Original subtitles

- My name is Michael Westen.

I used to be a spy until...

[Phone rings] - We got a burn notice on you.

You're blacklisted. - [Whistles]

When you're burned, you've got nothing.

No cash, no credit, no job history.

You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in.

- Where am I? - Miami.

- You do whatever work comes your way.

You rely on anyone who's still talking to you...

[Laughs]

A trigger-happy girlfriend...

- Should we shoot them?

- An old friend who used to inform on you to the FBI...

- You know spies... bunch of bitchy little girls.

- Family too...

[Phone rings] - Hey, is that your mom again?

- If you're desperate.

- Someone needs your help, Michael.

- And a down-and-out spy you met along the way.

- That's how we do it, people.

- Bottom line, as long as you're burned,

you're not going anywhere.

- It's a deep cover job.

We're going after the leader of a terrorist network.

I need you to bring them down no matter what.

- Two-hour notice to get to Cuba

to bust somebody out of a Russian black site?

- It's a woman. That's all I know.

- She must be pretty damn important.

- She could be the key to what his group is up to.

- Pulling Sonya Lebedenko out of Cuba

puts our operation on a whole new level.

She's a direct link to the top of this network.

- I want a seat at the table, Sonya.

I've been working for your people long enough.

I want to meet the man in charge.

- To do what we do, you have to be willing

to give up everything.

- I have nothing.

My friends, they moved on.

You're the only thing I have left.

- That's one thing we have in common.

- So?

- I'll make the call.

- In a long-term undercover job,

the most difficult challenges aren't professional.

They're personal.

You have to try to remember where the line is

between who you need to be

and who you really are,

because, when that line starts to blur,

it affects everyone around you.

- Hey.

- Hey. Thanks for coming.

- What was so urgent that I had

to run out in the middle of a job?

- There are things that you need to know

I didn't think could wait.

- Here I am.

- The mission, getting in with this organization,

I have a lot riding on it.

- I know.

We all do.

- Sometimes it's not easy knowing how far to go

to build trust.

The D.R., Cuba, here.

There are things I've done,

choices I've had to make.

Last night, Sonya and I...

Fi...

- why are you telling me this, Michael?

- I've asked so much of you already.

I couldn't ask for you to be part of this operation

without you knowing everything.

- Are you worried about the operation?

Or are you asking whether it's okay

for you to sleep with the enemy?

I mean, she is still the enemy, right?

- The mission hasn't changed.

- Really? - Yes.

The meeting with the head of her organization

will happen soon.

- You're playing with fire.

But you know that.

[Boat horn blows]

- For a spy, preparing a job history

is a lot more complicated than updating a resume.

Because official files are classified,

you have to write a detailed account of your entire career,

an account that will be checked and re-checked

for even the slightest deception.

If you can keep your facts straight,

you'll be fine.

If you can't, you might not live

through the process.

[Door opens]

- Did you finish your homework?

- Almost done. Just making sure

it's complete.

- Complete is important.

Everything needs to be in there. - Yeah, about that...

Do I mention last night?

- Everything means everything.

I may catch some heat for it,

but the rule is, you kiss, you tell.

- In any infiltration,

becoming comfortable with your target

is a crucial part of getting information.

You want them feeling secure

so that your eventual betrayal

will come as a total surprise.

So you said I was meeting the head of your organization.

- You will.

- Well, are you going to tell me where I'm going,

or when I'm supposed to be there?

- We'll take care of that.

- [Groans]

Of course that assumes

they don't surprise you first.

- Sit down. - Ow.

- Michael Allen Westen, welcome.

My apologies for the travel arrangements.

- Yeah, I would have been willing to come here

without the 50,000 volts running through my body.

- Necessary precaution. You understand?

- I'm trying.

And you are?

- I am the man you've been waiting to meet.

- Do I get a name?

- One day.

Perhaps.

But we're not here to talk about me.

We're here to talk about you.

- Is that really necessary?

Everything you want to know is already in the notes.

- Not everything.

But it is a start.

Shall we begin?

What is your full name? - You already know my name.

Seriously, this is a waste of time.

- We have all the time in the world to get this right.

- I proved what I'm willing to do.

With Burke, with Sonya.

That should count for something.

- You proved your skills.

And that only gets you in this room.

