Burn Notice Season 04 Episode 01 "Friends and Enemies" was first aired last June 3, 2010 and below are the spy tips and tactics:
* Name brands and decor can often tell you a lot about who you're dealing with. Official agencies operate with government budgets. You can usually rule out the idea of federal involvement as soon as you see a pricey antique or a pair of $1,200 shoes.
* It takes a while to learn how to read intelligence files. They start as stacks of unrelated documents but stick with it long enough and a pattern can emerge. Of course, not all intelligence is reliable. Which means when you're done checking the file you have to check the source.
* Illegal weapons sales is a multimillion dollar industry. For a big time gunrunner, it's easy to live the life of luxury. The problem is, when you've spent your career dodging local law enforcement and making mortal enemies, it's much safer hiding in a tent in the jungle than enjoying a piece of beachfront property.
* With thermal imaging and laser target designators, an unmanned drone allows your enemy to launch a precise strike while staying completely anonymous. Surviving a drone attack is about escaping the primary target area. That being said, dodging bullets and anti-tank missiles isn't exactly a walk in the park.
* The strain of having a loved one disappear for weeks affects people differently. Spend enough time as a covert operative and you know better than to try to predict the outcome of a long-awaited reunion. Of course, some reunions are more unpredictable than others.
* The tough thing about being marked for death by a criminal organization is the fact that once the order is given, the whole organization's after you. It ceases to be about an individual and becomes about the honor of the group. And when honor is involved, things tend to get bloody.
* Infiltrating a hostile environment that reeks of testosterone and motor oil is tough unless you're an attractive woman. The gender advantage ends at the door, however. It's tough to pull off surveillance when everyone wants to talk to you.
* Surveillance isn't always about learning secrets. Relationships are often just as important.
* Most digital cameras aren't intended to take clear pictures of documents. A handheld scanner, on the other hand, will prevent any contrast or blurring problems.
* If you've got a small-enough frame, an old-fashioned ventilation system can provide a decent escape route. And it'll keep bigger-boned pursuers from following.
* It's best to breach a building from two directions. That way your target has to choose to defend the front or the back.
* It doesn't matter how big someone is. There are certain points on the human body that are vulnerable. Pressure on the carotid artery will knock someone out in 10 seconds no matter how big they are. Of course, if they're big enough, it can be a pretty unpleasant 10 seconds.
* One of the most dangerous times in war is when peace negotiations begin. Until both sides agree on terms, you're sitting on a powder keg. You know negotiations are off to a bad start when people can't even agree on terms with their own side.
* Chasing a car with a motorcycle is a tricky thing to pull off. The obvious thing to do is shoot out the car's tires. Problem is, it's a very difficult shot unless you're alongside the car. Unfortunately, it's also pretty tough to hit a high-powered motorcycle when you're in a swerving car that's taking fire.
* As a spy, you don't have to explain yourself much. You can disappear for a month and nobody asks questions. For a certain kind of person, that's one of the perks of going into the intelligence business. As a civilian, you don't have that luxury. Eventually people expect a good explanation when you disappear, whether or not you have one.
* Most military bases have a civilian admin facility nearby. They're simple places. Just office buildings filled with cubicles. Still, they're not places you just want to walk into casually as a burned spy.
* One of the problems with stealing information is that it's usually someone else's job to keep that information safe. It doesn't matter how clean your getaway is. There's always a chance someone else will get blamed for what you did.
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