Burn Notice/Characters: Difference between revisions

** Michael almost mentions this trope by name when, after Sam asks him what the plan is, replies with a hasty "I'm making this up as I go."

** Sam [[Lampshades]] it again in "Blind Spot" with the client, who doesn't think much of their plan: ''"We pretty much make it up as we go along."''

* [[Keep the Reward]]: Michael sure does refuse payment a ''lot,'' though he usually ends up keeping enough to cover expenses. A maddeningly frequent plot formula is "Michael grudgingly accepts a job because he needs the money. Michael does the job. Michael refuses to take any money."

* [[The Kirk]]: Michael is [[The Captain]] of the show's [[Power Trio]], with Sam and Fiona rotating between the roles of [[The Spock]] and [[The McCoy]].

* [[Omniglot]]: Subverted. Michael is fluent in Arabic, Russian, Persian, and Czech, has recently learned French and German, and even speaks a bit of Urdu. However, even though he grew up in Miami, he doesn't speak a lick of Spanish.

{{quote| '''Michael''': En Inglés, por fa... please!}}

* [[Fake Nationality]]: Fiona is a rare ''triple'' [[Fake Nationality]]: her actress is British, but the character is [[Fake Irish|Irish]], faking an American accent. In one episode, the character faked a British accent, but it ''still'' wasn't Gabrielle Anwar's actual accent.

* [[Fighting Irish]]: Fi is quick to recommend that any problem be solved by charging in with [[More Dakka|guns]] and [[Stuff Blowing Up|bombs]] blazing, especially when it involves [[Berserk Button|children being endangered]]. Her suggestions usually get shot down in favor of something less conspicuous, but when the firepower's needed Fi is always ready to provide.

* [[Mad Bomber]]: Because everyone knows the Irish are good at two things: making bombs and hitting people!

* [[The McCoy]]

* [[Modern Minstrelsy]]: Has been accused of this. And she certainly does fulfill a great many Irish stereotypes.

** In a few episodes, her accent rears its head again, mainly when she's extremely concerned about Michael. Presumably, Fiona is distracted and forgetting her American accent.

* [[Oireland]]: Casually violent, anti-authoritarian, IRA connection, [[Fake Irish|played by a British actor]]... it's like they were ticking off a list.

* [[Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other]] / [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: With Fiona, though it takes a while.

* [[Badass]]

* [[Berserk Button]]: Hurting children, along with the rest of Team Westen.

** To an extent, Sam also has a thing about serious betrayals of friendship or messing with his friends. He will stand by and help his friends even if it means getting into trouble himself. For him, a friend in need is his highest priority and he'll try very hard not to screw over his friends. There are many examples, subtle and otherwise, but it's a large part of "Breach of Faith" and "Dead or Alive".

* [[Reckless Sidekick]]

* [[Red Oni]]: To Michael when they work together.

* [[Unwitting Pawn]]: Occasionally, particularly in "End Run".

 

* [[Fire-Forged Friends]]: After the events of Bad Breaks, he actually helps Michael and they part amicably

* [[Foreshadowing]]: When Michael tries to tell him he didn't really deserve to be burned, Bly momentarily loses his cool and tells Michael he [[Karma Houdini|should be in jail]]. Later we find out what the government thinks Michael did. [[Complete Monster|Bly was really understating the case.]]

* [[Obstructive Bureaucrat]]: He isn't one himself, but he ''really'' knows how to make use of them, seeking to inflict "a slow death, drowning in red tape" on Michael.

* [[Out-Gambitted]]: A bunch of things he thought were going well for him turned out to be Michael setting him up to look corrupt.

* [[Punch Clock Villain]]

* [[Smug Snake]]: When he has (or thinks he has) the upper hand on Michael.

 

* [[Ax Crazy]]: "Careful. The last person to make fun of my shirt had to fish pieces of his tongue out of a garbage disposal."

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: When he's not being [[Laughing Mad]].

* {{spoiler|[[Defeat Means Friendship]]}}

* {{spoiler|[[Dies Wide Open]]}}

* [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking]]: Not only is he a violent nutcase for hire, but he'll also raid Michael's fridge and eat his yogurt without asking. [[You Bastard]].

* [[Ax Crazy]]: As Michael puts it, "If I let him out of my sight, that's when he starts killing everyone."

* [[Big Bad Duumvirate]]: With Brennen in "Out of the Fire."

* [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder]]

* [[Friendly Enemy]]: At least until his appearance in the fifth season summer finale. Apparently, spending time in an Albanian prison made him just a little bit '''upset''' with Michael.

* [[In-Series Nickname]]: "Dead Larry"

* [[Karma Houdini]]: Despite killing more people per episode than some [[Myth Arc]] villains do in a whole season, he wasn't caught until his third appearance (and even then, it was left ambiguous).

* [[Knife Nut]]

* [[Laughably Evil]]

* [[Nietzsche Wannabe]]: He justifies killing people for money on the basis that people die anyway, and he all but calls himself an [[Ubermensch]] while talking to Michael in "Enemies Closer."

* [[No One Could Survive That]]: His fate as of mid-Season 5. Though, since "surviving that" is how he got his nickname, he's probably still not dead.

* [[Not So Different]]: He and Michael ''did'' run a lot of missions together, doing a lot of the same things...

* [[Professional Killer]]: Definitely an assassin.

* [[Arms Dealer]]

* {{spoiler|[[Asshole Victim]]: Possibly the only one of Larry's kills the audience can cheer.}}

* [[Big Bad Duumvirate]]: With Larry in "Out of the Fire."

* [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]]: [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] repeatedly by Michael.

* [[Abusive Parent]]

* [[Doom It Yourself]]: By all rights a terrible mechanic. Didn't fare much better as an electrician.

* [[Jerkass]]

* {{spoiler|[[Make It Look Like an Accident]]}}

* [[Posthumous Character]]