'Burn Notice': Where Do Mike's Loyalties Lie?

Before Mike ships off on his next mission, Fionna goes to see him. She expresses her horror that he watched James Kendrick kill an innocent (well, innocent-ish) man without interfering. Fi's worried that—in a way—Mike admires James, the very man the CIA has assigned him to take down. Is he faking his allegiances to maintain his cover, or has he truly lost himself? We're left to ponder this question in silence as Michael Westen sails dramatically into the night on an inflatable raft. Only he could make that look good.

His loyalty is about to be tested more than ever. Rendezvousing with Sonya in the Canary Islands, Mike learns that he's expected to assassinate Roger Steele, a broker who negotiates among spy agencies—and an old friend. Conflict of interest?!

Mike and Sonya receive a warm welcome at Steele's high-security estate. Steele seems genuinely nice, if nauseatingly wealthy. It's easy to understand why Mike isn't eager to harm him. Westen takes the risk of meeting with Strong, begging his control officer to intervene for Steele's safety. But Strong knows this would mean blowing Mike's cover with Sonya. He refuses.

When their plan to bomb Steele's SUV fails, Sonya is ready to call an air strike that would kill all of the compound's guards and staff. Mike, surprise, is more or less anti-carnage. Instead, he lures Roger into meeting him at an abandoned factory. When his friend arrives, Mike shoots him from a nearby rooftop with a sniper rifle.

Back in Miami, Fionna's boyf Carlos confronts some unfinished business. Carlos once ratted on a thug named Nando, landing him with a ten-year prison sentence. Nando is now out of jail and, as one might expect, not running for president of the Carlos Fan Club.

Carlos' lady detective friend encourages him to track down a witness who saw Nando commit murder and convince him to testify. Jesse and Sam talk their way into the witness' apartment as Department of Health employees, allegedly checking for toxic gas. As someone who has zero associations with the criminal underworld, even I would know better than to let these randos in.

Carlos pleads with the witness, Lloyd, to go to the authorities. He can only hide from Nando for so long. Lloyd relents, on the condition that the police will guarantee protection for his family.

But Lady Detective has betrayed Carlos. As Fi, Sam, Jesse and Lloyd watch from a distance, she gives him up to Nando, who—not being a super-nice dude—shoots her. Nando and his associate Chacho will torture Carlos until the witness is in their hands. Truly desperate, Fi calls Michael to ask if Sonya and company will help. That's a line I never thought she'd cross.

To buy more time, Mike masquerades as Nando's witness—after all, he'd never seen Lloyd. Mike's phone rings. Ricardo Lopez, Nando's Colombian supplier, is on the line. On speakerphone, Lopez orders Chacho to kill Nando, and he obeys without hesitation. Westen and friends are free to go. The lesson here: Networking is important, you guys.

Fi returns home to find that Carlos has packed his bags. He's leaving. He's discovered that Lopez's estate in Cartagena was attacked, killing seven, at the same time Nando was called. Clearly, Mike is into some deep ish, and he doesn't want any part of it.

What I like about this break-up: she totally belongs with her ex, and Carlos knows it. Mionna/Fichael forever. What I don't like about this break-up: if she and Mike didn't interfere, you'd be dead, dude. Dead forever. Suck it up!

Image via USA