him more ability to work behind the scenes, and because it would be a neat twist.

We don't really know anything about the brother, but I'm assuming it really aint him. If they were both spies, I guarantee one of them would have found the other out, but the father? I can find it more believable that they wouldn't see that, because hey, he's your dad and all...

-Sicod, then again, anything is possible

His Mother.

As has been strongly foreshadowed, she's extremely bright, tough, misses her son, appears to be ill, and may possibly have some issues with memory.

My speculation is that she blackmailed his agency into bringing him home and keeping him there, at least until she's gone (whether from death or Alzheimer's). They are not only keeping tabs on him, but also on her, to make sure that what she knows doesn't get out. And it is no accident that Fiona is present. Again, Mom's no dummy.

Even if they resolve the "burn notice" by season's end, by then they'll have laid a basis for him just wanting to stay.

The father is dead he died 8 years before the first episode

In episode 2, at the end when he is talking to his mother. On the house next door, someone closes the shade. I wonder if that was meant to be there. If a crew is outside your house filming, do you close the shade or stand in the window?

I'm still trying to figure out how they got a picture of Michael at the playground with the two FBI
agents (when he borrows the binoculars to watch David take on the bully) into his place before
he got home.

I did notice that i thought either someone actually lives there or it had some importance.

I found something intresting one of the pictures of was him on the stairs with Sam. Fiona was down there at the time and could've taken the picture. I am not saying Fiona had anything to do with it I'm still neutral right now but it's an idea

If you think about it when he came home after that they had the picture of him so they had to get there before he got there and lay down aalllllllllllllll of those pictures pretty tricky if you ask me!

Wow! You guys really give this thing a lot of thought! The only thing I can say is that I looked ahead on TVguide.com at tomorrows episode and it said something about Michael trying to find out who is trying to KILL HIM!! I don't think his Mom, Dad or Fiona would try to do that. I'm curious about his brother who was mentioned in the first episode but not last week. Also, I'm sure that there are other characters and influences that are yet to be introduced, but I wouldn't be surprised if Fiona is involved in some way. She was there with him when he woke up in Miami. I wonder why he didn't ask her how he got there or how she got there? We will see!

Hi,

I also enjoy the show but I have been a fan of the star for a while. My problem is that I tivoed the second episode and I noticed that it looks like it started a little late. I don't want to watch it and find out that I missed out on the end. It ends where he answers the phone and says "Who is this?", I wonder if there is a lot more or is that the end of the show. I want to know before I watch the show.

Thank You!

Angela Koss

I think it is a person to be named later.

sorry if i'm bumping this too much i'm not too familiar with the ediquite here :-P

more evidence to support the father / family tie latelly in tonights episode (episdoe 4). At the end as he's walking away they say they don't want him to leave miami or be killed. IMO a random agent would want to have him dead by now

also i think it was the first episode but sam said something along the lines of "Well look on the bright side if they wanted you killed you'd be dead by now", saying they do not want him dead.

Maybe the whole thing is just training?

IMO the writers are too clever to just pull some random out of nowhere as the burner... I'm not sure if any of you remember the lameness of "The Carver" on Nip/Tuck if i remember that was just some random person and really disappointed everyone... They wouldnt just kill the series like that, plus having a family member do it would lead to a MUCH more complicated plot then allowing the writers to do something with the rest of the 3.5 years of the show

If it is his long dead father my head will explode.

A Burn would have to be set by a government official in Homeland Security or Scooter Libby. Think about it.  He was pardoned. It could have been Lil' Scoot. 
It definitely was NOT his Dad, who would not be able to remotely pass a security clearance if Mike is right that he would make him fake a seizure to get spark plugs. His brother is a small-time con artist looking for a free ride. His Mom is too busy worrying about her imagined illnesses.
Mike pissed off someone while he was in the spy game. Having worked in the military contract business, I know how petty these government officials can be. A manager at the company I worked at made a remark that offended one of the military representatives to an Air Force project that my company was contracted to work on. This guy did everything he could to cut the project. He was responsible for over 500 people losing their jobs during a time when the job market was really tight. It's not WHAT you know but WHO you know in this world. Some paper pusher burned Michael. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I agree 100%!!!!!

