02.27.07
Posted in Reviews at 11:11 pm by Administrator
The resolution phase of this season’s arc is just full of surprises. The past few episodes have been a lot of fun, as plot threads continue to collapse back into the main story in surprising ways, and character fates continue to be unpredictable. At this point, it’s not hard to see how the various plot threads are going to overlap, which is a very good sign. With four episodes left to go, the endgame is definitely in sight.
The writers pulled one last surprise out of the bag regarding the evidence exonerating Lincoln: it’s a copy and inadmissible in court. Learning that is less than obvious, since Michael and Lincoln try to contact one of their father’s allies and nearly get caught in a trap. Kudos to Sara for being the one to work out the truth, even if she took an enormous chance by visiting her father’s grave. (It was a nice touch for the ground at her father’s grave to be so fresh; it’s easy to forget how little time has passed since the escape.)
In the end, the only way to use the recorded conversation on the thumb drive is confrontation of President Reynolds, which ties in very nicely with Kellerman’s decision to kill his former employer and romantic target. It’s a very nice touch to have Kellerman inadvertently become a threat to Michael’s last ditch effort to end the whole nightmare. And his little scene with his sister made him a little more human, even though it’s probably going to be the reason why he gets caught before the assassination, if that’s how it plays out.
With the conspiracy gaining on Michael and Lincoln, Mahone’s deal with C-Note takes a tragic turn. Once again, we get to see Mahone’s human side, even if it comes at a moment that is rather inhuman at its core. Mahone looks incredibly shaken by his order to kill C-Note, and the resulting subplot with C-Note’s reaction to the choice dropped in his lap is very well done. It’s possible that C-Note will survive in the end, but it was an unexpected turn for the plot to take.
Bellick is sent to bring in Sucre, who is finally getting a few moments of happiness with Maricruz. Things always seem to go badly once a member of the Escape Squad has that kind of moment, so there’s little doubt that Sucre’s safe haven is about to fall apart. In fact, knowing Bellick, Maricruz and the baby are hardly out of the line of fire.
The wild card in all of this is T-Bag. After his misadventures in the middle of nowhere, seemingly as far away from the rest of the world as one could get from the rest of the Escape Squad, his fortunes take him back to Chicago and on the same flight as Bellick. It shouldn’t be long before T-Bag ends up right in the middle of the mess at the end of the season.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the episode takes place in the final act. Usually, when someone is in a room and another character is hunting them down, the editing will imply that the hunter is converging on the location of the prey. Typically, the prey is safely elsewhere, having fooled the hunter once again. This time, it could still happen that way, but the likelihood is that Mahone will finally catch up with Michael. That confrontation will certainly be worth the wait.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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02.20.07
Posted in Reviews at 7:57 pm by Administrator
The race to the season finale is on, and the writers are definitely stepping up to the plate. Though many of the developments are generally proceeding as predicted, the details continue to be surprising. Anything that promises to bring the disparate threads of the season together in a logical manner is welcome, after all, and this episode continues that process. In fact, like so much of last season, “Prison Break” is back to showing “24” how serialized storytelling should be done.
Pope’s return to the story was hardly shocking to anyone paying attention to press releases, but it made sense within the context of the story. Kellerman pointed out the fact that Michael and Sara were recognized faces, and sure enough, that became an issue. One might quibble over the idea that they would make such a mistake, but under the circumstances, they’re desperate enough to make it reasonable. Whatever the case, the subsequent plot developments feel natural.
I like the fact that Michael and Pope had a few moments to work out their issues, even if many of them were left unresolved. It closes the door for Pope’s time on the series far better than his original exit. More importantly, the conspiracy is becoming more unhinged and therefore more unpredictable. It made Michael’s victory worth the cost to see Lincoln beating the hell out of William Kim.
Now that Michael has the evidence needed to prove Lincoln’s innocence, the endgame has truly begun. It’s a question of getting that evidence into the right hands before the conspiracy can close the net. This is where the subplots seem to come into play. While Bellick had nothing to do with C-Note’s capture in this episode, his involvement with Mahone and his personal history with Michael makes him the perfect bloodhound.
C-Note’s story had been off in left field for too long, but now it comes together with the main story in a way that makes it easy to overlook earlier issues with the subplot. C-Note needed to be pushed into a corner with no other option but to cut a deal, and based on his personality and history, his family’s survival was the logical source of leverage. It’s unclear how C-Note’s knowledge of the website that Michael mentioned to Sucre will play into the overall resolution to the season, but clearly that’s the intent.