This is where we go deeper than your skills.

This is where you and I together...

We learn if you are the man you say you are.

Now, what is your full name?

- My name is Michael Allen Westen.

An interrogation is all about rhythm

and repetition.

Experienced interrogators will establish the pace

of questioning to establish control.

- But when were you recruited by the central intelligence agency?

- During my deployment in Panama three weeks later,

I was sent to the farm.

- And describe your relationship with Mr. card.

- He betrayed me, so I killed him.

Once they have control,

they can probe for more detailed information,

exactly where you've been and what you've done.

- First time that you worked with Sam axe?

- No, we met during a hostage rescue in Bolivia.

Would you like me to go over the details of that mission?

- No, that's enough for now.

[Siren blaring]

Techniques such as sleep deprivation,

noise irritation, and sensory overload are used

to disorient you, to make it harder to resist questioning.

The Geneva convention doesn't consider these methods

to be torture, but when you're experiencing them,

it sure feels like it.

The idea is that, the more worn out you become,

the more likely you are to make a mistake

your interrogator can pounce on.

- I want to talk to you about Africa.

You were there to negotiate oil interests for the CIA.

What were the names of the warlords

who received payoffs?

- Kwame alaka and chidi buhari.

- Now before you said you negotiated with three.

Now it's just two.

- I negotiated with...

Three.

But the third never received the payoff.

My burn notice interrupted the deal.

[Siren blaring]

But at a certain point, keeping your story straight

is next to impossible when you're also struggling

to maintain your sanity.

[Siren continues blaring]

- Rrah! Rrrah!

- No, the Charlie-Rex did it again.

Hi, uncle Jesse.

- Hey, Maddie. Charl-ay!

Hey, you better watch those raptors, man.

They look a little hungry.

- Did you come by to play dinosaurs?

- No. Not quite. I was hoping you knew

- where Mike was. - Presently, no.

Why don't you try calling him?

- I did. He hasn't hit me back.

I thought he might be here.

So he hasn't called or left any messages

or anything like that?

- No. That's not unusual.

He disappeared for nine months, remember?

- Yeah, you're right. You're right.

He probably just got busy,

forgot to check in.

- Jesse.

What is going on? Is Michael in trouble?

- No. No, it's like you said.

He's not the easiest guy to get a hold of these days.

- You have a terrible poker face.

Don't make me yell at you in front of Charlie.

Just tell me.

- He's been missing since Thursday.

We know he was going to meet with the head

of the organization he's trying to take down,

but then he just dropped off the grid.

- What does that mean, "dropped off the grid?"

What happened?

- That's what we're trying to find out.

Sam and Fi are out looking for him right now.

If he gets in contact with you, call me.

Okay? Please.

- Jesse, if Michael's missing,

just tell me what to do.

- Just stay here, take care of Charlie.

We'll find him.

Be good, Charlie. [Door opening and shutting]

- All right, I checked the storage space,

the emergency spot, no sign of Mike.

Any action at the loft?

- Sonya and friend just showed up

and started dragging things out of there.

- Okay, so first Mike disappears,

then Sonya shows up with a clean car

emptying all of his stuff out.

We gotta do something.

- We're not supposed to do anything

that will jeopardize the op.

We're supposed to just lay low, let this play out.

- Do you know what "lay low" means in CIA speak?

See if somebody dies.

- Look, strong didn't say we couldn't keep an eye on Sonya.

Let's take my car, we'll follow her,

and see if she leads us to Michael.

- All right, fine.

I just hope Mike is in one piece when we find him.

- [Grunts]

Stop!

Just... Stop!

- All right? - Michael, calm down.

We're done with this.

- So this is over?

- The first part, yes.

- [Sighs]

- Set our sights on new horizons.

This is gonna loosen you up.

It's a chemical relative of benzodiazepine...

Mixed with a synthetic hallucinogen.

- Drugs will only make this more complicated.

I'll tell you whatever you want to know.

- Yes, you will.

Trust the process, Michael.

You might be surprised at what we discover.

Give me your hand.

We'll go through this together.

Give me your hand.

I'm not gonna lie to you.

This is gonna hit you pretty hard...

And you're not gonna be able to tell the difference

between what is real and what is not real.

Trick is not to resist.

Just lean into it.

