Burn Notice
Episode 9
Hard Bargain
Original air date: August 23, 2007
Episode 9 starts out with Fiona and Michael at the beach. This was filmed at the south end of Haulover Beach. Haulover Beach is well known for it’s lengthy nude bathing section, noted meeting place for swingers. Michael and Fiona are at the far southern point right at the Haulover Cut. If you are familiar with the documentary movie Cocaine Cowboys, you will remember this place as a major drug importation point in the 1980’s. In the movie they reveal that they had a girl placed in an apartment at the top of the condo on the south side of this cut. She used binoculars to look for cops and Coast Guard and talked to the drug runners by radio to warn them or direct them in. Good Movie, true story.
They are there to meet with or rather observe a test of Michael’s contact at the C.S.S., Perry Clark. He passes the test in the parking lot of Haulover Beach Park.
After the teaser we find Michael back at his place (rear of C.G.C.C.) and he is talking on the phone with Perry who is still at Haulover park. Perry is sitting on a bench at the west end of the cut near the bridge.
Background
Sam and Michael go for a drive in Sam’s new CTS. This was filmed on Arvida Parkway which makes sense because they end up at a home on Arvida parkway. 1 house north of the house used in the Miami Vice episode, Bought and Paid For (29 November 1985 (Season 2, Episode 9)) . Here we meet Nick Lam, dude with a problem.
Driving
Lam’s
Then it is off to the Coconut Grove Mall. This is actually Coco Walk in the Grove. The scene starts on Florida Ave. by the Mayfair as our gang pulls up in Sam’s new car and parks on Florida Ave. at the intersection of Rice Street.
Red arrow is where they park. Green arrow is studio.
They all go into Coco Walk. If you look closely behind Michael the sign reads Coco Walk.
The chase starts, and they run out of Coco Walk onto Grand Ave.
Then we see them turn from Grand Ave. onto Virginia Street running northbound.
They run down the ally that goes between Virginia Street and Rice Street. Fiona comes in from Rice Street and with some joy, saves the day.
Next, we go back to lam’s place to watch the video. Then to Michael’s before returning to Lam’s. The plan is set and we head to Le Meridien. This was filmed on location at 18683 Collins Ave. in Sunny Isles Beach, as the sign states. Here the outside looks nice and modern but in real life, not a place a wealthy or even upper middle class person would be found. Kind of old and cruddy inside.
Sam takes Fiona shopping. This was filmed at 3096 Fuller Street in the Grove. Very close to Coco Walk.
Next, Michael meets with the kidnapper in a marina, not a lot of background clues here but it was most likely filmed near the studio at Grove Key Marina. I will have to go back down there to verify.
Next, Michael meets with Perry. This was filmed at the Carlitos set at the rear of the studio.
Next, Michael goes to meet the head kidnapper. This was also filmed near the studio. It was filmed at Peacock Park in Coconut Grove. In the picture below right my friend Dan J stands in for Michael.
Peacock park in background.
Michael enjoys the negotiation. Unknown location. If you know where this was filmed please let me know at cglide@floridamovielocations.org
Then we return to Lam’s place on Arvida Parkway where Fiona is trying to entertain and comfort Nick Lam. Then we go back to Michael’s place at the studio. After Michael installs GPS in a shoe we head off to the meet. This was filmed at E.G. Sewell Memorial Park along the Miami River. Side note: The meet takes place by the old boat slip in an area known as the tropical gardens section of what was originally General Samuel Crocker Lawrence’s grapefruit grove. He was a civil war General in the Massachusetts Militia and first Mayor of Medford MA., near Boston. He bought this land in 1897 and created a grapefruit grove here sending as many as 10,000 boxes of fruit per year north to New York. In 1964 the City of Miami acquired the land and named it after three term Mayor and famous pioneer E.G. Sewell.
Sam is taken to the place where they hold the kidnap victims. This is very close by. It is also along the Miami River just west of Sewell Park on N.W. 11th Street.
Shooting south we see the toll booth on the Dolphin Expressway in the background.
Then we go back to Michael’s place where we learn there is only 2 hours to act in order to save the girl. We cut to Lam’s place where Michael is seen preparing for the operation. Then Michael goes to meet with the head kidnapper. The exterior set up shots would lead us to believe this was filmed on Brickell Key but it was not. The set up shot below shows the Four Ambassadors that we saw under construction in the movie Tony Rome. The meet actually was filmed back at Le Meridien.
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While at Le Meridien, Sam and Fiona rescue the girl from the old marina on the Miami River. After learning that she is safe, Michael tells the kidnapper that Lam won’t pay and Michael leaves. This leads the kidnapper to go to the marina where he discovers what has happened and is caught by the police.
We then go to Lam’s place where his girlfriend lets him know how she feels, ouch.
Next, we return to Michael’s set where he meets with Perry Clark for the last time as it does not go so well. The episode ends at Michael’s place as he gives Fiona a birthday present.
THE END
If you recognize any of the unknown locations or have something else to add, please let me know at: cglide@floridamovielocations.org
If you recognize any of the unknown locations or have something else to add, please let me know at: cglide@floridamovielocations.org