Michael Westen, a spy, is "burned" while on assignment in Nigeria. Spies are not fired; they're issued a burn notice to let the agent know their services are no longer required. Dumped in his Miami hometown with no money or resources to his name, Michael agrees to help a man accused of stealing valuable pieces of art and jewelry.

To get his mother to agree to tell him about a listening device planted in her house, Michael agrees to help his mother's friend get back the money she lost in a scam.

Michael's landlord, Oleg, is having a problem with one of his waitresses. She hasn't come into work because she witnessed a crime committed by a man who just happens to be a member of a local drug cartel. Michael is (mostly) happy to look into it, as he also continues his investigation into who stuck him with his burn notice..

A friend of Michael's asks for help in getting his daughter out of a prostitution ring. As Michael does so, he must protect himself during a series of assassination attempts.

A family of gunrunners threaten an airport supervisor, so Michael infiltrates their organization in an attempt to scare them away. Elsewhere, Sam is pressured by the FBI to gather more info on Michael.

Michael helps out an old SEAL buddy of Sam's who has gotten himself on the wrong side of a smuggler while trying to repossess his boat, and a new agent hits town set on making Michael's life miserable since he won't give up on finding his burn notice.Michael flees with the boat and later discovers $10 million hidden on board, who Virgil's client had wanted delivered. Sam dumps the boat without for the Jamaicans and Virgil's client to find.

Michael works to rid a community in little Havana of a crime boss, all the while baiting Jason Bly at the risk of his family and friends.With the help of Max, Michael locates the jewel thief. Michael, Sam, and Fiona hatch a complicated plot in order to bring the thief to justice and clear the accused man's name..

Fiona hunts down an alleged jewel thief she believes is innocent. So Michael investigates to find the real culprit. Elsewhere, Michael plots against the man who had him fired.

A house sitter for a millionaire is living the high life until his fiancee is kidnapped and held for a hefty ransom. Meanwhile, a bureaucrat offers Michael information on how to clear the burn notice, but he's suspicious of the man's motives.

Michael makes plans to leave Miami, but has to do one last job - locate a woman's missing son - so he can get a new identity.Lucy's client, says that her son was kidnapped by her estranged husband Doug. Michael becomes emotionally vested in the case. Michael puts Doug and his son into Witness Protection, and confronts Evelyn, who chooses to jump to her death rather than be brought in.

Phillip Cowan has arrived in Miami, but Michael has to put him off when a job involving heroin and blackmail goes south.Season Finale, Part I: Sam accepts a job from a client who is being blackmailed by drug smugglers..Michael is busy trying to set up a meeting with Phillip Cowan (Richard Schiff), the man who burned him.

Michael must rescue Sam, who is being held hostage by heroin smugglers, all while helping and friend and evading agents who continue to target him.