[Voice echoes] We'll reconvene in a few hours.

[Alarm blares]

[Alarm stops]

[Alarm blares]

[Alarm stops]

- Who is it?

Fi?

- Michael.

- How are you here?

- I'm not here.

- Fi, I... I can't take it.

I can't take any more.

- Yes, you can.

Yours isn't the only life on the line.

If you tell them everything... We all die.

- I know.

The drugs are so strong.

I can't take it much more.

- Yes, you can.

- Help me. I need you.

- No... You don't need me.

- I do.

I need you.

- If you tell them everything, we all die.

- Come back.

Come back!

- If you're given psychoactive drugs during an interrogation,

it doesn't automatically make you spill

every secret you've ever had.

Drugs are you used less to make you tell the truth

than to make it hard to lie.

[Pouring water amplified]

[Water stops pouring]

Without a clear head, it's difficult

to make up a story and stick to it.

- Don't fight this, Michael.

Relax, breathe.

Look at me. Look at me.

There you are. Water.

We've learned a lot about you, what you've done.

But for my purposes,

the what is less important than the why.

- It's in there. It's all in there.

- Well, we've gone over it.

You've given me the names, the places, a little history.

But now we need to go much deeper.

We need to find out how you became the man you are today.

- I don't understand.

- Here's what I'm curious about, Michael.

When the CIA recruited you, your test scores were good.

Your field work? Strong enough.

But then when you were operating in eastern Europe,

you elevated your game.

You went from a slightly above average operative

to a living legend.

Now... How does that happen? - I followed orders.

I did what I had to do.

It just happened. - I don't think so.

The CIA would never give the highest priority operations

to the Michael Westen that they recruited.

You evolved into something that they never expected.

Something inside of you, it shifted.

What was it? What do you think it was?

- My training kicked in.

Look at my time in Kiev.

That many high-risk ops in seven months,

you grow stronger or you die.

- Gradual improvements that come with training and experience

had something to do with it, but that is only

the icing on the cake.

[Flames crackle]

What's happening? What are you seeing?

- I don't... I don't know.

I... [Chuckles]

- Michael...

You only need to put yourself there

to find the answers.

[Larry laughing]

- They're talking about me, kid.

I am the answer.

- No, no, no, no, no.

- I'm the only one who ever really believed in you.

I made you.

- That is not true.

- Aww, the hell it isn't. You can't lie to me, kid.

I am in your head.

You know exactly how much time and effort I put into you.

- You didn't do anything. - Oh, please.

Everyone thought you had the heart of a boy scout.

But I saw your true colors.

I discovered that homegrown anger,

the resentment, all that stuff

you kept bottled up inside of you,

and I taught you how to use it.

Oh, you're welcome, by the way.

- You don't know what you're saying.

- Oh, I know exactly what I'm saying.

I was there, kid.

I remember how fast you took to it,

how much you loved it.

- You are not real. Get out of here.

- You show some goddamn respect for the dead!

I'm not asking for a candlelight vigil,

but at least honor my untimely passing by admitting the truth.

You are who I made you!

And that is all I ever wanted, Michael...

For you to accept who you are.

- You're wrong! - Who's wrong?

- Who's there? - I don't know.

I just... [Stammers]

It's the drug. I'm not thinking straight.

- Michael, don't think straight.

Just let whatever floats through your mind

come out unfiltered,

and you focus on the question.

How did you become the CIA's Ace?

- Just tell him.

- [Whispering] Stop it. Stop it.

Stop... - come on.

What's the harm in giving credit where credit is due?

- Stop it! Stop it! It's in the past!

This doesn't matter! - Oh, yes, it does.

It matters to you.

Otherwise we wouldn't be here together.

Now just let it out.

- Just stop!

- What?

Oh, you think he's gonna hate you

if he knows who you really are?

Come on, tell him how much fun we had.

That's what he wants.

Say my name, and I promise you you'll feel better.

Say it, kid.

Say my name!

- Larry!

- Well, isn't that interesting?

There's a Larry Sizemore in your notes...

Listed as a field officer.

But that's all.

Nothing special.

- He was a special... Special kind of monster.

- Well, you worked with plenty of monsters.

What was so special about this one?

- He was dangerous,

and I was afraid.

- What were you afraid of?

- I was afraid I was becoming like him.