I think that it might ultimately be Michael's dad. I think he may be actually be alive and his motive is to draw his familly together. I don't believe anything has been said about how he died or what he did for a living. When Michael called the number that his mom gave him at the end of E2 the voice told him to "be good". I think all this is happening to him so he can restore some goodness back to Miami, including his familly life. This is what his father kind of lacked. Maybe he feels guilty and wants Michael to make up for his shortcommings. Who knows what his dad really did for a living? Perhaps he worked for a Goverment agency as well......Remember......he was never around when Michael and his brother were growing up.....typical spy behaviour.....and his mother is very apt to her surroundings (references of her knowing if the mailman wears his wedding ring, etc).....stuff spies do. Perhaps she learned things from her husband...It seems she is always holding back, like she knows more than she is letting on. What are everyones thoughts on this?

I love this show! I think the burner has to be someone associated with his brother... No clue though. Just love the show!

Seems like you and I have a bit of the same background. I agree that it was some paper pusher than burned him, but the reasons are a bit more convoluted.

Here's my theory.

If you watch closely at the beginning of episode 5, there's a memo from the Department of Homeland Security notifying everyone that he's been burned. The memo might have come from the DHS, but that's not who initiated the burn.

Someone, a corrupt goverment official or more probably a group, was profiting from a black op. It could have been arms sales to the wrong people, drug running...well, just about anything. Michael was about to blow that op and they burned him. When dealing with an operative such as Michael, you don't just erase them. Any good agent will keep some sort of insurance. The people who burned him need to find out how much he knows, so they don't want him dead...yet.

So, they burn him in Miami where they have intel on his family and friends. They have pressure points such as threatening his mother, a delinquent younger brother, keeping the thumbscrews on his old friend Sam...etc.

Fiona, on the other hand, is another story. She wasn't IRA. She was a covert op working for MI5 and helped Michael on a CIA op in Ireland. She's been informed of the burn and told to gather as much info on Michael as possible. (Read Fiona's blog and you'll see what I mean. She's still working and even writes, "Since it looks like I'm staying in Miami for a bit longer than expected...") The problem with recruiting Fiona is that she still cares for Michael.

So, the people that burned him have good control of the situation through the FBI, Sam, Fiona, and DHS directives...among other things we haven't seen yet. The burn came from a corrupt senator who has a bunch of people working in the CIA. We're probably going to meet a few of his old military buddies and CIA contacts throughout the show.

This is a great story, but if done well is about the length of a feature film. In order for this to be a great series, we need other plot points and antagonists along the way. The Fugitive lasted for four 30 episode seasons. Through the genius of Matt Nix and Alfredo Barrios, enter those other plot points...

Michael was so successful at the business that alot of people want him to suffer; for revenge, for intel he still might be holding on to, etc. That's just part of his life before the burn and we're going to see plenty of attempted contract hits throughout the series. These are not the people that burned him, but they will continue to hire assassins. Jan isn't the first hired gun in Michael's career and he won't be the last. The problem is that they won't know much other than whoever hired them want's Michael dead.

Mom is an interesting character and she's going to pull Michael in a different direction each episode.

The increasing pressure on Sam is going to be an additional problem and they are probably going to team up to get rid of the latest "case worker".

As far as my thoughts on Nate, see the "Get rid of Nate" thread.

This being Miami, the Colombians are going to weigh in at some point.

The usual reason an operative is burned is that they become a liability. Someone or something compromises them and the are no longer an asset. Michael wasn't compromised. He pissed off the wrong person.

If it's his Dad, I will SCREAM!!!!!

There is however some evidence in that direction from epi 5, when Michael mentions his Dad not being around. I'd prefer Dad being truly gone into the ever after. His Dad being the burner just sucks. 

I'm not buying the "Dad" theory. Dad was an alcoholic petty thief. If there's anything that'll get your security clearance pulled, it's drunkeness and larceny. Nate mentions that Michael got arrested driving so many times and he (in his usual whiney voice) says that he never did THAT much wrong. Michael's response (I don't remember the exact quote) was something like, "How do you think we went out to buy groceries when Dad was on a tear?"

