'Prison Break' recap: Boxed in
Jan 15, 2008, 10:30 AM | by Aubry D’Arminio
Categories: 'Prison Break', Mini TV Watch
As the promos promised, “the boys are back.” And to complete the Thin Lizzy reference, “them cats are crazy.” Which is a good thing: Yesterday’s midseason opener—despite its near-complete lack of action, save Bellick’s Gladiator-style smack down—had the series 1 “WTF, where’s this show going, that dude’s nuts” vibe that makes Prison Break great.
When we left Linc, Mike, Sucre and Co. in November, their escape plan had gone belly up and the General was leading Michael out of Sona. Gretchen (formerly Susan B.) was in deep doo-doo with the Colonel and soaking up scotch over the failed “bang and burn” mission to grab Whistler using a helicopter and, as y’all pointed out, a trapeze. Alex was completely strung out on his way back to prison in the reluctant custody of former girl Friday, Lang. Lechero had almost completely lost control of the inmates. T-Bag was looking to get Sammy. Bellick was still dressed like a tailgater. And Linc, Sucre, Sofia and L.J. were just lucky to be, miraculously, alive.
So what went down last night?
1. Michael, quite literally, sweated out solitary. In Sona, solitary doesn’t just mean spending time alone. It means hours alone, in the “redneck sun,” in a 125-degree cellophane-wrapped box. It can make a man delirious. It can make him crazy. It can make him spill the beans about his escape plan and his accomplices to the prison warden and put his family in danger. But it will not, apparently, make him hot enough to take off his sweatshirt—which Wenty once again inexplicably wore during the entire bloody sequence. Tattoo up, sweet cheeks: Unless keeping your top on fits into the plot somehow and Mike’s tats also hide a map of Sona—which I highly doubt—this is getting ridiculous.
2. Whistler (aka Gary Miller) sold out the General. Don’t
you think he gave up Gretchen’s name way too easily, leading her to be
captured and allowing her to murder the one saintly dude willing to
help the brothers? Didn’t it all just seem too planned? Like Michael
said, Whistler knew what he was doing: He was leading “the fox into
the henhouse." Moreover, was it just me or did he look a little too
worried when Susan was being tortured? Is there something going on here? Some romantic thing between them I didn’t pick up on? Brother
and sister maybe? And if someone could explain to me how exactly
Panamanian water torture—putting plastic over a girl’s face and pouring
water on it—works that would be great. Does it make you feel like
you’re drowning or something? Anyway…
3. Gretchen got conned by Sucre and Linc. No offense, but Sucre
and Linc aren’t the brightest bulbs in the box. That they tricked
Susan so easily—the most cunning lady to hit the show since the vice president—makes me a little suspect. Nevertheless, good on them if it
works out—let’s just hope the promise of $50,000 doesn’t actually start
to turn Sucre against the boys. Or that Susan’s revenge isn’t too
nasty.
4. Alex manned up. I’m not so sure his addiction won’t be the death of him, but who didn’t cheer for Alex when he refused T-Bag’s offer of free drugs in return for breaking Sammy’s neck. Though I’m still a little suspicious of Lang and the good-luck coin she gave Alex before sending him back into Sona. Sure, it was sweet, and her hug seemed sincere, but you know, it is Prison Break after all…
5. Bellick played dirty. How Michael-like of him to dip his knuckle bandage in acetone—aka nail polish remover—before fighting Sammy’s goon, thus basically rendering the guy helpless. Now Bellick’s the prison bad boy. Though T-Bag knows his trick, and you can be sure he’ll use the info against him in the future. Either that, or the duo will pair up against Sammy!
6. Sammy got a gun. Someone’s gonna bite the bullet next week, and I’m betting on Sammy. That’s not to say he won’t go after Lechero or T-Bag with his new shiny silver shooter (a present from his supplier), I just have a feeling it’s time for things to end badly for him. He never particularly interested me anyway.
7. “Molly” never showed up. Remember all that talk about the girl-centric PB spin-off? According to Internet rumor, its main character, a widow named Molly, was supposed to show up tonight looking for Michael and out to get the Company. But she was nowhere to be found.
8. Michael told Susan and Whistler the what’s what: He knows she had something to do with killing Sara (even if she didn’t admit to it), and once he gets out he’s gonna get his revenge. More importantly, for now, he’s onto her and Whistler: As he said to the latter, “How does a simple fisherman seem to know so much about the company…once we’re out I consider you collateral. Nothing more.”
So, PopWatchers, what did you think of the episode? Do you think the new season holds promise? Let us know!
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