Madeline Westen quotes from Burn Notice

Madeline

So what you're saying is, Michael's missing his own birthday party?!

Fiona

He's busy!

Madeline

Busy. Busy being shot at or busy getting blown up?! Doesn't he ever take a day off? ...I mean, you know, a little consideration is all I'm asking! I'm making an effort, so should he!

Fiona

He seems to be making progress.

Madeline

Don't fool yourself, honey. Loving Michael is always trench warfare.

Madeline

Sam, let me remind you you're sleeping in my guestroom. All right, you call me or God as my witness I will smother you in your sleep.

Sam

All right, all right! We'll call!

Look at the file! You saw it already! Everything's there! It's documented!

Madeline

And these are all lies!

I saw it with my own eyes! I saw your son attack a police officer, Mrs. Westen! He nearly killed a man! Your son shot at me! He tried to kill me! You live in a fantasy world, lady! You have no idea who your son really is!

Madeline

I know this: if Michael wanted to kill you, you'd be dead. I know exactly who my son is!

Are you going to pay for your son's mistakes?

Madeline

He paid for mine...

Madeline

Hello there, Michael.

Michael

Hey, Ma.

Madeline

To what do I owe the pleasure?

Michael

Well, I thought we should talk. I know that, uh, it wasn't easy while I was away.

Madeline

Having you gone is something I've gotten used to. You know what was hard? Having an FBI agent in my house telling me that you're a monster. I still don't know what's going on.

Michael

I was chasing a man named Simon. He started off, years ago, as someone who did what I did. Something happened, he changed and he hurt people and a lot of things he did got blamed on me.

Madeline

Now, how is that possible, Michael? If you weren't there?

Michael

I spent my entire career officially being nowhere. So it's not hard to pin things on someone whose job is to never have an alibi.

Madeline

Well, there other things that he said, you blew up a bridge? You shot at police? You didn't do that?

Michael

Yeah, I did. I had to get Simon. He was going to hurt more people if I didn't stop him. So, I broke the law. I worked with bad people. I did it because I had to.

Madeline

That's it? It's as simple as that?

Michael

[starting to tear up] I don't know... [pause] He laughed... When I caught Simon, he laughed. He said it was just a matter of time before I was just like him.

Madeline

[hugging Michael] He's wrong, honey. That isn't the son I raised.

Fiona

You smoked an entire pack in an hour. You have any idea how bad that is for you?

Madeline

It's probably better for my health than waiting around for some burned spy with a grudge.

Michael

[referring to Vaughn] His organization has never faced this kind of exposure before. I imagine he'll marshal all of his forces and send them this way.

Sam

So, the gates of hell will open...

Jesse

The apocalypse will be upon us...

Fiona

And everyone we know and love will be in danger of becoming very dead.

Madeline

So what else is new?

Michael

We're going on a boat ride with this guy? I thought it was just lunch.

Madeline

This guy's name is Ben. And it's not just any boat. It's the new glass-bottom boat that they're running out of Coconut Grove.

Fiona

Go easy on him, Madeline. He still doesn't know that some couples do things besides fight multinational conspiracies.

Madeline

It was my choice not to leave Frank. And that choice made Michael strong and capable, while it left poor Nate just... How did two brothers turn out so different?

Imagine that you're holding on to two bottles, and they drop on the floor. What happens? They both break. But it's how they break that's important. Because you see, while one bottle crumples into a pile of glass, the other shatters into a jagged-edged weapon. You see, the exact same environment that forged older brother into a warrior, crushed baby brother. People just don't all break the same, Mrs. Westen. Just don't.

Madeline

[seeing Fiona has a gun] Put that thing away.

Fiona

I told you we have a situation.

Madeline

You're damn right we have a situation. Child services could come visit at any time. For God-sakes I quit smoking for this.