01.24.08

Episode 3.10: “Dirt Nap”

Posted in Reviews at 12:45 am by Administrator

Written by Matt Olmstead and Seth Hoffman
Directed by Michael Switzer

With the second escape deadline quickly approaching (as well as the end of this artificially shortened season), several Sona-specific plot points need to be addressed. In particular, the anticipated gathering of all “carryover” characters into the escape plan has to be completed, the challenge to Lechero’s leadership has to be resolved, and questions about Whistler’s true identity have to be answered. Many of those issues are tackled in this episode.

There was little doubt that Sammy was going to die in this episode. The real question was whether or not Bellick would die as well. Frankly, his character would not be missed. The writers have done little to justify his survival past the second season. So it was fun to watch the character face impending death at Sammy’s hands, even if it never came to pass. Now he’s part of Escape Squad Part Deux; maybe that will lead to some better material.

Giving Michael the responsibility for Sammy’s death is a lot more interesting, though, because he’s not a killer at heart. His psychological issues wouldn’t allow for that. This was a matter of survival, so he did what was necessary, but it’s another death to weigh on his conscience. He might have felt responsible anyway; he’s been haunted by the consequences of the original prison break since day one. It’s a miracle that he’s held it together this long. Hopefully the writers will keep all of that in mind moving forward.

Sammy’s coup served a dual purpose, of course, by heightening the tension. Part of the dramatic hook of any prison break storyline is the threat of detection. That threat needs a face; the guards on the towers are a poor substitute for Bellick in the first season. Sammy fit the bill perfectly, stepping into Lechero’s footsteps. Now it may come down to the most unlikely threat of all: that damn kid with the basketball, who may do something foolish in the hopes of getting Michael’s attention.

Besides the resolution to Sammy’s coup, the episode offered some of the best conversations between Michael, Mahone, and Whistler in quite some time. It’s good to see Mahone coming through the other side of his drug addiction, even if the worst is probably yet to come. His ordeal may be bringing him towards respect for Michael, which could be very interesting, since they both have a reason to hate the Company.

Together, they push Whistler’s buttons rather well, and after recent events, he seems to feel the need to justify his actions. Their skepticism was refreshing, and his constant nattering meshed well with the later revelations about his secret life. Sofia’s discovery could have an impact on Lincoln’s plan, whatever that might be, and that should complicate matters even further once the escape takes place and every moment becomes crucial.

In the end, this was a vast improvement over the past few installments, largely due to the strong pacing and the intent focus on the escape deadline. The plot twists were less bizarre, and the characters seemed to act more in keeping with their established strengths and weaknesses. I still hold out hope that Lincoln’s scheme will reflect his street smarts more than some Michael-esque genius.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10

01.15.08

Episode 3.9: “Boxed In”

Posted in Reviews at 11:15 pm by Administrator

This episode ushers in some major action, which is probably a good thing. It helps distract from close inspection, which I suspect the episode would not suffer well. Events spiral out of control in a manner that constantly threatens to descend into utter and complete chaos. It’s hard to believe that Michael would trust anyone within the Panamanian military, especially since Michael and Lincoln have both been warned not to say anything to anyone.

Granted, Michael is not in his comfort zone. Michael likes to plan and scheme his way out of situations. He can improvise, given his intellectual talents, but it puts him under enormous pressure. Add to that a horrible track record for reading people, and one can imagine that Michael might fail to consider other options. Still, after what happened to Sara, there’s every reason to think that his latest ad-lib could backfire.

From a writing perspective, the Panamanian general seemed rather capricious in his decisions to accept information or, alternatively, torture people. His intuition was uncanny; he seems to pick out the liars instantly. Strangely, Susan B. (or Gretchen, or whoever) seemed to play right into it. Despite having the best chance of claiming innocence, she revealed her experience with black ops by enduring the torture with little or no reaction.

This was enough to give Michael a reason to hope, but then the general foolishly ignores his suspicions about Susan by minimizing security with her in the field. The man who caught Lechero certainly didn’t seem so bright by the end of the episode. Yet his death seemed to be incidental in the end. Michael and Whistler are simply tossed back into the prison, as if nothing happened.

Equally dubious was Lincoln’s plan with Sucre. It was clear from the beginning that they were pretending to argue, and Susan’s organization should have been able to figure that out. The writers do suggest that Sucre could turn on Lincoln if the money is good enough, but that feels like a red herring. Mostly I was disappointed in the obviousness of it all. The actors didn’t sell the deception at all.

I’m still waiting for Bellick to be anything but a waste of time (despite signs that this might actually come to pass), so the highlight of the episode was the interaction between Mahone and T-Bag. T-Bag’s subplot with Sammy has restored my interest in the character, and Mahone’s compromised situation is fascinating to watch. It still feels like Mahone is starring in his own show, but as events converge, he should get more opportunity to interact with Michael, who remains his most powerful foil.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10