 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. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 2 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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This week’s episode might have been the most ridiculous yet. 1. Michael led three other prisoners through a maze of active, alert guards and no one was seen. It was obvious something was up when Michael decided to let Luchero, T-Bag and Bellick get a head start on the escape. When he wasn’t moving, it became clear that he was using the trio as a distraction to make his real escape, and that point was punctuated when he said, “This is the plan.” In a series of maneuvers that would have made Solid Snake proud, Michael successfully navigated a crapload of random-walking Sona soldiers to get to the fence, where he punched through the hole and entered the jungle. For a guy that usually plans everything down to the last detail, this was quite the departure, but he had to improvise with this escape and he proved that he could. Burying the cans of oxygen at the beach was a nice twist, though how they successfully ended up at the buoy remains a mystery. Dimwit Whistler is dumb enough to lose his bird book, the same book that holds the key to his freedom, but he’s smart enough to pull the ol’ fall-down-during-the-escape-and-pretend-to-twist-your-ankle trick on Michael. At the beach, the guards didn’t bother to look for footprints (of course), but the dogs found the buried cooler and it looked for a moment that papa and the gang would eventually have a run in with the coast guard, but that encounter never happened. Once T-Bag and Bellick got caught, I began to wonder how they would continue to be involved in the story if Brothers Scofield were free. That question was answered when T-Bag just happened to fall next to (and retrieve) Whistler’s aforementioned bird book. That’ll be the leverage he needs to stay involved. It doesn’t hurt that Sucre looks like he’ll soon be a resident of Sona as well. Next week’s episode is the season finale, and it looks like next season may revolve around Michael trying to break Sucre and T-Bag (with the bird book) out of Sona. Michael will feel responsible for Sucre’s situation and he isn’t going to let him rot in prison. Plus, he’ll probably have more incentive if Susan still holds LJ and Sofia hostage. Bellick will probably make it, though it might be time for the writers to kill him off. I don’t know anyone who is clamoring for more Bellick right now. I’d like the show to push off into a new direction, but I don’t see how that’s possible. But “Prison Break” has surprised me before, so only time will tell. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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As the escape grows closer, the natives are getting restless. The whole gang is on edge, from T-Bag and Bellick in Sona to Gretchen and Sucre on the outside. You know things are getting bad for Michael when Mahone appears to be his most loyal friend. Not a lot happened in this episode. It was just a (long) buildup to the escape, which will presumably take place next week. Though one thing did occur to me – Gretchen/Susan is one badass mofo. From the choke job on Sucre in the bar to burning Sofia with cigars in the warehouse, she is one evil lady. (Of course, she already beheaded Sara, so these recent transgressions only add to the legend.) On a side note, I’m a little worried about the stopwatch that she gave Whistler. Obviously, we’re going to be subjected to several overly dramatic shots of the time ticking away as the gang tries to meet up with Gretchen. All we need is the countdown music from “24.” Bellick whined and complained throughout much of the episode, asking Mahone to be his friend on the outside. “What’s a guy like me supposed to do?” he asked. This is a far cry from the complete asshole we saw in the first season. T-Bag also approached Mahone about teaming up once they escaped, mentioning that it would be sweet justice to turn Michael in. Mahone replied with the line of the night: “Justice? If there was an ounce of it left in this world, you’d be lying face down in the same unmarked grave as the rest of your inbred family.” Man, tell us how you really feel, Mahone. In other news, Michael (unsurprisingly) has decided to let McGrady come along on the escape. At one point, Scofield told the boy, “Life in prison is better than life on the run.” Huh? The last few minutes of the episode were good as things started to ramp up for the escape. T-Bag and Luchero have formed an uneasy alliance and used it to their advantage to go through the hole first. Meanwhile, Linc had to figure out a way to knock the power out. That was kind of an odd scene – he drove up to the power pole, then looked and saw a bus stop sign. Then he hijacked the bus and drove it (for a long time) before running it into the pole. Was the bus stop by the pole or not? In the end, it really doesn’t matter because the lights are out and the escape is on. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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It’s funny how hard the “Prison Break” writers have to work to keep the gang together. With Michael’s second escape attempt (hopefully) coming soon, it looked for a moment that T-Bag and Bellick would be left out in the cold. Michael, who has always been quite selective about whom he takes with him on these escapes, has suddenly decided to be Mr. Inclusive. When Whistler tells him that he needed something from T-Bag and the price was T-Bag coming along on the escape, Michael just agreed without even asking what that something was. Of all of Michael’s foils on the show, he has the biggest problem with T-Bag’s history of molestation. You’d think he’d at least follow up on (and approve) his inclusion. Then, with Sammy’s coup causing all sorts of problems for Michael and his crew, T-Bag enlists the help of Delta Force Bellick, who agrees without even bothering to check and see if there is any acetone left. T-Bag is getting soft, too. When Bellick threatens to shout the news of the escape “from the rooftops,” I expected T-Bag to say