And I was afraid I was starting to like it.

- Finally, we're making progress.

- I don't see her, Sam.

- I'm telling you, Fi, she pulled in here.

- Well, we should get moving.

The longer we wait, the further she'll...

- hey, right there. Bingo!

- What the hell is she doing? - She's gonna burn Mike's stuff.

There's an incinerator in there.

Fi, we can't lose her again. We got to stay closer.

- I have some skip tracing equipment in the trunk.

- If we plant something in her car...

- no, Fi, you know, how thorough she is.

If she sweeps her car for trackers

and finds something, this is over.

- Who said anything about trackers?

I have an infrared strobe we can use.

- Well, it's a great idea, but that means you got to get

access to the car, a decent power source.

- Have a little faith, Sam.

How am I looking? - Pretty good for now,

but keep moving.

They're gonna run out of stuff to burn pretty soon.

And where the hell did you get an I.R. Strobe, anyway?

Isn't that a military toy?

- I'm a one-woman army.

Strobe's in place.

- Okay.

All right.

Rudolph might be out of a job. It's shining bright.

Fi, you got company. Get out of there now.

- One more bolt. - Fi, I'm tellin' you,

you got, like, ten seconds and then

they're gonna be close enough to help you finish.

[Car engine starting]

All right, Fi, get back here. We gotta move.

- So I looked into your friend, Larry.

Must say that the files I pulled on your ops together

were... Very, very intriguing.

Here's what we need, Michael...

We need to understand who he was to you.

- What do you want to know?

- Why did you and Larry stop working together?

- [Sniffles] I already told you.

- Well, you can't deny that you were a powerful team,

and the CIA wouldn't let you split up without good reason.

- I was needed in the middle east,

so that's where I went.

- Talk to me about vedeno, November, '95.

What happened there?

You and Larry were never on record working together again

after that op. Talk me about that.

- Recon mission. - Recon?

Then why were you sent home

six months before your posting was finished?

- I made a tactical mistake.

- What'd that mistake look like?

- We trusted a local military commander,

but he betrayed us.

- Oh, so you got played by an asset.

Ops have gone bad on you before.

What makes this one so unique?

Michael.

Michael?

[Snaps fingers] Michael!

Pay attention!

You and Larry, betrayed by your contact,

then what?

- We had to find him.

The Intel he had could expose everyone.

- That bastard.

He couldn't have gotten far.

Let's move.

We tracked him down. Standard op.

Locate, corner, neutralize.

- Now you're just parroting orders.

What did you and Larry do?

- Ah, kid, it happened.

You know, you can deny it all you want,

but nothing is gonna change the facts.

Why don't you want to talk about it?

Hey, you know, these... These were our glory days.

This was beautiful.

This was something to be proud of.

- Get out of my head, Larry.

I'm not listening to you anymore.

- [Laughs]

- [Coughs]

- Ah, don't look at me like that.

These... Are not innocents.

They were hiding an enemy. Our enemy!

- That wasn't how it was supposed to happen!

- What happened? What happened, tell me.

- We interrogated the villagers.

They had helped him escape.

They were just farmers.

Didn't take long to figure out where they had hid him.

He had barricaded himself inside of a factory.

- He doesn't want tactical details.

He's not gonna stop until you give him what's inside!

- It was too risky to breach and extract,

so we neutralized the situation.

- Damn it! Again, with "neutralize"!

For the love of god, use real words!

The man was hiding like a coward!

Was it worth risking our lives to silence him?

Hell, no! So tell him how you solved it.

Tell him what you did.

- I blew it up. I blew up the building.

- That what's bothering you, is that you blew up a building.

There is more to it than that.

You're safe here, you can tell me.

- Go on. Come on.

Tell him why you ran away from me.

- I didn't know there were people in there.

- Stop right there. You knew.

- I couldn't see inside! - Are you kidding me?

You could have looked through the window.

You could have counted cars in the lot!

But you didn't!

No, you want to try and play the boy scout and tell yourself,

"oh, it was an accident," but I know better,

'cause I saw the look in your eye,

that killer instinct. You knew they were there!

- I didn't care!

I lost control, I was angry.

My friends... my friends were gonna die.

I didn't care what it took or who stood in my way,

I was gonna make sure that son of a bitch was dead.

