One of the elements of “Prison Break” that must be embraced, as evidenced by the first season, is the inclusion of unlikely or even preposterous plot elements. I’ve always said that this series has embraced the “24” style, for better or worse, while trying to improve upon the storytelling possibilities. The result is a show that has a tendency to develop complex and memorable characters while still relying on plot twists that make no rational sense.
The main plot with Michael and Lincoln is a perfect example. All decisions made along the way are fairly consistent with the characters as previously portrayed. Lincoln is deeply concerned with LJ and his future, having lost Veronica, and Michael often allowed his better judgment to be clouded by the pain and suffering of others. Even so, it all hinges upon a choice that neither character would rationally make: springing LJ from a courthouse within hours of their own prison escape.
There were reasons for the plot choice, of course. It keeps the plot from losing tension, which could easily happen, given that the characters are spreading out and the plot elements need time to build again. Michael has demonstrated an ability to improvise, but he also saw those moments as a means to an end: getting to the next stage in the plan. This episode begins to show how he copes with an open-ended situation, where his plans are all but tossed aside.
This also serves to demonstrate just how quick Agent Mahone can be on his feet. Once again, I have to give full credit to William Fichtner for his portrayal of Mahone. If the premiere required a bit of rationalization to explain how he could draw conclusions about Michael so quickly, then this episode was all about matching Michael’s ability to improvise. It’s no mistake that Michael and Mahone end up facing each other down in the final act, because the episode is neatly structured to culminate in that fashion. Michael is going to have to get used to the idea of a nemesis that can be just as clever.
More logical was the process of cutting Pope out of the action and setting Bellick up as the wild card in the whole manhunt. Bellick, like T-Bag, is a character that the audience loves to hate, and now he’s more dangerous than ever. As a CO, he had to operate within certain boundaries, however loosened to his tastes. As a vigilante, he has no such restraint, beyond getting caught himself. The interesting implication is that Mahone might find himself warring with Bellick, thus giving Michael just enough room to maneuver.
The subplots with T-Bag and Tweener were definitely setup, pointing to a reunion of escapees in Utah, probably around episodes 6-8, when the first turn in the season arc is likely to strike. Tweener is hardly the most inconspicuous individual, so it’s likely that this roadtrip of his will go badly. T-Bag’s thread, however, involves a bit of a writing cheat. Could T-Bag really get his hand back under those conditions? It’s unlikely, and I fully expect him to have full use of the hand in a matter of days. That, and the whole idea of breaking LJ out of the courthouse in the first place, were two plot contrivances that the writers did a lot to salvage.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover the “Prison Break”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
It feels like the first season only ended a few weeks ago, and this premiere picks up exactly where the first season left off. That’s a tough mandate to pull off, considering that the audience had a lot of expectation and there were a ton of variables to explore. For the most part, I think the writers managed to pull it off, but there are obvious signs of tweaking the details.
First and foremost, there is the positive development. William Fichtner was the perfect choice for Michael’s equal and opposite. It’s tough to be convincing when your character has to be smarter than every other character on the show to date, except the lead character, but he pulled it off beautifully. The thing with Fichtner is that he can act with his eyes. When he’s supposed to be thinking and making connections, it’s right there on the screen. He conveys intelligence, and that’s why it worked.
So why was it that easy? Well, I think the audience forgets that they have a lot more background information and explanation than any of the other law enforcement characters to this point. Bellick and the others had no reason to search Michael’s real estate, and they had little reason to question the tattoo. Mahone is seeing all of this information within a very different context, and with that in mind, I think it was logical. A trained, experienced, and talented agent with a highly detail-oriented approach would probably have the same success.
From a storytelling perspective, the writers had to sell the idea, very quickly, of someone with the skill and drive to put enormous pressure on the escapees. Bellick is a brute; he’s clever enough in the prison setting, but he’s not trained for the big picture. The writers needed to keep the intensity level on high, and this was the best way to do it.
The other obvious reason for the quick and dirty introduction of Mahone was the collapse of the conspiracy subplot. It will likely emerge over time as an ongoing concern, since it was at the forefront of the producers’ minds from the beginning, but it’s clear that the loss of Patricia Wettig has forced that to change. Also, Veronica’s character never developed as strongly as intended, and even in this episode, her scenes tended to drag down the pacing. All in all, Veronica adds more through her death, especially given the effect on Lincoln.
Sarah’s subplot is something that could be problematic. Her survival is a good thing (perhaps bought at Veronica’s expense), but the writers have to be careful and ensure that her subplot factors into the big picture quickly. The fans were really involved in the Michael/Sarah relationship, so the writers should make damn sure that she doesn’t become a weight on the back of the season arc.
I could talk about all the little plot details, but this was a jam-packed premiere, and there’s a lot still to process. In fact, it was so dense that it showed serious signs of editing for time. Some edits were incredibly bad, especially for a high-profile season premiere. When the audience can tell when dialogue was snipped to shave extra seconds from the running time, it’s a bad situation. Hopefully it was an isolated problem, and things will be smoother in the next episode.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover the “Prison Break”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