something like this: Do that, sugar tits, and when you least expect it, I’ll slit your throat. Instead, T-Bag, who shouldn’t have any “you’re in” privileges, tells Bellick just that. (On a side note, I’m really starting to dig Bellick’s wardrobe. The belly-revealing half shirt and the Zubaz tiger-striped pants really work for him.) Also, McGrady keeps popping his head in asking to get in on the escape, but Michael hasn’t budged yet. Expect that to change soon. One more comment on the happenings inside the prison: Mahone is coming back. It appears that he’s shaking his addiction and he’s starting to become quite useful again. I really liked his line when Whistler was telling Mahone and Michael about how he got wrapped up with the Company: We’re not two chicks at a bar. I don’t need to hear this, unless you do. I miss Mahone the badass, so this is a good development. On the outside, Lincoln and Sucre’s plan to trick Gretchen backfired when Sucre decided to immediately wire the $25 K to Maricruz. I thought Gretchen was especially evil in that scene in the car, though I thought it was odd that she didn’t wonder why Sucre got in the back seat instead of the front. As a soldier, you’d think she’d be a little more protective of her backside. Anyway, Maricruz is in peril (again), which will bring Sucre’s loyalties into question (again). I’m going to go ahead and predict that Sucre will look as if he’s doing some shady things, but he’ll end up helping out the brothers in the end. (I know, that’s not really going out on a limb.) Let’s see, what else is going on. Linc bought a bomb and Sucre planted it in Gretchen’s car. I’m not sure how that’s going to play out, but I’m guessing at some point, we’ll see a car explode. Also, using Gary Miller’s phone, Gretchen texted someone named Edward Guthrie about how sales are going through the roof. I’m not sure what that’s about. Finally, Linc had the second best line of the night (after Mahone’s “two chicks” line) when he said to Sofia, “If he doesn’t take ya, I will.” Of course, if he likes her so much, why he would drop her off two blocks from home? Also, I’m curious about how many souvenir shops in Panama have Eiffel Tower keychains, but it was a nice gesture nonetheless. It appears that she has feelings for the big lug because when she got home she started to purge Whistler from her life. And that’s how she found his case. Well, if he’s not a fisherman, what is he? Filed under: TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Here’s a sentence that I never thought I’d hear uttered: “You’re going to throw down a chicken foot over a puddle of puke?” But that’s “Prison Break” for you. As the FOX promo said, the brothers are back. When we last left them, a foiled escape attempt led to a decision by the new warden (we’ll just call him “The General”) to kick Scofield out of Sona. A few minutes in the hotbox and Michael sang like a canary, choosing to trust The General when he said that he could help. This course of action showed some promise, but alas, the show is called “Prison Break” not “Let The General Help You Out.” The General seemed like a pretty smart guy, someone who has had to survive in a tough business, so it seems quite odd that he’d only take one soldier on his trip with Gretchen to find LJ. Sure, one soldier should be enough if it were only Gretchen he had to worry about, but didn’t he allow for the possibility that she might be setting a trap? At the very least, you’d think he’d account for a few armed men with the hostage, who just might put up a fight. (Sigh.)
Anyway, The General and his sole bodyguard are dead and Michael is back in Sona. What is old is new again. The writers did their damndest to touch base with just about every character on the show. Michael, Linc, T-Bag, Sucre, Gretchen, Whistler, Sofia, T-Bag, Bellick, Luchero, Sammy, Sammy’s drug dealer, McGrady, Mahone and even Mahone’s friend (who looks like she has some romantic feelings for everybody’s favorite corrupt FBI agent) all got some screen time. It made for a scattershot episode, but it pushed the storyline back into the prison, and it looks like Michael still has to break everyone out. The best thing to come out of this episode was Michael’s declaration that he’s coming for Gretchen. For me, that’s the proverbial carrot at the end of the “Prison Break” stick. Anyone who fell for Linc and Sucre’s little spat in the lobby of the hotel should look inward and ask themselves if they have paid proper attention to the show during its three seasons. I saw that switcheroo coming from ten miles away, and believe me, I’m not bragging. We were supposed to be surprised when Sucre broke into a little smile in the hotel room, but really, was anyone surprised? (After that spiel, I doubt anyone will admit to that now.) I’ll end on a prediction – Linc and Sofia get together by the end of the season. Whistler did say he loved her, but she doesn’t trust him anymore and Linc just saved her life. I’m not sure when, but those two are going to hook up. One last thing - I noticed something a little odd. LJ said he was there when Gretchen killed Sara, but he said he closed his eyes. Are the creators leaving open the possibility that Sara is alive? I guess all it would take to convince Linc about Sara’s death would be a fake severed head, and it wouldn’t be too hard to fool him. I don’t think that’s the direction they’re heading, but I thought I’d throw it out there and see if it sticks. