11.14.07
Posted in Reviews at 12:37 am by Administrator
The previous two episodes took the season arc in an unexpected direction, promising tensions and situations that might finally bring urgency to the season arc. Surprisingly, this episode seems to slip away from that promise, choosing confusion over well-orchestrated chaos.
One major question seems to dominate the episode, especially once the “bang and burn” reference is explained: if the Company had the resources and ability to break Whistler out of jail, including the ability to deal with him directly, why did they need to use Michael and Lincoln? The potential for getting Whistler killed is much higher during an unarmed escape attempt, and Michael had little to no information to work with to make plans.
Granted, the Company could have seen Whistler’s situation as an opportunity to use Michael before having him eliminated under circumstances that would be left unquestioned. But based on the apparent need to get Mahone’s testimony against the conspiracy, they had enough room to maneuver as it was. They could have killed Michael and his family, eliminated Mahone, and rescued Whistler with far less complication and little possibility of exposure.
That realization dominates the episode, and while contrived storytelling has always been a hallmark of “Prison Break”, that kind of loose logic is just plain annoying. Similarly, the purpose of Mahone’s hearing had little point to it, other than to remove him from the board to complicate Michael’s escape plan. I had some hope that it was to push him back under the thumb of the conspiracy, just to make things interesting, but the motivations don’t make sense within the story.
Lincoln’s situation becomes a bit more interesting, considering that Sofia is now both hot and available. Then again, after Lincoln’s decision to back down when LJ’s life was on the line, it seems odd that he would take such a precise shot for the sake of a relative stranger. This subplot also reveals how easily the Company could have assassinated Michael and Lincoln previously, when they had no clue they were in danger, once again bringing up uncomfortable questions.
This episode has been repurposed as the “fall finale”, but in reality, it was never supposed to have that kind of important function. As such, Michael’s removal from Sona is just another plot twist, and one that will likely be resolved soon after the show returns in the spring. Without much competition, the show should be able to survive such a soft pause, but this leaves me nervous about the eventual “season finale”, which may suffer a similar fate.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
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11.13.07
Posted in Reviews at 3:24 am by Administrator
Written by Zach Estrin and Kalinda Vazquez
Directed by Vincent Misiano
(Note: This review only covers the second half of the two-episode event for 05 Nov 2007; a previous review covered episode 3-6.)
I was initially concerned when Michael’s apparent anger towards Whistler was revealed to be another diversionary tactic. I thought Michael’s reaction to Sara’s death was understandable and far more interesting, but the ruse does make the escape attempt more chaotic as a result. In fact, this episode is overflowing with tension, bringing the first phase of the season to a powerful climax.
Once the escape attempt was shattered, the Sona subplot became somewhat predictable. Certainly Michael and Whistler weren’t going to fight to the death, and Sammy wasn’t going to be shot for trying to escape. That would have quickly eliminated T-Bag as a player in the game (much as Bellick continues to be a complete waste of time). But this situation does result in something unexpected: Lechero’s fall from power and his subsequent desire to join the escape effort.
Lincoln’s race to save LJ was more exciting, largely because there was a greater chance of disaster. While nearly everyone at Sona had to survive to keep the plot thread intact, LJ’s survival was hardly necessary. Lincoln’s failure to save LJ could have resulted in severe consequences, and to a certain extent, his reprieve dilutes the impact somewhat.
Meanwhile, Mahone’s subplot takes the expected turn, as his own fortunes appear to be tied to the conspiracy’s need for his cooperation. I still believe that he will end up being manipulated by the Company again, and that his fortunes will continue to spiral out of control. My hope, of course, is that he remains in some kind of uneasy alliance with Michael and Lincoln, if only to keep that strong cast chemistry alive.
All in all, this was one of the best episodes of the season thus far, right down to the unexpected moment at the end of the hour. If the writers could manage to bring the energy and tension back to this level more often, the season could recover from the mismanagement of Sara’s fate. It remains unclear how the writers’ strike will effect the season arc, however. The next episode will be the “fall finale” instead of episode 3-13, and the remaining episodes in the can will be used to offset the decision to pull “24” from the spring schedule entirely. Hopefully the episode chosen to end the season will be strong enough to serve as a finale.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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11.06.07
Posted in Reviews at 5:39 pm by Administrator
Written by Seth Hoffman
Directed by Kevin Hooks
(Note: This review only covers the first half of the two-episode event for 05 Nov 2007; a subsequent review will cover episode 3-7.)
This is generally the point in the typical season arc where the introductory phase ends and the complications begin. Considering the fact that the story was driving towards a supposed escape attempt, it’s natural enough for that plan to end badly. As the deadline approaches, things go wrong again and again, culminating in a moment that changes the landscape of the third season completely.
I mentioned in a previous review that Michael’s entire psychological state was centered on saving Sara, and knowledge of her death would send him into a spiral of anger and despair. The logical consequence would be a break between Michael and Lincoln, since LJ’s life would be left in the balance. In this episode, that’s exactly what seems to happen.
It’s always possible that the writers could be applying a liberal dose of misdirection, but enough has gone wrong in the escape plan to suggest otherwise. Besides, too many of the Sona-specific plot threads are still wide open, and that’s all this season has going for it. The conspiracy angle is slightly more interesting now, given what we know about Susan from her conversation with LJ, but it’s still not nearly as compelling as the writers seem to think it is.
While the situation in Sona is sliding into something more chaotic and thus more interesting and less predictable, the writers may have shot themselves in the foot yet again. Mahone’s presence in Sona, particularly as an uneasy ally for Michael, was one of the few draws for this season. This episode takes Mahone out of the prison, and that could be a major setback. This show needs a presence like William Fichtner to balance some of the less impressive cast members. All is not necessarily lost; he could find himself forced into working for the conspiracy with Lincoln, for example. But this only makes me more worried for the series and its future.
I also wonder how this series will handle the effects of the writers’ strike, especially if it protracted. Suddenly the late spring return date for the final nine episodes could be a major advantage, since it gives the production time to catch up, if the strike ends after a couple months. Barring that, “Prison Break” has always equipped the fall finale (episode 3-13, in this case) with a strong cliffhanger, and that could be used as an ersatz season finale if necessary.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
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