Just last week I was talking about how Prison Break – despite one of my favorite shows – wasn’t a series I felt I had to watch immediately. Well, perhaps it was because it was the series finale, but I did find myself glued to the TV at 8:00 on Friday night. And when I left the house to go out for a few hours, I opted to take the second hour so that I could watch it once I got home, instead of having to wait on line for the typically jam packed TiVo.
And overall, I thought it was an excellent episode that concluded the series quite perfectly. Certain characters were re-introduced, most notably Sucre and C-Note, and the good guys conclusively won. I’m glad they avoided major twists and betrayals, because I think that would have soured what should have been – and essentially was – a story with a happy ending.
Like last week, this episode reminded viewers that T-Bag is a slithering snake, and not one of the good guys (despite their habit of working side-by-side). I wouldn’t have minded if Michael killed him, but I’m really, REALLY glad he ended up back in prison. If anything other than those two options ended up happening, I would have been very disappointed. This guy was begging for an unhappy ending.
I also liked how Sara repeatedly prevented Michael from taking people’s lives (first T-Bag, then the General), and she was ultimately the only character to commit a major kill (by shooting Christina, in order to save Michael). At first I felt like the fates were mixed – I thought the General, for all he had put these characters through, should have been the one who was killed. And Christina, for being such a heartless character, would have suffered more in a maximum security prison. But we would ultimately learn that the General would be executed anyway (which is really more fitting, considering that that was supposed to be Lincoln’s original fate), so it all balanced out.
I also liked how, when the final decision came regarding what to do with Scylla, Mahone (and everybody else) DID have a say in the matter. It wasn’t Michael’s choice: It was a democratic decision, because it impacted everybody.
I was glad to see Kellerman return. I’m sure there are some people that are critical of the seemingly pulled together story of how he wasn’t actually killed, but this was a necessary evil. In order to provide an appropriate ending, they needed to relinquish Scylla to a believable, recognizable character. With Kellerman’s historical significance to the series, he fit the bill perfectly. He’s also played both sides, and has a comforting way about him that makes him a believable ally. I love the way he calmly told Michael, “If you don’t have it, fine. But we have to get ready to run for our lives.” That was exactly the sort of thing Michael needed to hear. You could sense that a part of him felt defeated. Like even if Michael couldn’t trust Kellerman, he was just going to hand over the device anyway.
I must admit that I was a little unsettled by the end, though. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was beautifully done. I really loved how each character found their own sense of peace. Mahone, even though things didn’t work with his ex-wife, still clearly has an amicable relationship with her. And he’s with his former partner, a nice touch. Sucre can now live with his family without having to constantly look over his shoulder. Lincoln is finally free, no strings attached. And Sara, despite her devastating loss, seems to be in a good place. I also liked that these four people have kept in touch. After everything they had been through, they forged genuine relationships with each other. And it was nice that they celebrated the man who brought them all together. The man who had constantly risked everything to ensure their freedom. Not everything was bright and shiny, though. We learned that despite the fact that Paul turned over a new leaf, he can’t escape all of the skeletons in his closet. Meanwhile, T-Bag is back where he started, and the General is getting what he deserves.
My issue with Michael’s death is that he sacrificed the last couple of years of his life not experiencing his life. There’s an optimistic view, of course: He met the woman he loves. He saved his brother’s life. And he took down an evil organization. Additionally, since it was a brain tumor, he was going to die anyway. It just seemed sad to me that for the last couple of years of his life (I don’t quite remember, how much time elapsed throughout the entire series?) running and hiding. He was pretty much the only character that genuinely didn’t belong in prison, yet he arguably lost the most. It’s also heartbreaking that he gave this heartfelt speech about being such a hands-on father, yet he won’t be around to watch his child grow up.
That sadness aside, I thought it was a phenomenal way to end the series. Michael’s fate was unfortunate, but other than that everybody was right where they belonged. The villains were dead, captured, or brain dead, and the heroes were happy, free, and at peace.
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.
