When we last saw Michael Westen, he'd launched himself from a helicopter in mid-air into the Atlantic Ocean five miles from shore. What? A simple "no, thank you," wasn't enough?

Apparently not.

Michael explains, "As an operative, you get used to being in uncomfortable situations. Whether it's resisting interrogation in a foreign prison, fighting guerrilla forces in a tropical jungle, or swimming 5 miles to Miami Beach in your suit pants - it's just part of the job."

But, having discovered the people who blacklisted him with his government agency, he cut ties with them, and was finally free. Or was he?

Turns out, as Carla had warned him, while the baddies were complicating Michael's life by circulating false rumors about him, they were also keeping him off the radar of local law enforcement, as well as many other people. After all, he's gone through two seasons defeating the evil intentions of bad guys. Surely he didn't think they'd just walk away, dusting off their tight leather pants.

Although Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) survives the shark-infested Miami waters, by the time he hits shore, he comes to the attention of the police, who blow the situation out of proportion and track him to a Miami Beach hotel. Desperate, he calls Fiona, who recommends a major incident isn't good for him right now. He surrenders and ends up in jail.

At the same time, while Michael has accumulated his share of enemies over the years, he's also accumulated friends. His old pal Harlan (John From Cincinnati's Brian Van Holt) shows up and bails him out. Harlan is in town with his Venezuelan girlfriend, a woman distraught over cruelties of a Venezuelan named Rufino Cortez, who's stolen her family's land and through her ailing father in jail.

Turns out this Cortez in in Miami, and it's a great set-up for Michael to help get the guy. Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) and Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) are busy rebuilding Michael's mother's house (blown up in last season's finale), but they take some time to help pull together some ingenious work to help Harlan. Harlan and Michael reminisce about old times, and how Michael was always the star, always right, while Harlan had some spy deficiencies, but Michael doesn't hold it against him, he just takes over.

Michael poses as a shady lawyer who wants to make a land deal, and tries repeatedly to set up a meet with Cortez, but the man's security head, Falcone (Jeff Kober of China Beach fame), makes it exceedingly difficult, going so far as to dislocate Michael's shoulder to discourage him. But Michael persists, and they succeed in capturing Cortez, with an eye to turning him over to the Venezuelan authorities.

So far, a pretty standard episode. The partnership among Michael's team--now including Momma Westen, as she became fully aware in the last episode that Michael's job didn't exactly involve selling Amway or Tupperware around the world-- is well-written as always. Michael is now chafing to get back to his job, while Fiona's wishing he'd consider giving it up and go private instead. Sam's trying to mediate and also help Michael focus on what's important. The "A-Team" plan is a success, over pretty big odds. All's right with the world?

Not quite. Turns out Harlan has a completely different agenda. This was absolutely a refreshing twist and one of the best parts of this third-season premiere: something new and different. Kudos to Matt Nix for keeping things fresh!

The next episode, Question and Answer, promises Terminator:Salvation's Moon Bloodgood as a Miami detective who begins an arc as the woman with a mission to take Michael down.