The BEST episodes of Burn Notice season 5

Every episode of Burn Notice season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Burn Notice season 5!

Covert intelligence operative Michael Westen has been punched, kicked, choked and shot. And now he's received a "burn notice", blacklisting him from the intelligence community and compromising his very identity. He must track down a faceless nemesis without getting himself killed while doubling as a private investigator on the dangerous streets of Miami in order to survive.

Last Updated: 9/9/2024Network: USA NetworkStatus: Ended
Fail Safe
star
7.89
1941 votes

#1 - Fail Safe

Season 5 - Episode 18 - Aired 12/15/2011

As the team reaches a breaking point with Anson and his sinister plans, Pearce puts Michael in charge of his biggest CIA mission yet.

Directors: Renny Harlin
Writer: Matt Nix
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Enemy of My Enemy
star
7.85
2083 votes

#2 - Enemy of My Enemy

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/28/2011

The CIA abandons Sam after he goes undercover with a heroin dealer while trying to recover a weapon. Meanwhile, Pearce continues searching for Max's killer.

Directors: Jonathan Frakes
Writer: Jason Tracey
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dead to Rights
star
7.83
2231 votes

#3 - Dead to Rights

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 9/8/2011

With convincing from Sam and Jesse, Pearce begrudgingly lets Michael take drastic measures attempting to clear himself of Max's murder. Meanwhile, Larry returns, having kidnapped a government psychiatrist, and insists that Michael help him with a job.

Directors: Matt Nix
Writer: Jason Tracey
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Acceptable Loss
star
7.76
1871 votes

#4 - Acceptable Loss

Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 12/8/2011

A friend of Jesse asks the team to help take out his boss, who has been smuggling blood diamonds into the country with the help of diplomatic immunity. Michael asks Pearce for help transferring a prisoner who may be able to provide him with information on Anson.

Directors: Jonathan Frakes
Writer: Ben Watkins
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Better Halves
star
7.74
2214 votes

#5 - Better Halves

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 9/1/2011

Michael and Fiona pose as a wealthy couple at a South American resort in order to extract a bioweapons specialist. Elsewhere, Sam and Jesse try to trap Max's killer.

Directors: Michael Smith
Writer: Lisa Joy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Bloodlines
star
7.74
2312 votes

#6 - Bloodlines

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/30/2011

Michael has to balance his new agency duties and helping a woman recover her cousin, who is one of many being trafficked into the U.S. by the Yakuza. Against Michael's wishes, Madeline becomes a critical component of the plan to find the girls.

Directors: Colin Bucksey
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Besieged
star
7.71
2031 votes

#7 - Besieged

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/4/2011

Michael and Sam try to retrieve a boy from an armed compound. Fiona and Jesse babysit a day laborer.

Directors: Stephen Surjik
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
No Good Deed
star
7.66
2243 votes

#8 - No Good Deed

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/14/2011

The team searches for a super-computer to clear Barry's brother of a server heist.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Mind Games
star
7.66
2121 votes

#9 - Mind Games

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/7/2011

Nate returns to Miami to seek Michael's help to go after a loan shark who's harassing a widow. The guys soon discover that the loan shark is not all that he seems, however.

Directors: Scott Peters
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Damned If You Do
star
7.66
2026 votes

#10 - Damned If You Do

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/3/2011

Michael and Fiona plan to abduct a hacker in Puerto Rico in order to obtain his software, but the man has several other enemies to contend with. Elsewhere, Madeline learns to retrieve information from the police under the tutelage of Sam and Jesse.

Directors: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Matt Nix
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Necessary Evil
star
7.65
1801 votes

#11 - Necessary Evil

Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 11/17/2011

Michael leads a rescue mission for a scientist abducted by an African warlord, while Sam and Jesse get in trouble during an undercover mission. Meanwhile, Madeline discovers that someone close to her is keeping secrets.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Square One
star
7.64
2263 votes

#12 - Square One

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/21/2011

Michael plays a key role in a CIA murder investigation. Meanwhile, the team helps a client who reminds them of Michael — a former army sniper who wants revenge on the men who put his sister on the hospital.

Directors: Marc Roskin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Hard Out
star
7.61
2055 votes

#13 - Hard Out

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/11/2011

Michael and Jesse go on an extraction mission on a Caribbean island but end up trapped there by mercenaries. Meanwhile, Fiona tries to get information out of an ex by doing a favor for him.

Directors: Craig Siebels
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Depth Perception
star
7.59
2058 votes

#14 - Depth Perception

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 12/1/2011

Sam reunites with Beatriz after an attempt is made on her life by a Russian spy, and Michael is forced to trust Anson in order to save her. Jesse and Fiona must travel to the Cayman Islands to track down a banker in order to obtain financial information for Anson.

Directors: Craig Siebels
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Breaking Point
star
7.56
2107 votes

#15 - Breaking Point

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 11/10/2011

When gang warfare claims the life of one of Michael's childhood friends, he teams up with the victim's brother to entrap the gang in a weapons scheme.

Directors: Renny Harlin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Eye for an Eye
star
7.54
2246 votes

#16 - Eye for an Eye

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/18/2011

Fiona and Jesse work together for a pharmaceuticals magnate, but soon realize that he is hiding something. Meanwhile, Michael and Sam take on a bomb-maker involved in Max's death.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Army of One
star
7.54
2219 votes

#17 - Army of One

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/25/2011

Michael goes undercover with a group of hijackers in order to assist Jesse with a security job, but he changes the plan when the hijackers take hostages at the airport. Madeline assists Michael by organizing the hostages and trying to lead them to safety.

Directors: Tawnia McKiernan
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Company Man
star
7.54
2478 votes

#18 - Company Man

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/23/2011

Michael works with his old agency to go after the people who burned him in a case that leads the group to Venezuela.

Directors: Stephen Surjik
Writer: Matt Nix
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV