Burn Notice
Necessary Evil
TV Flash files “Necessary Evil” as hour 77 of 111 in the TV Flash guide — Burn Notice (2007–2013) on USA, season 5, episode 15, aired 2011-11-17, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S05E15: listed hour 77 of 111 in the Burn Notice guide, hour 15 of 18 in season 5. It aired 2011-11-17 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Breaking Point” (S05E14). Next is “Depth Perception” (S05E16).
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
Michael heads up a rescue mission for a scientist kidnapped by an African warlord. Sam and Jesse go undercover but soon find themselves in big trouble. Elsewhere, someone Madeline trusts hides a secret from her.
Viewer FAQ
Where does Necessary Evil sit in the Burn Notice guide?
S05E15 is listed hour 77 of 111 — hour 15 of 18 in season 5, season 5 episode 15.
When did Burn Notice S05E15 air?
Necessary Evil aired 2011-11-17 and is listed at 60 minutes.
Is Burn Notice just mission-of-the-week?
Standalone jobs are the weekly candy; the serialized wound is who burned Michael. Voiceover tradecraft around a grudge that does not close in one hour.
In the series
Why this series still plays
A burned spy narrates tradecraft from a Miami loft, taking odd jobs while hunting who erased his career. Burn Notice is blue-sky USA action with a grudge underneath — Jeffrey Donovan's deadpan, Bruce Campbell's Sam Axe, and weekly how-to candy around a serialized wound.
USA put a burned spy in a Miami loft and windowed tradecraft as weekly how-to candy. Burn Notice (2007–2013) is Matt Nix's blue-sky action brand: Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen, Gabrielle Anwar's Fiona, Bruce Campbell's Sam Axe as a cable favorite, Sharon Gless, later Coby Bell. Odd jobs as the A-plot. A serialized burn mystery in the drawer. Voiceover from the loft like a tutorial that happens to have a grudge. Seven seasons, 111 episodes. Rex can keep the living-room spy with a theme song. This one shipped…
Filed against
- Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen
Jeffrey Donovan’s Michael Westen narrated tradecraft from a Miami loft on Burn Notice — burned spy, odd jobs, a hunt for who erased the career. Blue-sky USA action with a grudge underneath, Bruce Campbell’s Sam Axe, weekly how-to candy…
- Gabrielle Anwar as Fiona Glenanne
Gabrielle Anwar detonated as Fiona Glenanne on Burn Notice — blue-sky USA action, a burned spy's Miami loft, weekly how-to candy around a serialized wound. Jeffrey Donovan's deadpan, Bruce Campbell's Sam Axe, and Anwar as the ex who made…
- Bruce Campbell as Sam Axe
Bruce Campbell’s Autolycus stole Hercules: The Legendary Journeys like a syndicated comic — 1990s catalog King of Thieves, camp with a chin, then Burn Notice recasting the grin as Sam Axe’s Miami how-to. TV Flash files him as the thief…
- Sharon Gless as Madelaine Westen
Sharon Gless’s Christine Cagney made Cagney & Lacey a once-in-a-generation partnership — two women detectives, badge culture that had to make room, Emmys after a near-cancellation letter campaign — then played Burn Notice’s Miami grudge…
- Coby Bell as Jesse Porter
Coby Bell played Jesse Porter on Burn Notice — a burned spy narrating tradecraft from a Miami loft, odd jobs while hunting who erased his career. Blue-sky USA action with a grudge underneath: Jeffrey Donovan's deadpan, Bruce Campbell's…