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 4 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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When I heard that this week’s episode was the fall finale, I was a little relieved. Recent episodes have left me a little irritated with the show and, frankly, I need a break from “Prison Break.” But when I heard that the General intended to utilize a “band and burn” escape plan this week, my interest was definitely piqued. Michael feels understandably betrayed by Lincoln, but these words were a little harsh: “You used me, Linc. So I guess you and the Company have something in common.” Ouch. In last week’s blog, I was wrong when I surmised that Gretchen worked for Whistler. She works for the General, and her second interaction with Whistler at Sona made that quite clear. Anyway, Gretchen wanted Whistler to kill Michael, and he had a couple of opportunities to take Scofield out, but he was either interrupted or chose not to. It turned out to be his undoing, however, when Michael tried to piggyback on Whistler’s copter ride, forcing the duo back into Sona. (By the way, why couldn’t the helicopter fly off with two people on the rope? Search and rescue helicopters do that all the time. All…the…time.) Meanwhile, Sofia discovered Whistler’s bachelor pad, and mark my words, this is the beginning of the end for the couple. She obviously felt betrayed when he lied to her about the apartment. Don’t be surprised if the Sofia/Lincoln relationship heats up next year. The series took an interesting turn right at the end when Michael was kicked out of Sona. T-Bag, Bellick and Mahone will remain in Sona, while Michael is off to some new prison. I’m not sure how they’re going to make that work, but I’ll admit, I’m interested to find out. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
NBC may not be King of the Nielsen Ratings just yet, but we know good television when we see it, and the Peacock has returned in full force with a dominating presence that includes the top three shows and five of the top six. HBO, on the other hand, is experiencing the opposite, with the departure of “The Sopranos,” “Deadwood” and “Rome.” Add to that the fact that our list features a whopping 10 new entries — five of which are freshmen — and you’ve got one heck of a Power Rankings shakeup. Much of this has to do with so many shows being on hiatus until next year, but whatever the cause, it’s nice to see some much-needed change to a usually familiar lineup. And, hey, don’t miss the list of our favorite shows which are currently on hiatus (and are therefore ineligible for the Top-20), our farewell to “The Sopranos,” and our stable of Honorable Mentions. Check out the list here, then come back and let us know how we did…or if we missed any of your favorites! Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and News and Reviews and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and Rome and Lost and South Park and Prison Break and The Office and 24 and The Shield and The Sopranos and Rescue Me and Deadwood and External Entertainment and External TV and The Wire and Heroes and Jericho and Battlestar Galactica and TV Sci-Fi and Reaper and Journeyman and Friday Night Lights Comments: 2 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Heading into this “two-hour event,” I was wondering how the show was going to take off in a new direction once the boys escaped Sona. Would they join (or chase) Whistler and Susan as they looked for whatever it is they want on the bottom of the ocean? Would they try to find the money (from the first season) that’s sitting in a bag at the bottom of the cove as they dodge the Panamanian law? Would Michael discover that Sara was dead and seek vengeance on her murderers? What we got was four more days in Sona. Oh, and the big twist – Susan’s real name is Gretchen and she knows Whistler. Apparently, he’s her boss. Yawn. For someone who wants her boss out of Sona safely, I find Susan to be grouchy and unhelpful. First, she kills Michael’s girlfriend, which was a really risky move. She didn’t know that Linc wasn’t going to tell his brother about her death, and if/when Michael found out, he’s just as likely to freak out and stop planning the escape as he was to keep pushing forward to try to save LJ. The best she can do on the photo is give the brothers the same one she gave them before, which is pretty sketchy considering all the resources the Company is supposed to have. I don’t know if these plot holes are intentional or just a natural part of the series, but they sure are distracting. Apparently, the purpose of Tyge’s arrival at Sona was so that he could be killed, creating suspense around whether or not Whistler would be available for the escape. This is also a very fishy plot point. Is Tyge really just this random guy that got thrown into Sona and just happened to recognize Whistler? Come on. I’ve got to hand it to Linc. He went almost a whole season without making a boneheaded move then, on the day of the escape, he lets it slip that “something went wrong drugging the guard, but it’s OK now” when he could have said nothing and Susan wouldn’t have known about the daylight escape attempt. Way to go, Linc! I love how he told Michael that “she figured it out.” Yeah, right. She figured it out because you told her, you dolt! The writers are being a little heavy-handed trying to humanize Bellick. First, Tyge embarrasses him in line and then he’s devastated by the news of Sara’s death. Suddenly, he’s this compassionate, misunderstood guy. Did anyone else suspect that he was in fact Tyge’s murderer? I know Michael found the knife in Mahone’s cell, but that could have been planted. I wonder if that’s going to come up again. Speaking of Tyge’s death, what does the betrayal of Luchero’s man (discovered via the cigar stub) have to do with Whister? In other words, why did Luchero let Whistler go after killing his man? I don’t know what one has to do with the other, especially when Luchero goes on and on about whatever justice he thinks exists in Sona. I think that the writers sometimes use shocking moments like that as misdirection so that we don’t notice them shoving a bunch of shit under the rug. How about that brutal fistfight between Michael and Whistler where each guy lands like 10 punches yet neither guy gets a bloody lip or a black eye? I’m sure this had something to do with not wanting to give pretty boy Michael a black eye for the next five episodes, but it’s just too silly to ignore. As you can probably tell, I wasn’t a big fan of these two episodes. Once Michael sent Whistler back up the ladder, I knew we were in for several more episodes in Sona, and it’s starting to feel a little tedious. This part of “Prison Break” is starting to drag out, and the show feels like one big tease. They tried to kick things up a notch by having Luchero’s power taken away from him, meaning that he now wants to escape, and by revealing that Susan/Gretchen really works for Whistler, but after almost two hours of teasing, it just feels like too little, too late. