Burn Notice/Quotes
Michael Westen (Narrator)
"Sometimes the truth hurts. In these situations, I recommend lying."
—"Pilot"
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"Spend a few years as a covert operative and a sunny beach just looks like a vulnerable tactical position with no decent cover... I've never found a good way to hide a gun in a bathing suit."
—"Pilot"
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"A hitman is like a plumber, a dentist or a mechanic. Everybody is always looking for a good one."
—"Identity"
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"I don't like running from cops, but it has its advantages: it builds your credibility with a criminal when you flee a crime scene."
—"Identity"
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"You can't choose your intelligence sources. Might be a heroin smuggler, a dictator... or your mom."
—"Identity"
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"There's a reason spies don't have a lot of parties. Everybody's got a history with everyone else"
—"Identity"
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"Basic rule of bodyguarding, never fight with the protectee around, mostly because if they catch a stray bullet, you're out of the job."
—"Fight or Flight"
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"Asking my mom for anything is a lot like getting a favour from a Russian mob boss. He'll give you what you want with a smile, but believe me, you'll pay for it."
—"Fight or Flight"
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"As a rule, spies don't like dealing with cops. Covert ops are illegal by definition. If they were legal they wouldn't need to be covert."
—"Unpaid Debts"
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"Being a spy, you have to get comfortable with the idea of people doing bad things for good reasons; doing good things for bad reasons. You do the best you can."
—"Broken Rules"
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"Explaining the rules of covert ops is always a challenge. It's a world where good guys look like bad guys, and two wrongs do, in fact, make a right."
—"Broken Rules"
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"Piss off a criminal organization and you could end up dead... But, if they don't kill you, they've got plans for you."
—"Broken Rules"
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"There's no substitute for improvisation. Even the best plans can't anticipate everything. You'd better be able to roll with the punches."
—"Broken Rules"
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"One of the dangers of any kind of psychological warfare, is it can be too effective, and send the target into a paranoid tail-spin. That paranoia can be useful... or deadly."
—"Wanted Man"
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"A good cover identity is a team effort. If you want to meet someone, it's a good idea to play a little hard to get. Put people between yourself and the target. Make them come to you"
—"Wanted Man"
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"Just because someone believes you are who you say you are, doesn't mean he'll do what you want him to do."
—"Wanted Man"
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"Running a double agent is a relationship; there's a give and take. Mostly take, but sometimes you have to give."
—"Hard Bargain"
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"There's no way to anticipate every danger; you need a backup plan for when things go wrong. That's why home-court advantage is so important."
—"Hard Bargain"
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"Remove the trigger bar spring from a SIG-Sauer P228, and you've got a 9mm semi-automatic door stop."
—"False Flag"
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"Corporations need spies just like governments do. Of course they're not called spies, they're called security consultants. They are basically mercenaries with nice suits."
—"False Flag"
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"It's impossible to stop a a good assassin from finding an opening, and taking the shot. The best you can do is to control where the best opening is, and sometimes, that's enough."
—"False Flag"
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"A basic rule of covert ops, is let someone else do your dirty work. Let someone else find the guy you want to kill. It's a great technique, as long as you're not - the someone else."
—"False Flag"
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"Facts are the hallmark of a good false identity. It's harder to create history, than it is to alter it. Plus, the more truth to your lie, the easier it is to remember."
—"False Flag"
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"Shoot a propane tank and you'll just get a big cloud of cold gas. You need an open flame, and real good aim."
—"False Flag"
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"A good spy knows when to run, and when to surrender. Sometimes it's best to remember that it's a lot easier to dodge questions than it is to dodge bullets."
—Season 3 Opening
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"You usually don't want emotions mixing with your cover I Ds. Spies who stay dispassionate stay alive. But sometimes, emotions can only help your cover. If, for example, you need to establish yourself quickly as an angry client, it helps to punch the guy. So much the better if he's making you mad."
—"A Shot In The Dark"
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Michael Westen (Character)
Madeleine: Oh don't give me that! You don't have to run around blowing things up! You were offered a job and you dragged me into it. —"A Dark Road"
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Sam Axe
"Hey gang! We've got firearms, and we've got snacks."
—"Shot in the Dark"
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"Mixing romance and work is a bad idea. I mean Veronica, just the other day, she asked me if bullets came in different sizes. Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever heard?"
—"Wanted Man"
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Fiona Glenanne
"Shall we shoot them?"
—Opening, Seasons 1+
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"Well, 'insane' is one of our specialties."
—"Blind Spot"
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Dialog
Mike: Revenge is a waste of time. —"Hot Spot"
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