Unpaid Debts

Infobox Television episode


Caption=
Title=Unpaid Debts
Series=Burn Notice
Season=1
Episode=6
Guests=
Airdate=August 2, 2007
Production=BN105
Writer=Nick Thiel
Director=Paul Holahan
Prev=Family Business
Next=Broken Rules
Episode list = List of Burn Notice episodes|

Unpaid Debts is the sixth episode of "Burn Notice". In this episode, Michael Westen retrieves a boat for one of Sam's friends from Jamaican gangsters and discovers $10 million in cash hidden on board. Meanwhile, a new government agent (supposedly from the CSS) urges Michael to stop his investigation into who burned him, which makes Michael all the more determined to find out just what is going on.

Plot

Michael Westen is trying to figure out who entered his apartment when he gets a frantic call from his mother, Madeline Westen, who says that strange men are outside her house and are in fact about to enter. Michael and Fiona Glenanne arrive at the house quickly and waste no time going to work; Fiona uses a shotgun to keep the driver of an unmarked van at bay while Michael enters his mother's house. After fighting two men, a third comes out with Madeline and identifies himself as a government agent. He threatens Michael to stop looking in to who burned him, or else he'll continue to destroy Michael's life and everything attached to it. The agent makes sure to break and tear a few more items before leaving.

While angry that his mother was involved, Michael is interested in keeping this mysterious agent in town as he will have he has another source of information regarding his situation. However, he needs money to pay for his mother's remodeling costs. Sam Axe tries to convince Michael to take a job from his old Navy Seal buddy, Virgil. Before visiting Virgil, Michael goes back to his apartment to take care of a bug in his phone. In order to fool the agents that are listening, he rambles off random codes and information. Michael surmises that the longer it takes them to decode the random information, the more he can watch them, and the better he can get to know his new friends. He also leaves the phone on in front of the television, forcing the agents listening in to stay at their headsets, testing their endurance.

Virgil, the client, was trying to repossess a boat from a group of Jamaicans. However, when he tried to take the boat, he was badly beaten. Virgil says he wants to keep his reputation, and offers two thousand dollars to both Michael and Sam to take the boat and deliver it. Michael considers it. Meanwhile, the agent has taken Michael's charger for "evidence", while also disconnecting his phone line. Michael is forced to take the job Virgil offers. But first, he'll have to borrow Virgil's truck.

Michael takes up the alias of Homer, a friend of Virgil who is also a repossession man. First, Sam calls the police with a fake drug report, thus giving Michael and Fiona some cover. Michael walks up and "repossesses" the boat. The main Jamaican, Andre, warns Michael that they will see each other soon.

Back ashore, away from the dock, Michael searches for and finds a GPS device. He destroys it and takes the boat to a garage to drop it off. However, when Michael (as Homer) talks to Mason (Virgil's client), Mason and his friends are quickly concerned when they don't see Virgil there. Michael observes explosives strapped to methyl chloride. Mason and his friends pull out police issue guns and threaten Michael, wanting to know where Virgil is. Michael creates a distraction by lighting the garage on fire, hops into into the truck under gunfire, and runs away with the boat.

Michael confronts Virgil, telling him that these guys were most likely dirty cops. Sam tells Michael that in 1984 in East Germany, Sam screwed up big-time and Virgil gave him a second chance. Michael agrees to continue the case, but Virgil needs to go into hiding. So, Michael takes Virgil to his mother's house to keep him safe. Madeline and Virgil quickly find common ground.

At Michael's apartment, Fiona and Michael sweep for bugs. To keep the listeners busy, Michael keeps talking. Fiona uses this opportunity to force the question on Michael as to why he left her. Michael finally admits that he left because his cover was blown, but he also left for fear of commitment. He also said that he didn't say goodbye or leave a note because he was concerned for Fiona's safety and his own. Fiona and Michael discover an optical bug, one that uses a laser to read the vibration on glass to hear what's going on inside the apartment. Michael counters this with a vibrator duct taped to the glass.

Sam, after ripping up the boat's carpet and sub flooring, finds ten million dollars in real money inside of the boat. Michael wants to talk to Virgil, only to be told that he's in Madeline's bed. Michael, speaking in the accent he uses for his Homer alias, talks to the dirty cops to set up a meeting. Meanwhile, Sam and Virgil go to dump the boat (without the money) in an empty field. Mason and the cops wanted Virgil to do the dirty work of bringing the money to them. However, now they just want the Jamaicans and the money in one place, they'll take care of it from there. While Sam and Virgil dump the boat, the Jamaicans catch up with them and open fire. Sam and Virgil are able to get away, and the Jamaicans are left with an empty boat.

Michael needs time to work out a plan, so he tries to stall the meeting with Mason and the cops. However, they show him a picture of Virgil's daughter, and threaten to "find" drugs in her car. Michael goes to the hotel where the agent that threatened his mother is staying. Michael sets up a magnet where the agent would normally keep his laptop, thus setting up a trap that will wipe the hard drive of the agent's computer.

While Andre and Michael (as Homer) meet in a bar to discuss when they can exchange the money, Madeline and Virgil go out on a date at another club against Michael's advice. Andre is shipping money between two powerful clients. Virgil sees one of the Jamaicans enter the bar where he's having his date, and tells Madeline to keep her head down. Virgil runs, and tries to fight the Jamaicans, but ends up caught. Andre is informed, and offers Michael a deal: the ten million dollars for Virgil's life.

Michael, Fiona, and Sam pack up the money into Virgil's truck while trying to come up with a plan. They also consider simply keeping some of the money. Michael gets a call from the agent he set the trap for. He isn't happy that his laptop is now a "very expensive paperweight." Michael tells Fiona that the agent will be changing hotels again, so she'll have to follow him.

Michael and Fiona head to the middle of a bridge with the stack of money. Sam picks a high point and brings a deer rifle. As both Mason and the cops and Andre and the Jamaicans approach Michael, he pours gasoline on the money. Michael first gets Virgil back from the Jamaicans, then introduce them to the cops. Michael begins to walk away. Andre tries to shoot him, but Michael ducks. Sam uses his rifle to shoot Andre. Both sides then begin shooting at each other while Michael burns the money and takes off with Virgil.

Virgil, Sam, Michael, and Fiona split some of the money from the boat. The Jamaicans are dead and the cops are in jail, but Virgil still has to keep a low profile for a while. As a favor, Sam contacted some friends and got Michael's Charger back. Michael bothers the agent again, this time he distracts him long enough to have Fiona pick the agent's pocket. They learn his name, Agent Jason Bly of the CSS.

Reception

"Unpaid Debts" was the highest rated cable program for the week in the 18-49 demographic, followed by The Closer and Army Wives. It was also the highest rated episode of "Burn Notice" to date (1.7 rating/5 share in 18-49, 4.41 million viewers overall). It was ranked 41st among all programs, and was surpassed by 8 dramas on the broadcast networks. [cite web |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117969843.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 |title=Audience habits shifting for drama |accessdate=2007-08-10 |format= |work= ]

References

External links

* [http://www.usanetwork.com/series/burnnotice/theshow/episodeguide/episodes/s1_unpaiddebts/index.html Unpaid Debts] on the USA Network official site.
* [http://burnedinmiami.blogspot.com/2008/05/unpaid-debts.html Burned in Miami: Unpaid Debts] , an unofficial fan site.