Burn Notice (TV Series)

The Hunter (2009)

Jeffrey Donovan: Michael Westen

Photos 

Quotes 

• [first lines] 

  Michael Westen : [narration - Fi attacking bag that he is holding]  There *are* advantages to training with someone you're close to. Knowing each other's moods makes training more effective. Being involved in each other's personal lives

  [takes a kick to the head] 

  Michael Westen : Can also make training a lot more painful.

  Fiona Glenanne : Oops.

• Michael Westen : [narration]  Meeting a new operative is a lot like going on a blind date. You're bound to be nervous the first couple of times you do it. But live through a few, and you get to be an expert. You should arrive early, prepare an exit strategy, and know you could be in for an ugly surprise.

• Michael Westen : [narration]  A flashbang grenade temporarily impairs hearing and vision. It makes fighting back or attempting escape futile, and dangerous to civilians. So if you have to shoot blind, it's better to use a camera than a gun.

  [photographs the bad guy with his cell phone] 

• Michael Westen : [narration]  In a hostage situation, the same things that get you killed will extend your life.

• Michael Westen : [narration]  After the adrenaline rush of an operation, comes a crash. Heightened reflexes and awareness don't last. Two boring hours of driving later, even the sharpest killing machine lets down his guard down.

• Michael Westen : [narration]  Military units are a lot like marching bands. Take out the guy conducting the operation, and you'll throw everyone out of sync. Pretty soon all you have left is sound and fury.

• Michael Westen : [narration]  When fighting in the wilderness, the biggest threats are often the ones you don't see: dehydration, exhaustion, and nerves.

• Michael Westen : [narration]  In battle not even the best laid plans can survive contact with the enemy. If you want to survive, you have to be willing to improvise.

• Michael Westen : [narration]  For a spy, there's no shame in retreat. When faced with a more powerful enemy you're trained to get out of the way and keep moving. It's not about running away or giving up. The goal of any retreat is to find the right place to marshal your resources and make a stand. Military history is filled with stories of small forces taking on larger ones. Whether it's David fighting Goliath or the French Resistance fighting the Nazis, the strategy is basically the same. You have to choose the right ground, deploy your resources carefully, and remember that the greatest weapon in any battle is surprise.

• Michael Westen : You hung your curtains by yourself?

  Madeline Westen : Actually no, some *very* nice people came over and did it. They were sent over by your friend Strickler.

  Michael Westen : [sarcastically]  Wonderful.

  Madeline Westen : Try not to wrinkle them when you're sweeping them for bugs.

• Michael Westen : When on the run, subtle things like broken branches, flattened grass, and disturbed ground can give you away to an expert tracker.

  [kicking branches and dropping clothing] 

  Michael Westen : An Inexperienced tracker requires a more obvious trail.

• Michael Westen : Give me your shoelaces.

  John Beck : [pointing gun at Michael's head:]  You know, maybe it's time we listen to the guy with the gun for a while!

  Michael Westen : Fine.

  [snatches gun] 

  Michael Westen : Now: give me your shoelaces.

• Michael Westen : [holding Chechik at knifepoint]  You should stick to hunting things that don't fight back.