So the past few weeks I’ve been watching Prison Break with my dad, and any time they break into an office or secure area, he brings up that it was entirely too easy for them to break in, and nobody questions why they’re there. I gotta say, I think this is a perfect example of how we, as an audience, have unrealistic expectations for what should be happening. I work in an office, and I can’t tell you the amount of times that I walk past a room and see somebody that I’ve never seen before. And very rarely do I ever wonder who they are. And even fewer times do I bother to inquire. As a viewer, we are aware that these people don’t belong there and that they are up to something unsavory. But if we were actually in that situation, and we didn’t have that knowledge, I highly doubt that we’d even raise an eyebrow.
And, in a way, I commend the show for not bothering to offer an elaborate explanation for why they are able to penetrate some location so easily. The fact of the matter is, unless the area is literally protected by security, you probably can just mosey on in if you carry yourself with the confidence that make people believe you belong there.
I labeled last episode as a filler, of sorts, that was just meant to build the overall story. And this episode has more than made up for that. We had the alleged death of one of the main villains, the definite death of a series regular, and the conclusion of one of the seasons defining story arcs.
You just had to know that Bellick would be the one that bit the dust. After spending the entire season as background furniture, this episode he was suddenly a very reflective Chatty Cathy, fondly reminiscing about his childhood while offering pearls of wisdom about how he wasted his life. I am glad that they had him die with such selflessness and nobility. And considering the fact that he’s been behaving so cowardly for the past few years, I especially appreciated his brave face when he was moments away from death. Overall, it was a really nicely done scene and an effective final chapter to this character. I just wish they did this nice a job with his character all season.
The real highlight of the episode for me was the stuff with Wyatt and Mahone. I just love all of Mahone’s actions and mannerisms. That, combined with the unsteadiness of his voice, so perfectly portrays how completely on edge this man is. He is honestly one of my favorite characters on television. And considering that he was the “villain” just a couple seasons ago, it’s incredible how the writers have so successfully managed to get viewers to root for him. Most people were probably cringing at the sight of Mahone torturing Wyatt, but I really reveled in it. That may make me sound bad, but c’mon, the guy SO had it coming. And while I loved the fact that Mahone didn’t even give Wyatt the satisfaction of finishing his sentence before shoving him into the water, I would have preferred he shot him, just to ensure that he’s dead. I really have no interest in seeing him pop up at a later time.
I’ve criticized the fact that T-Bag and Gretchen are now part of the crew, but I’m glad they’re at least not hub bubbing with them behind the scenes. I still wish they were in a completely separate storyline, though. And I don’t believe for a second that Gretchen is actually with the Company again.
Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into popular television shows such as Lost, Heroes, Prison Break, and Smallville. You can visit his blog at A Case of the Blog.