Speaking of Sucre, his subplot was amusing enough, but it’s still relatively isolated. Without the reminder of the website (europeangoldfinch.net) in the recap at the beginning of the episode, his entire story would seem like a needless distraction. Now, in conjunction with C-Note’s deal with Mahone, it emerges as a clever way for Sucre and C-Note to come back into the main plot thread. Kudos to the writers for planting that clue and paying it off!
T-Bag’s subplot is now the only one still dangling in the middle of nowhere, but now that the ridiculous hostage situation is resolved, there’s no telling where he’ll end up. He’s still the poster boy for everything bad that’s come of Michael’s good intentions, so it makes sense for him to be out and about for as long as possible. With nearly everyone else working for Mahone or serving as bait, T-Bag could make an effective wild card. He could see the death of his dreams in this episode as the consequence of meeting Michael Scofield, and dreams of revenge could ensue.
Dreams of revenge will surely be the order of the day for Kellerman. I always thought that Sara’s experience with Kellerman would lead to trouble when they were all working together to uncover the conspiracy, and sure enough, it finally comes to pass. Hasn’t Sara heard the saying “keep your friend close, and your enemies closer”? Kellerman is a lot more dangerous as a free agent, and they could have used someone with inside knowledge of the conspiracy.
Whatever the case, things are really beginning to come together as the season comes to a close, and I couldn’t be happier. That said, I still think that the series would be best served if it were to end with this season’s finale. The writers may have managed to pull out of the terminal dive this time around, but this is a concept that works better as a short-term event than an open-ended series. I would hate to see the series wear out its welcome.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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02.06.07
Posted in Reviews at 11:50 pm by Administrator
Whatever else might have happened in the middle of the season, when the writers seemed to be struggling for direction, the episodes have taken a much stronger turn as the season winds down. Even this installment, which is largely transitional in nature, sets the stage for a lot of interesting and unexpected interactions. Some predictable elements remain, but they are given weight by strong performances.
First and foremost, we now see how the writers intend to bring all the various subplots with the rest of the Escape Squad into the main arc. As the conspiracy feels the noose around its own neck, it wants as much closure and control as possible. That means the elimination of loose ends, and Mahone is charged with the task of taking down the survivors while other avenues are explored with Michael and Lincoln.
That adds a new dimension to Bellick’s plot thread. Instead of sending him after Michael and Lincoln from the get-go, he’s sent after the rest of the Escape Squad. This gives him a taste of his new position and the bloody work he will be asked to do. This also provides a simple means for each and every subplot to find resolution before the end. They may be distractions, but it gives the writers time to play out the main plot thread for a few episodes before focusing on the big resolution.
This is Haywire’s final moment, and while the subplot itself was threadbare and unsatisfying, it does serve to put more pressure on Mahone. One would expect that the next three episodes (17-19) will deal with C-Note, T-Bag, and Sucre, probably in that order. Which leave three episodes for the resolution of the conspiracy, and frankly, I like that idea. It worked well for the first season, where they played out the big finale over more than one episode.
This being a transitional episode, the focus is on character. As anticipated, Sara’s reaction to Kellerman was violent and a trigger for his potential return to the conspiracy’s fold. This led to Sara’s reflection on how much had changed in her life in less than a month. It really does bring a lot into focus, and Michael’s expression is a nice reaction and recognition of the consequences of his actions. Once again, this adds to the potential of a third season focused on Michael’s attempt to repair all the consequences of his original scheme.
A lot of fans had predicted that Kellerman would cut a deal with the President and turn on Michael and the others. And in fact, that expectation was used to deliver a clever twist. It makes sense that William Kim would use Kellerman’s relationship to the president as leverage, on the hopes that desperation will overcome paranoia. It has now backfired, and while Kellerman is still far from trustworthy, he’s definitely invested in taking down the conspiracy and getting his life back.
While the writers are starting to pull the subplots into the big picture, there’s still a lot of time needed to lay the groundwork for each confrontation. As such, a lot of screen time is devoted to C-Note and T-Bag. Both subplots seem a bit scattered and disjointed. C-Note is suddenly dealing with his daughter’s illness again, which seems designed to add drama to the unlikely holdup at the diner. The only benefit to that subplot was the confirmation of C-Note’s heroic side, which should add to the tragedy when all is said and done. C-Note has gotten a raw deal from the very beginning, and it doesn’t look like things will change.
T-Bag’s subplot is even worse. As delightful a character as Teddy might be, the last few episodes have been a mess. This hostage situation is ridiculous, and feels more like one of the half-baked ideas from “Desperate Housewives” than a story worthy of T-Bag’s depravity. It’s hard to imagine that this character might end on a low note. Of course, with T-Bag, things can always change on a dime, so there is hope.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
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