I would normally complain about (a) Michael and co. working to retrieve the device for The Company, the very evil organization that they initially stole it from, and (b) Michael and co. now teaming up with the people that had earlier turned on them in order to retrieve the device from the people they originally stole it from. But since the episode actually went to the trouble of bringing up this rather unusual scenario, and attempted to offer an explanation, I’m a bit more forgiving.
This explanation occurred at two separate points in the episode. The first was the neat dream sequence with Michael and Charles, where Michael brought up the fact that this all started so that he could break Lincoln out of jail, yet this action has led to the deaths of many, many people. Charles (mostly rhetorically) asked if he still would have done it with the foresight of what would happen. Michael admitted that he would. You could somewhat sympathize with his dilemma, yet you could also see that he was clearly remorseful for the terrible things that had happened.
This was a firm contrast, unsurprisingly, with Lincoln’s stance. While both of them had the same mentality, that one’s love and sense of loyalty for his family dominates over every other urge and desire. Yet while Michael was regretful, Lincoln seemed to attempt to justify his actions. To simplify, Michael and Lincoln are the epitome of, respectively, selflessness and selfishness. Michael has the wordly view, willing to sacrifice himself for others, while Lincoln has the more central view that asks, “How does this impact me and the people I care about?”
I do worry, though, that when these two DO finally get their revenge on these bad people they’ve been forced to work with, it’ll be too little, too late. I mean, I understand we – as viewers – are supposed to root for these characters, but how many times do Michael and Lincoln need to work with these people who are unsavory at best, and severely dangerous at worse before we can say that the ends simply don’t justify the means? I mean, it really sucks that Lincoln was framed for a murder, but was saving his life worth the lives of relatively good people like Bellick and Veronica? I know we’re supposed to see the grander view, which is, I suppose, that they’re trying to take down this organization that can mean dangerous things to billions of others, but even so, they’re practically working for that company now.
This brings me to my next point. To an extent, I believe that Prison Break might want to consider taking the “volume” approach that Heroes currently takes. Otherwise, they’re in a situation where they constantly have to stall, like they are now (where, in the span of only a few episodes, the card has gone from The Company to Michael to Self to some mystery buyer). It might have been better to effectively end this volume with Michael and crew successfully retrieving the device and being granted their freedom. The next volume, which would take place following a brief hiatus, would follow a new story altogether. Right now it just feels like the writers are creating all of these obstacles as a method to stall before the finale.
By the way, why hasn’t Gretchen killed Self by now? I’m shocked she didn’t try the moment she found out that her sister and daughter were safe. What purpose does he serve to her? In fact, he brings NOTHING to the table. He needs her, not the other way around. She’s the one with all the contacts and connections, and the only leverage he had was the fact that he was holding her family captive. Why hasn’t she killed him and sold the device? Or tried to make a truce with Lincoln? In their eyes, she’s the lesser of two evils compared to Self. She had the means, too, as we’ve seen her numerous times throughout the episode with a gun in her hand. Doesn’t make much sense to me.
Another baffling mystery: Where in the blue Hell did T-Bag’s goatee come from? Didn’t he only have a mustache when he was holding Gretchen’s family hostage? And isn’t this only, like, later that day? The conduit that Self had killed said the buyer was on the way, and they were still waiting at the pier at the time that Lincoln was talking to him. So did T-Bag grow a beard in a matter of hours? Possibly minutes? Very odd.
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.
