TVSquad

(S03E03) It seems as though everyone wants to be Michael's boss. Everyone but the CIA or the NSA or some other international spy agency, including whatever organization burned him in the first place. But characters like Carla last season or the rogue Management group at the start of this season, as well as Brennen, tonight's guest handler, they're all for Michael.

Seth Peterson was back as Nate, Michael's brother with a propensity for great-rich-quick schemes and getting into trouble. This time, though, he was a pawn in Brennen's game to get Michael to do his bidding.

Jay Karnes -- formerly Dutch on The Shield -- returned as Brennen. It was fun watching Brennen pulling the strings and making Michael "fetch." It was even better to see how Michael was able to turn the tables on Brennen as the story unfolded. And it was done in a completely intuitive way, with Mike using intel that he gathered from observing Brennen up close. Taking a risk, guessing that Bellanna was his daughter, Annabelle, was another example of Michael's gamesmanship. In the chess match with Brennen, Michael won, which was a good thing because losing would have meant that Nate and Michael were probably going to turn up in the morgue.

Another former guest star was back, Paul Tei as Barry, Michael's favorite money launderer. He's running a hair salon now, on the side. Too bad they didn't show his product party with Madeline.

Burn Notice never fails to dazzle us with the cool MacGyver tricks -- whether they're real or not, they look cool. The "cantenna" made up of a Pringles-like canister and a wire hanger was that hacked into Brennen's phone qualified as this week's top dazzler.

When it comes to making do with what's at hand, Michael is a magician. In this show, he made do with a tire iron -- the ultimate all-purpose tool, according to Mr. Westen. The way he wielded it, a tire iron was capable of doing just about everything, including breaking into a car, getting into the steering column to expose the ignition wires, knock out a garage security system, and – of course -- subdue guards.

Moon Bloodgood (what a name!) has yet to really impress as the Miami cop who's out for Mike, Detective Paxson. She rattled Michael's cage by putting Nate through a five-hour interrogation. After Fi and Sam's skimming managed to get the Mayor's office to suspend her partner, she was not a happy camper. Judging by the previews for next week, she'll be focusing her energies even more in her quest to get something on Mike.

Other points of interest
-- Does Fi have any C-4? What a question. That's like asking if I have Tic-Tacs in my purse. When doesn't Fi have some explosives on hand!

-- Among Sam's many talents, he can tell that someone has been somewhere recently by the temperature of the beer bottle.

-- Nate might be sticking around, but based on the trouble he gets into just be being Michael's brother, you could understand why he might choose to return to Las Vegas.