I’m not sure that there is anyone out there clamoring for a big, detailed recap of the two-hour “Prison Break” finale, so I’m just going to go character-by-character and mention something I liked (and something I didn’t like) about their role in the finale.
DON SELF
I didn’t like…
…seeing him get the drool wiped from his chin. He was a sneaky son of a bitch, but he didn’t deserve to be a vegetable. I couldn’t believe that the FBI agents fell for the “I’m-going-to-need-a-few-minutes-with-my-patient” bit.
I did like…
…his note to the agents — “KISS MY ASS” — and how the one agent had to hold the other agent back. What’s he going to do — beat him up?
CHRISTINA
I didn’t like…
…how she and her sidekick cheated death multiple times. And whatever happened to that guy when he busted into the warehouse at the end?
I did like…
…how evil they made her so that no one would mind that Sara shot her. But what was the point of having Michael get shot?
“Does anyone know why I’m shot? Anyone? Anyone?”
KELLERMAN
I didn’t like…
…that he returned. Wasn’t it a little convenient that he had “connections with the U.N.” and could give everyone a free pass? And how does this former psycho end up as a congressman. Wait, I take that back.
I did like…
…that he returned. He was always one of the most interesting characters on the show.
C-NOTE & SUCRE
I didn’t like…
…that they were intent on finding the General for no apparent reason. They didn’t know that the General had Michael at Co., so it was a complete coincidence that they arrived just in time to save everyone. You. Must. Suspend. Disbelief.
I did like…
…seeing how things turned out for these two. Sucre gets to be a dad and C-Note works for UPS. (Man, UPS has some pretty lax hiring practices in the world of “Prison Break.”)
THE GENERAL
I didn’t like…
…to see him in the electric chair. But if anyone deserves to be executed, it’s the General.
I did like…
…how he said that he was “just an old man” who “lost everything” once C-Note and Sucre showed up to save the day. He is such a snake.
MAHONE
I didn’t like…
…that he ended up with his former partner instead of his ex-wife (Callie Thorne rules), but it was good to see that he was happy. He’s been through a lot.
I did like…
…his strategy session with Michael at the beginning where he talked about not letting either party that has leverage on you know about the other.
T-BAG
I didn’t like…
…his line, “That boy has messed up every chance I had at freedom.” Um, no he hasn’t. As I remember, T-Bag had a chance at a fresh start in Panama. He had a bag full of money and a former (hot) prostitute that seemed to genuinely like him. He gave that all up because he just had to seek revenge on Michael. He got what he deserved.
I did like…
…how he had the audacity to grovel for forgiveness after nearly raping Sara, and how the gang sent him back to prison. I would have preferred it had he not ascended to a position of power, but hey, T-Bag is a survivor and he’s always going to find a way.
LINCOLN
I didn’t like…
…that he was so useless for 95% of the episode.
I did like…
…that he finally opened that scuba shop on the beach with Sofia, who was looking better than ever. But where was LJ? They referred to him by name, but why couldn’t they bring the actor back for the finale? On that note, it would have been nice to have seen where Gretchen ended up — presumably in jail. Maybe a shot of her little girl visiting her?
SARA
I didn’t like…
…the whole misdirect at the end by calling out the name “Michael” when it turned out to be her son. As soon as we saw that nosebleed on the beach and the show jumped ahead four years, everyone was wondering if our hero would make it. I realize that it would have been hokey had all the main characters lived happily ever after, but I didn’t need the misdirection with the little boy.
I did like…
…the bit about T-Bag having ED. She really got under his skin with that one.
MICHAEL
I didn’t like…
…that he had to die. But he had to die, didn’t he?
I did like…
…that he scaled the side of the loft to save his woman.
All in all, I thought it was a pretty satisfying finale. There was enough backstabbing, deceit, lying, conniving, near-rape and murder to pretty much sum up the entire series run. They dragged it out for too long, and this season was pretty frustrating at times, but they did a nice job wrapping things up.
There is a two-hour straight-to-DVD prequel movie coming out July 28th. To quote producer Matt Olmstead:
Can we assume that we’ll learn more about the ultimate sacrifice Michael made in the two-hour direct-to-DVD prequel movie [due July 28]?
OLMSTEAD: Yes, it dramatizes what happened to Michael. The nose bleed that reared its ugly head at the end of [tonight’s finale] was a factor in his ultimate demise in that he knew that he probably didn’t have that long to live, but it wasn’t the sole factor. It informed certain decisions that lead to his demise.The two-hour movie picks up right after the finale, right?
OLMSTEAD: Yeah, it takes place fairly soon after they’re exonerated.What’s the premise?
OLMSTEAD: Sara is on the hook for [killing] Michael’s mother and she gets locked up while pregnant. The tables are turned… once a doctor in prison now imprisoned, and Michael’s on the outside. The majority of the cast is back. It’s Michael, Lincoln, Sara, Sucre, T-Bag, Mahone… all the heavy-hitters.
Sarah is on the hook for killing Michael’s mother?
What? Wasn’t she exonerated of all wrongdoing by Kellerman and Co.? Wasn’t she just saving Michael’s life by shooting a woman who had a gun trained on him?
Sigh.
With that, the series (and this blog) comes to an end. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me throughout the entire run. I’ll leave you with the engraving on Michael’s grave stone:
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