I let my feelings blind me.

I never wanted that to happen again.

- [Chuckles]

And that is why...

You always get the job done without collateral damage.

- The people... In the factory,

sometimes, I hear them scream.

- They never stop.

They can get quieter, but they never stop.

Michael, I want you to understand,

what you've done here today, it's very important,

because I can't protect you unless I know

what's driving you.

You share your burden...

I will help you carry it.

Now, you get some rest because it is clear to me

there are more demons inside of you,

and I will do whatever it takes to dig them out.

- A spy is trained

to deal with a wide range of external threats...

Combat, pursuit, capture, interrogation, even torture.

Training is designed to expose you

to as many situations as possible

so that when you encounter them in the real world, you're ready.

There are situations, though, you simply can't prepare for.

No amount of experience or training can help you

when the threat comes from inside your own mind.

[Glass breaking]

- Frank, stop it, you're drunk. Just calm down!

- Nate, go next door, now. [Glass breaking]

- He'll hurt you.

- No, he won't. I'll be fine.

- No. - Go.

- [Grunts] Get outta my way, bitch!

[Slaps] Ugh!

- You still have eyes on Sonya? - I sure do.

She just took a right on 5th.

Traffic is light on 4th.

Take a right here, we'll pick her up again.

- Damn it, red light.

- What, is that a problem?

- No, more of a warning.

- Oh! Oh, Fi, what the hell?

[Car horn honking]

Jesus, Fi!

[Tires screeching]

[Car horn honking]

- You see her?

We should be going parallel to her now.

- Nothing yet. It'd be a lot easier

if you weren't driving like Mario Andretti.

- What are you talking about?

Mario Andretti never had a car like this.

[Tires screeching]

- There she is, go left.

[Tires screeching]

Okay.

I think my liver's in my throat, but... Good job, Fi.

- What's on the other side of that gate?

- Looks like a road that leads to a private island.

- I don't know if we can stay with Sonya.

Those guards could tip her off if we try to get by.

- All right, well, how about this? Look...

See how the island juts out to the harbor?

I think our best view of the place is from the water.

- You're proposing we swim? - No, we don't have to get wet.

Elsa owns a speedboat.

It's docked on the other side of the bay.

Maybe Jesse can come and pick us up.

I'll just call Elsa and set it up.

- Fine, but hurry.

I don't like the thought of Michael in there alone.

- Relax.

Breathe.

- [Inhales]

There.

One of the reasons you are here is because

your career is marked with an extraordinary degree...

Of loyalty.

Loyalty... To the agency.

Loyalty to your fellow operatives.

Loyalty to your friends.

That is a good thing...

But it's also a problem.

Old loyalties die hard.

And I need to know that you've left yours behind.

- They are. I'm all alone.

- That's an easy thing to say.

'Cause I know how hard it can be

to cut ties.

Especially when you've been in the game

as long as you have.

- Look at the work I've done with Sonya and Burke.

I've been loyal to you.

- You were useful to us.

I'm grateful for that.

But when Burke found you,

you needed something.

Something to hold on to.

We gave you that.

Loyalty and need... they're not the same thing.

You don't know our cause.

You can't blindly dedicate yourself to something

that quickly.

Not yet, anyway.

Michael...

If you're a part of something else...

Then you need to tell me.

- Michael!

Michael! Where the hell are you?

Michael.

- Michael?

I know it's hard.

Just trust me.

It is better for both of us if you just tell me now.

- Michael!

[Clatter]

Michael!

Damn it, look at me when I am talking to you, son!

- Dad?

You can't be here.

- Why? 'Cause I'm dead?

You can't get rid of me that easily, Michael.

- Michael!

You're holding on to something.

What is it?

- It's just me. It's... it's...

It's over.

I don't... - tell him.

Go on, tell him what you care about the most.

It sure as hell ain't your family!

You never gave a damn about me

or your mother or Nate.

So what is it, Michael?

Come on, I want to hear you say it out loud!

- I am not doing this.

- You're not doing what?

What are you resisting?

- You dedicated your entire life to that agency.

Okay? That goddamn agency!

And now it is time to come clean!

- No!

- You might not like me, but you will...

Hey! You will listen to your father!

[Scoffs] You wanna play tough with me now?