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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The longer that Linc goes without telling Micheal about Sara’s death, the more trouble it’s going to cause down the line. Linc’s probably smart not to break the news, as it would probably cause Michael to flip out and that would jeopardize L.J., but Michael is going to see the omission as a betrayal. The creators took another shot at Sarah Wayne Callies by having Susan make a reference to Linc losing his head and then saying there’s “a bad joke about Sara in there somewhere.” I think this a cheap attempt at humor and I don’t find it realistic that Susan would make this comment let alone kill Sara in the first place. It’s too big of a risk that Michael will find out about her death and refuse to help the Company. The bottom line is that the creators wanted to kill off Sara and this is the best they could come up with. Regardless, expect some serious vengeance when Michael discovers the truth. The escape plan is coming together…sort of. Michael wants to break out during the day (nice twist!), only his plan runs into a snag when one of the guards spots Michael watching him through a binocular lens. With his cell locked up, Michael must now figure out how to break the chains (or come up with Plan B) within 24 hours. I’m not sure what the point was of Sucre taking on the role of drug smuggler nor is it clear how the drug kingpin makes any money off the prisoners. Isn’t there a fixed amount of money flowing around Sona? So when drugs go in, where is the new money coming from? And where is it going? Luchero has a bundle, but I just don’t know how these customers are coming up with the cash. And how can the kingpin afford to give Sucre $5 K for that little bundle? I’m confused. Linc’s expression when Sofia took off her shirt on the beach was pretty funny. Is this a sign of a new romance? She seems to be fully in love with Whistler (and is willing to go to great lengths to break him out), but if he betrays her somehow, it will be easy for her to run into Linc’s big arms. T-Bag’s story progressed a little when he stole the heart of Luchero’s whore. He may have overstepped his bounds, but I think she’ll help him at some crucial point in the future. He also has Mahone running a tab for his drugs, so expect him to leverage that debt sometime soon. Finally, there’s a new prisoner and Star Trek fans will recognize Dominic Keating from his role as Malcom Reed on “Enterprise.” He’s English, and I’m not sure what accent his character is supposed to have, but he shed some light on Whistler’s past when he said that he met Whistler when he was “with the ambassador.” It looks like the gang will have to try to use the guard’s coffee cup against him. I’m not sure how Michael plans to do it, but something tells me he’ll find a way. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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For you irregular readers, on last week’s blog, I wrote: So that leads us to the box – what’s in it? It’s a perfect size for a head, bringing the final scene of “Se7en” to mind, and the fact that the bad guys have two hostages makes one of them expendable, but a decapitated head of a main (and good) character seems to be a little much for “Prison Break.” Well, so much for that theory. Apparently, Sara’s dead, and according to some reports around the web, FOX forced Sarah Wayne Callies out. I really thought that the Michael/Sara love story would be the constant, driving force throughout the series run, but I guess that’s not the case. It’s a shame, because there was something really sweet about it, and it offset some of the more grisly parts of the series. Anyway, R.I.P. Dr. Tancredi. You’ll be missed. (One thing’s for sure: the Company better watch out when Michael gets the news. Then the shit is really going to hit the fan.) Was anyone surprised when Sucre showed up as the new gravedigger? C’mon, really? You didn’t think his move-to-Columbia-and-pick-coffee-beans plan was really going to happen, did you? I don’t know how strong the Columbian Peso is against the US Dollar, but I doubt that would make much of a dent in Maricruz’ bills. Then again, the dollar is pretty weak right now. Two weeks ago, Michael played MacGyver by fixing the water flow in the prison and this week he used his engineering skill to sabotage the power so that he could gain access to the power lines running alongside the exterior walls. I’m not sure where all of this is headed, but it’s clear by the final shot that he intends to go through the fence after Sucre weakens it. In other news, Whistler and his girl have decided to check up on the brothers, Mahone is receiving visits from Haywire, Bellick gets burned after trying to rat out Michael and T-Bag has decided to promote himself within Luchero’s organization. The chess pieces are moving around. How long will it take before they’re all in place? Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 3 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Aptly titled, this episode was mostly about Michael’s goal to get Sara on the phone. I liked the juxtaposition of Linc trying to rescue Sara and LJ, though the throw-them-in-the-white-van-and-drive-off was a little too clean of a getaway, wasn’t it? At what point does Linc decide to rent a car? It would really help if he had his own wheels. So that leads us to the box – what’s in it? It’s a perfect size for a head, bringing the final scene of “Se7en” to mind, and the fact that the bad guys have two hostages makes one of them expendable, but a decapitated head of a main (and good) character seems to be a little much for “Prison Break.” Inside the prison, it looks like Mahone and Bellick are starting to realize that Michael is a train on its way out of town, and if they ever want to get out of Sona, they had better hop on. To that end, they need to put Michael in a position where he has to agree to take them with