They pretty much give you the backstory in the opening credits. Michael Weston was a spy working for the USA but for some reason he got let go or burned. He made his way back the US winding up in his home town: Miami.

Sam is an old CIA buddy of his - now retired but whose pension is at risk. Fiona is his ex-girlfriend who used to be a member of the provisional IRA.

His mom is an agoraphobic played by Sharon Gless. He has an untrustworthy brother played by the guy who played the untrustworthy brother on Providence.

Does that help?

It does indeed; thank you, sumi.

He made his way back the US winding up in his home town: Miami.

tiny detail. He was taken to Miami by the people who burned him and told that he had to stay there. Just thought I'd add that, so that at some point you don't say "why the hell doesn't he just leave this shit?"

I couldn't remember -- I mean he got on that plane on his own, didn't he? Or was he later kidnapped and dropped off.

He got on the plane on his own, but he'd been beaten up, so he passed out on the plane. He woke up in Miami with Fiona, not remembering anything.

Okay, wait. So he was a spy who got outed? Why didn't they just kill him? Either the enemy or his handlers? Seems he's a liability now; why would they just drop him off in Miami?

I'm sorry. I'll just watch the series.

He can't leave Miami or they WILL kill him.

Zen,he was on a job when he went to arrange a wire transfer he didn't have access to his accounts. He had to run, but he called his handler and couldn't get through and found out he was burned.

Then he was thrown on a plane, passed out, and Fiona got him to a hotel. Since he's burned he has no passport, no drivers license, all his accounts are gone, they erased his credit history, he has no employment history stuff like that. AND he's got the FBI watching him at all times, so I guess he could make a fake id and get on a plane but it seems that the FBI would stop him some how.

They make it sound like burning is a thing that happens and I 'm not sure what happens to most spies when they are burned by Michael is determined to find out who did this to him and then either get his life back or get revenge, I'm not sure (I'm not sure he knows).

Now it's not the FBI watching him but (I think) the NSA.

I'm watching the episode of MI-5 where Tom's crazy ex-girlfriend gets kidnapped by the CIA.

Good times.