Burn Notice: Season 1, Episode 1

1 - 1: Pilot

Michael Westen, a covert-operations agent in the employ of the U.S. Government, is on an assignment in Nigeria when he suddenly and unexpectedly gets "burned". He barely escapes with his life and takes the first flight he can out of the country, which dumps him in Miami, Florida, his home town. Michael, after reuniting with his ex-girlfriend Fiona Glenanne, finds his accounts are frozen by a government code and his contacts are cut off but nevertheless tries to reach Dan Siebels, his now-former case officer and handler and friend. Needing to put money together to sort out what is happening, Michael also re-connects with Sam Axe, his best friend, and reluctantly gets in touch with his mother, Madeline Westen, who was unaware of his career, and also evades FBI surveillance as best as he can. Michael takes a job from a former colleague to help an estate caretaker clear his name in a high-priced art theft. Eventually, after mailing a non-functioning bomb to Siebels' office, Michael finally succeeds in reaching him and is told the burn notice is to "put him on ice" in preparation for a job offer and he is not to leave Miami or risk being killed. This is demonstrated when he returns home to find pictures of himself scattered about, with a message saying "Welcome to Miami," the show's tagline