him, which isn’t an easy task. Bellick’s search for a shoe (while a pretty funny Spanish version of “We’ve Got to Get Out of This Place” played in the background) allowed him to conveniently overhear Mahone and Micheal’s conversation about Whistler, so he’ll surely be more involved in the coming weeks. Sucre also made a couple of cursory appearances, but it seems like the series is just touching base with the character so he can be used later on. Another nice twist: Michael’s decision to blackmail T-Bag with his own history. It looks like T-Bag may be too distracted by undercutting Luchero’s henchmen to bother with Michael. Speaking of Luchero, he now has a line on Linc, who would be wise to get rid of that cell phone. But the words “Linc” and “wise” aren’t often used in the same sentence. (He did do a nice job of figuring out the “3 o’clock” bit, however.) Filed under: TV and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Y’know, I just realized that Michael Scofield is a modern-day MacGyver. He’s not as quite as over the top as his predecessor, turning a rubber band, a matchstick and a basketball into a pogo stick, but it seems like every other week he’s putting together some kind of concoction to improve his lot in life. When he asked the kid about the water situation, I figured it was going to come into play, either in this episode or in the future. I’m still a little fuzzy on how sending an alcohol bomb into the pipes is going to turn the water back on, but I guess there was some sort of blockage that had to be cleared. Anyway, the water is running again, so kingpin Luchero shows his gratitude by calling off the bounty on Whistler’s head. According to “Susan,” Michael still has just a week to become the first person to break out of Sona. No more. The whole Sucre/Maricruz/Bellick storyline was wrapped up a little too neatly and quickly for my taste, but it got Sucre to Panama and back in the fold. I’m not sure how he’ll figure into Michael’s escape, but I’m sure Linc will get him involved somehow. Speaking of Linc, he pulled the ol’ (now infamous) “Prison Break” switcheroo – the first one this season - with the little bird watching guide. That took some serious foresight, which is not something Linc is known for. Maybe Michael is rubbing off on him. (On a side note, it really seems like Linc and Susan have some serious sexual tension, doesn’t it?) It looks like this season, or at least the first part, will be about Michael and Whistler, and their goal to break out of Sona. Mahone, T-Bag and Bellick will do whatever they can to put Michael into a position to take them with him. Mahone and Bellick will probably help him along the way, but T-Bag is the wildcard. He has a knack for self-preservation, so I doubt he’d shoot himself in the foot if he thought he could tag along on Michael’s escape, but there is a load of contempt between the two men and it would take a lot to get them to come together again. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External TV Comments: None Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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After a season of being on the run, some fans of the show complained that they missed the overwhelming claustrophobia of the first season. Well, to put it succinctly, it looks like the old “Prison Break” is back. When last we left them, Michael, Mahone, T-Bag and Bellick were all sent to Sona, which is Panama’s toughest and most ruthless prison (of course). I had to laugh when that cat at the American embassy painted an overly bleak picture for Linc. He said that Sona was “the worst of the worst,” that “the guards had pulled out” and are now just “keeping a perimeter.” Good grief. With Lincoln exonerated, I was curious to see how the show would be able to reinvent itself, and it looks like Michael’s new mission will be to break a very important person (Whistler?) out of Sona. He only has a week to do it, so assuming one episode per day, this new storyline might only eat up a third of the season. Whistler is probably the guy that Bellick spoke to in the basement. Speaking of Brad, how disturbing was it to watch him walk around in those tighty whities? Mahone wants to help Michael, if only to get Michael to testify on his behalf once the two are out of prison. Since Mahone killed his pops, Michael isn’t too keen on the idea, but he might not have much of a choice given how badly the cards are stacked against him. T-Bag seems to have already wormed his way into the good graces of Luchero, a Panamanian drug kingpin who runs the prison. By the way, Luchero is played by Robert Wisdom, who was terrific as Major Howard “Bunny” Colvin on “The Wire.” It will be fun to watch him play such a cartoon-ish character. It looks as if the roles of LJ and Sara will once again be to coerce the brothers into working for the unseen powers that be. I get the feeling that Michael and Sara won’t be able to truly be together until the series finally comes to an end, whenever that is. It also appears that two or three new women will have major roles this season. There’s the woman that Linc met at the bar, the prostitute that dressed up as a nun, and the woman outside the prison who was looking for the notes from the guy in the basement. (They’re all brunettes, by the way.) And there’s still the question of all that money which, if I remember correctly, is sitting in a lagoon under a few feet of water. So we’re off. Do you like the new direction of the show or do you wish they had wrapped everything up at the end of last season? I’m not sure how I’d answer that question, but so far, so good. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 3 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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…but let’s get the bad news out of the way first: we asked Peter Liguori, Fox’s President of Entertainment, point blank as to whether the show might yet be saved if it somehow sets ratings records when its last two episodes air on July 4th. His response: “As near and dear to my heart as that show is, I would say that that’s definitely a long shot.” Ah, well. Not that anyone expected it would play out any differently, I’m sure, but it would’ve been nice if he’d gone out on a limb and, “By God, if that thing scores such-and-such a rating, then we sure WILL pick it back up!” But no such luck. So, okay, now that we’re pretty sure about what isn’t going to be on Fox’s 2007 - 2008 fall schedule, let’s take a look at what will…but be forewarned about one thing: Fox is playing the game of having one schedule in the fall and one schedule in the spring. Not that that’s anything new, but it does show a certain amount of foresight to be willing to lay out their strategy this early. MONDAY The fall starts out with “Prison Break” in the 8 PM timeslot, followed by a new drama, “K-Ville,” which is already destined to create a stir because of its setting. K-VILLE: From writer and executive producer Jonathan Lisco (“NYPD Blue,” “The District”) comes a heroic police drama set in New Orleans. Two years after Katrina, the city is still in chaos. Many cops have quit, and the jails, police stations and crime labs still haven’t been properly rebuilt. But the cops who remain have courage to burn and a passion to reclaim and rebuild their city. MARLIN BOULET (Anthony Anderson, “The Departed,” “The Shield”) is a brash, funny, in-your-face veteran of the NOPD’s Felony Action Squad, the specialized unit that targets the most-wanted criminals. Even when his partner deserted him during the storm, Boulet held his post, spending days in the water saving lives and keeping order. Now he’s unapologetic about bending the rules when it comes to collaring bad guys. Boulet’s new partner, TREVOR COBB (Cole Hauser, “The Break-Up,” “ER”), was a soldier in Afghanistan before joining the NOPD. He’s tough and committed, but if he’s less than comfortable with Boulet’s methods, it’s because he’s harboring a dark secret. Cobb has come to New Orleans seeking redemption, but redemption can be dangerous. Will Boulet be able to trust him? Will Cobb’s past endanger them both? Rounding out the crew of cops are hotheaded BILLY “K-9” FAUST (Maximiliano Hernández, “Law & Order,” “Shark”), who often speaks before thinking; wisecracking JEFF “GLUE BOY” GOODEN (Blake Shields, “Sleeper Cell,” “Veronica Mars”), the team’s comic relief; tough-as-nails GINGER “LOVE TAP” LeBEAU (Tawny Cypress, “Heroes”), the only female on the squad, who gives as good as she gets; and CAPTAIN JAMES EMBRY (John Carroll Lynch, “Zodiac,” “The Drew Carey Show”), who wrangles the eclectic personalities of his squad with equal parts humor and tenacity. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER: Jonathan Lisco Come January, “K-Ville” will apparently move to the 8 PM timeslot, and, upon its completion, “Prison Break” will return to that timeslot while “24″ reclaims the 9 PM slot. Oh, and check this out: another writer on the teleconference basically called Fox out on how crap “24″ has been this season and wanted to know if things were gonna change next year. Having been put on the spot, Mr. Liguori responded thusly: “We’ve heard what the show’s loyal audience has said to us, and I’ll tell you that it’s really fuelled the show runners to be more daring with what they do next year. I’ve always likened ‘24’ to a James Bond movie – every one offers a different vision, different villains, a different love interest – and I have every confidence that Joel (Surnow), Bob (Cochran), and Howard (Gordon) will come back with a daring and loquacious swing at the plate with the next season of ’24,’ and I’m looking forward to next year.” Nice comeback. We’ll see if his confidence turns out to be warranted… Filed under: TV and Actors and Actresses and News and Interviews and TV Comedies and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and 24 and American Idol and External Entertainment and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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*sigh* Wouldn’t it have been nice if Linc, Michael and Sarah had just sailed off into the sunset with the five million in tow? Not to kick a dead horse, but the series missed an opportunity for a natural conclusion to its two-year run. When Sarah showed up at the dock, I kept repeating to myself, “You can visit once you get out on the water! Push away from the f*cking dock!” Of course, Mr. Kim somehow managed to track the brothers through the jungle and stealthily snuck up on boat like some kind of well-dressed ninja. And just like that, the third season of “Prison Break” began. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Agent Eisen deserves special mention after giving himself up in order to free Sarah (and Linc), but does anyone really think he’s dead? They were careful to shoot the execution scene in such a way that it’s not clear if those masked men came to kill Eisen or to rescue him. Smart money is on the latter. It was a sweet relief that the whole missed phone call bit didn’t cause any problems during the episode. It was pretty ridiculous that Michael didn’t keep the phone nearby in case Sarah (or even Mahone) tried to contact him. That’s a dumb move for someone smart enough to frame Mahone for drug running. I couldn’t help but feel for the dastardly agent as he called his wife (presumably) for the last time. But now he and Michael are in a Panamanian prison, partly named “Federale de Sona,” which finally gives some meaning to the cryptic word. It turns out that Sona is a small town in Panama, and apparently, there’s some sort of weird experiment going on at the prison and the Quiet Man wants Scofield’s involvement. The prospect of Mahone and Scofield working together inside the prison is appealing, and it’s likely that Bellick and T-Bag will join them there before too long. Meanwhile, Sucre is passed out in the middle of the road wondering where his beloved fiancé is trapped, while Lincoln is trying to track down Sarah on the streets of some Panamanian city. Oh, and there’s five million dollars lying in the water next to the dock. Let’s not forget about that. As we get into season three, will we look back at this episode and wish that they had ended the series? Or will the Sona Experiment take “Prison Break” in new and unexpected directions? Only time will tell, and we’ve got at least five months to wait. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External TV Comments: 7 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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The second-to-last episode of the year comes on the heels of the news that Fox has ordered another season of the show. This news is both good and bad. In many ways, two seasons feels like a natural conclusion to the story, but the show is still entertaining (at times) and is doing well in the ratings, so a third season is not unwarranted. But how do they stretch this concept out another year? Creator Paul Scheuring shed some light on the subject:
