"Mind Games" is the best episode this season, with a good A-plot for once and some new, interesting material regarding Michael's mental state. The case this week is pretty normal, Michael and the crew taking on a bad guy terrorizing a woman Nate knows. In classic Burn Notice fashion (something we've been missing), Michael brings out a squeaky, unstable accent that greatly enhances the episode. There is a cool twist when the guy Michael wants to frame as a cop actually turns out to be an FBI agent, undermining the plan and, to an extent, Michael's psyche.
At the same time, Michael is having trouble adjusting to normal life, being paranoid all the time and unable to put aside his past. Despite Fiona's pushing, Michael continuously pries into his past, believing there is something more to find. Given his experiences in the recent years and his work with the CIA to hunt down a dense network of spies, it's hard to blame him for anything.
While there is a sense that these issues Michael has are psychological, that he needs only to overcome a mental barrier in order to move ahead in life, we have remember that this is Burn Notice, a show which maintained the overarching plot through a string of characters for four complete seasons. I won't surprised when Michael actually stumbles on something concrete, opening the door to yet more inquiry into the conspiracy.
It seems like the writers are going through the list of people to bring cases to Michael in Miami. Last week it was Jesse, this week it is Nate, and from the promo, the CIA will bring the case to Michael. Will the season continue like this?
Score: 9.0/10