'Cause I don't mind pounding the truth out of you.

- Ohh!

- You left home for the CIA. - Uhh!

- You lost Fiona for the CIA.

And you got your own brother killed for the CIA.

And now you're sure as hell gonna give them credit for it!

- Stop! - So tell them, Michael!

You tell him! - Don't do this! Stop!

- This all stops when you start talking.

- Uhh!

[Gasping]

Ohh. [Sighs]

[Running footsteps]

[Grunts] [Running footsteps approach]

- What did you tell him?

Michael, what did you tell him?

- What? - Before you passed out.

Before they threw you in here. You said something.

What did you tell him?

- I don't know.

I don't remember.

- Whatever it is, it's bad.

He knows, Michael.

- [Groans] - He knows you betrayed us.

He's going to kill you.

We have to go.

- We have to keep moving.

It won't be long before somebody

realizes that you're missing.

- I can't walk. I can't make it.

- You can and you will.

[Door shuts]

Otherwise, we're both dead.

[Indistinct voices]

- Why are you risking your life for me?

- Because you risked your life to get me out of that prison.

I owe you.

And I pay my debts.

Come on.

Come on, Weston, one foot in front of the other.

- Okay, wait a minute.

Hang on, I got something right there.

Mike and Sonya.

[Man shouting in distance]

- We have to move faster.

Come on.

- Now we know what they're running from.

I count six armed guards coming in on them.

What are you doing? - What do you think I'm doing?

I'm backing them up.

- Sam, we're too far away.

- What the hell else are we supposed to do?

I've made harder shots.

- Is that it?

You've got nothing else to say to your father?

- No, sir.

- What's that? Speak up. I can't hear you.

- No, sir!

- What did you tell him?

- I didn't tell him anything.

[Whispering] I never tell him anything.

- Michael, come on. Move your feet!

Let's go. Come on.

- I'm not leaving. - What are you talking about?

You need to help me with the boat...

- I have to go back.

- You can't go back. He'll kill you.

Michael, please, you're not thinking...

- Sonya, listen to me.

I'm sorry.

- I'm sorry. - Michael.

Michael!

- What the hell is he doing?

- Looks like he's giving up. Why would he do that?

- Because he doesn't know that we're here to help him,

that's why.

- Stop right there. On your knees.

- [Panting]

- Sam, don't.

- Fi, let go of my arm.

- It's too late.

They've got him.

- Don't touch me!

- Uhh!

[Groans]

- Oh, Michael.

I didn't want to do this.

You are an impressive operative.

[Cartridge snaps] You lied to me.

You betrayed me.

- You won't pull that trigger.

- Why?

- Because I'm here.

I have no reason to run.

And I have nothing to hide.

- Wish I could believe you.

- Oh, you can.

You can question me,

drug me, torture me.

It won't matter.

Because I know who I am.

- A man who has no secrets

can trust himself.

I'm glad you're that kind of man.

- I told you.

This one's a keeper.

- Michael...

I'm James.

Welcome to the family.

- Hey, so how's Mike doing?

Is he still sleeping it off?

- Madeline's been taking care of him,

but he's pretty out of it. - He say anything else?

- His brain's still scrambled from the drugs

in his system.

Fi tried talking to him, he took one look at her...

Started crying. Couldn't stop.

You find anything?

- Kind of.

I went to the house where Mike was held.

Well, see for yourself.

- What am I looking at?

- The house is gone.

- Gone? - What?

- They must have demolished it

the minute they dumped Mike on the docks.

- This James dude leveled a $10 million mansion

just to cover his tracks?

- That's what I think.

- What the hell has Michael gotten himself into?

- Hi.

- [Groans]

- Hi, baby.

Charlie's so excited his uncle Mike is staying over.

I couldn't get him to sleep in his own bed,

so he wanted to stay here with you until you woke up.

How you feeling?

- I've had better days.

- I've seen you look rough before, Michael...

But nothing like this.

What did they do to you?

- They tried to get inside my head.

They wanted me to tell them everything.

- You held out?

- Barely.

They gave me drugs.

I saw things.

I remembered moments,

people...

- Is that why you look so lost?

- I saw dad.

- I can imagine how hard that must have been.

- Seeing him wasn't the hard part, ma.

It was realizing...

He was the only reason I survived.