Season finales of “Prison Break” are about heading off into a new direction. Now that Linc and LJ are safe, Michael is all about seeking vengeance on Gretchen. Part of me would like to see the brotheres retrieve that bag of money (that should still be sitting underwater in that Panama cove) and retire to some sleepy beach community. But then there wouldn’t be a show, would there?

Once next season starts, I’m guessing that Michael will catch wind that Sucre is in Sona, and will feel obligated to try to break him out. But if Whistler, Gretchen and Mahone (how about that threesome?) leave town, I’m curious to see how Michael finds out about Sucre. For his part, Sucre seems resigned to his fate, but inside Sona, he has to deal with T-Bag, who has turned himself into something of a communist Robin Hood after pulling a fast one on Luchero. T-Bag still has the bird book, which is apparently still important even though it doesn’t contain coordinates.

On that front, it turns out that Whistler and Gretchen are more closely linked than we first thought, though there was that mid-season meeting at Sona where it seemed to me that the two were working together. It was surprising to see Whistler and Mahone hook up and it looks like Mahone’s new job is to protect Whistler from Michael. This should reintroduce the Michael/Mahone chess match that was so compelling in season 2. However, the roles will be reversed – Mahone will be the one on the run, and Michael will be hot on his trail.

It was pretty laughable that Sofia just happened to get shot outside the museum – I mean, what are the odds? – which led to Michael overhearing LJ tell Linc about the case in Sofia’s apartment. This gives Michael the ammunition he needs to find Gretchen.

So that’s where season 3 ends. I wondered last season if the show would be better off wrapping it up, but in Gretchen they introduced a new foil for Michael, something to keep him going, and now that she has Mahone’s help, they should be a formidable team. Whether we like it or not, “Prison Break” will go on, so we might as well see where it takes us.

I still wonder about that money, though. Hopefully, the writers will reintroduce that storyline next season.