The only thing that makes sense, if it even is Dad, would be if Dad was an agent and got caught up in something that made him fake his death to keep his family safe. Dad became an independent contractor to make a living and has gotten involved in some deep stuff. Now that Michael is an agent, they burn him and blackmail him into going after Dad.

I'm not buying this either. I grew up with alcoholic parents. I just can't believe that Secret Agent Dad (or that Madeline would allow it if she knew) would abuse his own family as a cover story. There's just no reconciliation there. There's just no pay off at the end of the story.

EXACTLY Not only would Dad be a compromise for the agency, his family also, with con-artist son. Nate could have compromised Michael with the credit card scam he ran. If you have bad credit you are a bribery risk. You'd would be fired or forced into retirement like Sam, not burned. So, there's no good way to present a story where the Dad was the burner.

Now Michael is a perfect CIA candidate. As he said, "People with happy families don't become spies. A bad childhood is the perfect background for covert ops you don't trust anyone, you're used to getting smacked around, and you never get homesick."

For my money, i am ruling out any of family members from this.

Fi, on the other hand, still felt her reasoning of coming and staying in Miami is a bit shaky. I don't think she is the architech behind this, she might have been blackmailed into helping the shadowing party to babysit Michael. Could be that they threatened to kill Michael if she didn't cooperate, or somthing else.

Interesting. Could show a softer side of Fiona. Good one.

Well............Sam's clearance is still valid.

The actual burn notice itself says:



(Cut off after the (2))

I have four possible theories (3 include fiona):

A. Fiona actually works for the CIA and told Michael she was IRA and thats how she was able to drop the 'poor irish' accent. She tried to compromise him as a test and he either
A. passed so now he is out and moving to a 'super secret' government agency or
B. he failed and was compromised and burned.

B. Since Fiona is ex-IRA she was considered a security risk even tho she wasn't one. She maintained confidentiality with Michael because she had true feelings for him.

C. Since Fiona is ex-IRA she was considered a security risk and spying for the Irish. She used him and dropped disinformation which would be passed on to the British and was loyal not to Michael but an IRA handler.

D. There is a political scandal going on from a previous job Michael had or by giving money to Boris 'Wannabe Warlord' he was somehow going to be discovered by a third party and the only way to save the CIA from an investigation was to put space between him and the agency.

Just my 2 cents

Who can burn a spy employed by any arm of US government? Only a gone bad op, another spy or spy controller higher up, or heavy political influence. But few spies are burned like Michael. Usually rather permanent wet work is involved.

If these producers present someone stupid as the burn-er (like member of his family) then they will blow the show via their own stupidity. But it looks like they are going to add in so much family stuff anyway that they are changing a terrific premise into a not very bright sitcom. Too bad. They should read this forum and the suggestions if they want to have a winner.

I have seen all the episodes so far and I can't shake this feeling that Michael's mom may of had someting to do w/ him getting a "Burn Notice". She always complains that he was never home and how she never knew where he was, and she is sick and needs help and all that blah blah. Michael is looking to see who "Burned" him and why? His own mother seems like she has a good enough reason.

Sam! Et tu, Brute? It makes the most sense that the one offering him the "help" now is the one who burned him in the first place.

Sam, huh...very interesting theory...makes sense that he wold help Michael because he feels guilty for burning him

Hmm, I was thinking the same thing about Sam. Then, I have an iffy feeling about Fiona. I mean, it would be the perfect to get Michael and herself closer "back together". I mean, all of a sudden when he got burned she wasn't too far away, you know. I don't know. All I know is that it is one of the best shows .

- Ali

Could this whole question be a "McGuffin" a la Hitchcock? Sure it is nominally the subject of Michael's quest but what is there really left for him to do once he finds out? The show would be just an hour long James Bond movie if he goes back to spying or alternately turn completely into Magnum PI if he goes on "looking into" things for people in Miami. It works now because the plots work both angles, spy and PI. If you take away one of those....?