This week’s episode was mostly about Michael’s desire to put T-Bag back behind bars. As in all things “Prison Break,” this goal only leads to more hurdles to overcome. He succeeds in his task (and in retrieving the money), but unbeknownst to him, Mahone has captured Linc. They wrapped up T-Bag’s storyline nicely – the knife in his one good hand was classic - but based on Scheuring’s hints, at least one of the brothers will run into Bagwell in a Panama jail. It’s also nice to see Mahone’s storyline shifting from a “I need to capture Michael at all costs” mentality to a “I want to retire” mentality. And with the lovely Callie Thorne playing his wife, it’s easy to understand why. It looked for a moment that Sarah would be the focus of Season 3 - that maybe Michael and Linc would have to sneak back into the States to break her out of prison - but Agent Eisen’s sudden reversal could prevent that. It’s understandable why Sucre isn’t exactly thinking straight. After all, his girlfriend is supposedly stashed away somewhere on the verge of death. But if you’re holding the ever-dangerous T-Bag hostage in the back seat of a car, you need to keep an eye on him. Otherwise he’ll retrieve a screwdriver with his foot and stab you in the chest. Seriously, Sucre, you don’t have to look at Michael in the front seat to talk to him. Humans are perfectly capable of communicating without eye contact. Lastly, Bellick’s exclamation when he was captured – “Innocente!” – was hilarious. It’s looking more and more like he’ll end up in a Panamanian jail with the other convicts. Next week is the season finale and it appears that the elusive Mr. Kim is going to show up in Panama. The episode is entitled “Sona,” so maybe we’ll finally find out what the word means. The last break featured a great twist (Agent Eisen agreeing to help the brothers), so expectations are high. Don’t let us down, fellas. Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External TV Comments: 2 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Though I do like the fact that the story has moved to Panama, there are a few inexplicable decisions in this week’s episode that simply cannot be overlooked: 1. There’s no way in hell that FBI Internal Affairs lets C-Note go on his own recognizance if he’s supposed to testify against Mahone. They might keep him in jail or they might keep him in a safe house, but they would not release him. Ridiculous, dumb and dumb. Like I said in my last post, I just hate it when smart characters do stupid things. It makes the show tough to enjoy. And, otherwise, there was a lot to like about this episode. From Sarah’s question - “Are you asking me to sail off into the sunset with you?” - to Bellick’s insult - “What’s Spanish for INS?” – there were some good lines. But still, there is one thing that bothers me. If the President is out of office, why does Mr. Kim still care about tracking down the convicts? Wasn’t the original intent to protect the President? Now that she’s gone, who really cares? I’m guessing it has something to do with the mysterious SONA file, but even money says that the writers don’t even know where that storyline is headed right now. And where in the world is Agent Eisen? Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Man, this might just be the best episode of the season! We finally got to hear what was on that tape. WARNING: If you haven’t watched it yet, don’t read any further. Go on, click another link. Seriously, you don’t want ruin the surprise. I mean it. Read anywhere else but down. Gone? Good. President Reynolds had sex with her brother! Incest! The ultimate twist! Holy smokes, I didn’t see that one coming. It wasn’t a surprise – it was a shocker. It was even more effective because it was part of a great scene with Michael, Mr. Kim and the President. It’s not often these three intermingle, and their back and forth made the reveal that much more intense. When Kim swooped in at the last second and told Caroline that he too knew her secrets, it sent the series off in a completely different direction. On a side note, I was wondering why Lincoln’s buddy brought him a six pack. But when Reynolds resigned, and Linc screamed and threw the bottle against the wall, I had my answer. As I suspected, C-Note survived his suicide attempt, which really isn’t that surprising considering he tried to hang himself in the middle of the day with the guards milling about. His storyline has shifted now that the other agent is trying to nail Mahone. Speaking of Mahone – he is truly brilliant. I love the whole I’m-so-strung-out-on-tranquilizers act, which led to Sarah’s fake escape. I thought it was pretty silly that she didn’t mention the Mahone encounter to Michael when the two spoke on the phone, but she did just learn about the pardons, so maybe her mind was elsewhere. Did T-Bag leave his brain in Alabama? Instead of just hiding out and waiting for Bellick to grab his bag and leave, T-Bag infiltrates the baggage area and gets into a fistfight with an airport employee. Seriously, all he had to do was go to the bathroom and drop a deuce and he’d be able to pick up his five million with no problem. However, from a plot perspective, it’s understandable. The money had to be put back into play, but I just hate it when smart characters do dumb things. The writers came up with that awesome incest twist, but couldn’t figure out a better way for T-Bag to lose his bag? Anyway, Sucre and Bellick are going to go after the money, but they don’t know what name T-Bag was flying under or what the bag looks like, so they’ll run into a problem at the airport. Of course, Sucre can’t be seen there, so Bellick will be flying solo, so to speak. Finally, does anyone have any idea why Scary Corporate Guy would have a file folder labeled “SONA”? What the hell does that mean? Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External TV Comments: 1 Comment Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Really? We’re going to have this huge buildup to the Magical Tape that can make everything right in the world, but we don’t even get to hear what’s on it? I spent the rest of the hour recovering from the letdown. This episode did move pretty well, and touched on all of the storylines. Of course, the whole Cooper Green switcheroo was pretty silly. I can’t find the actor’s name, but the guy who played the fake Green always plays a bad guy, so my spidey sense was tingling from the get go. Moreover, the “my inhaler is in my jacket” and the “my cell phone is running out of juice” bits were also pretty lame, but at least the boys hooked up with the real Cooper before the episode’s end, which sent the series off in another direction. On a side note, Mahone once again displayed some superior policing skills when he figured out how all the sight lines in the park led to the hotel. I wouldn’t want that dude chasing me - no way, no how. Was anyone surprised to see a rope when C-Note opened up the package? I guess the background music was meant to reflect his personal shock, but the only thing surprising about the rope was that it was already tied into a noose. On that note – no pun intended – we didn’t exactly see C-Note die. He just stepped off the bed when the episode ended; so don’t count him out just yet. T-Bag seems to be finally getting down to the business of being a multi-millionaire, and his haste to get out of Alabama (to Bangkok) somehow has him on a flight to Mexico. Wait a second, it’s the same flight as Bellick? I’m confused. Quick, honey, press the button. No, the one that says, “Suspend Disbelief.” Ah, yes, that’s much better, thanks. Moving on… Am I crazy or was T-Bag intending to take three million dollars in cash through security? The bundles of hundreds are literally spilling out of the bag, but this deviously intelligent individual plans to take it through airport security! Honey! Honey! Yeah, I need you to press it again! No, I really can’t reach it! Thanks, babe. What were we talking about? Filed under: TV and TV Dramas and TV Action and Prison Break and External TV Comments: 3 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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Since the dawn of creation — well, the creation of this feature, anyway — Jack Bauer sat atop Bullz-Eye.com’s TV Power Rankings, owning the #1 slot for better than a year and a half. Some would say it was only a matter of time, but now that it’s finally happened, the sudden fall from grace of Fox’s hit show “24″ is actually a lot more embarrassing than it is depressing. But the real-time thriller isn’t the only major shakeup in the winter 2007 edition of the rankings. HBO’s “The Wire” makes its grand (and, forgive us, long overdue) debut, while NBC experienced a big surge thanks to its fresh fall lineup. Of course, HBO still came out the big winner with five shows emerging in the Top 10 (four in the first six), proving once again that it pays to, well, pay for quality television. Here are a few entries from our list: 11. Scrubs (NBC): It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see that “Scrubs” has dropped so low in the rankings. Coming off one of the best years since its debut, expectations for the show were certainly higher than usual – especially when it was called up to the big leagues and given a spot in NBC’s highly coveted Must See TV lineup – but no one could have guessed that the sixth season would start out on such a sour note. Whether it was the accelerated progression of J.D. into adulthood (he’s got a baby on the way, with guest star Elizabeth Banks, no less) or Carla’s all-too-brief post-partum depression (a subplot added to accommodate Judy Reyes’ real-life hip injury), the first five episodes of the new season were particularly somber. Things were looking so bleak, in fact, that fans of the show were preparing to concede that the medical comedy was finally showing signs of wear, but with the much-publicized musical episode creatively rejuvenating everyone involved with the show, things are finally getting back on track. And as long as things remain this kooky and fresh (read: Kelso getting his own episode, or the Janitor using a stuffed rabbit as a salt and pepper shaker), we don’t see any reason why “Scrubs” won’t being making a triumphant return to the Top 5 in the very near future. ~Jason Zingale 17. Deadwood (HBO): Well, despite all the rumors, “Deadwood” isn’t quite dead…yet. Last year, HBO decided not to extend the options of the terrific ensemble cast, making a fourth full season unlikely, but the network and series creator David Milch agreed to produce two two-hour telefilms to wrap up the show’s loose ends. Season Three contained a myriad of intertwining storylines, but focused on the growing influence of businessman/asshole George Hearst, which put former adversaries Al Swearengen and Sheriff Seth Bullock in an unlikely alliance. “Deadwood” features stronger language than any other HBO show, and with “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” on the network’s roster, that’s saying a lot. The truth is that everything about the show – the language, the acting, the story, the sets and the costumes – is colorful, and whether or not HBO wants to admit it, they’re going to miss “Deadwood” once it’s gone for good. ~John Paulsen Check out the full list here. Filed under: TV and Rome and Lost and South Park and Prison Break and The Office and My Name Is Earl and 24 and The Shield and The Sopranos and Entourage and Deadwood and External Entertainment and External TV and The Wire and Heroes and Battlestar Galactica Comments: 9 Comments Digg this! Add to Del.icio.us |
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