Category: Prison Break (Page 3 of 15)

“Prison Break” coming to an end this season

January 14, 2009 /

We speculated late last year that “Prison Break” may be on its last legs, and Fox has now made it official.

The news probably isn’t a huge shock to anyone who has been following the series recently. Late last year, speculators thought the show would be coming to an end when Fox tacked on a few extra hours to this year’s production schedule. And with heavy promotion for Fringe, 24, and Lie to Me in full swing, it isn’t hard to see who the odd man out is.

Prison Break is currently on a little vacation, as Fox beefs up its midseason schedule with the aforementioned trio and a little program called American Idol. However, Fox did schedule a return for the final episodes of Prison Break–they begin their run April 17.

According to TVGuide.com, Fox president Kevin Reilly explained, “[Prison Break] got to a point where a lot of the stories had been told,” which is a kind way to say the show was running on fumes creatively. At least six hours of the drama are left to go, with the possibility of a few more hours added as Reilly said he wants the program to “finish strong.”

It’s about time. I’ve been blogging the show for a long, long time, and I’m happy to hear the news. The only thing worse than when a series doesn’t get enough of a chance (i.e. “Journeyman”) is when a network resuscitates a series over and over, squeezing as much money as it can out of a successful franchise to the point where all that’s left is a husk of its corpse.

Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but it’s a good time for “Prison Break” to end. Hopefully the news comes early enough so that the creators can bring about a satisfactory conclusion for the fans that have stuck around.

External TV, Prison Break, TV, TV Action, TV Dramas

TCA Tour, Jan. 2009: Fox newsflash

January 13, 2009 /

Kevin Reilly, president of Fox Entertainment, just came onstage and announced:

* The scheduling process for “Dollhouse” was considered very seriously, and the thought is that moving “Sarah Connor” to Fridays as a lead-in makes a good combo; additionally, there’s a solid promotional platform the night before, with “Bones” being moved to Thursday nights. Long story short, they’re committed to 13 episodes, and they’ll see how it’ll play out.

* He confirmed conclusively that “Prison Break” will end after this season, but that “they’re gonna finish strong.” There are four episodes and are contemplating doing a few more, but no formal decision has been made on that. “We didn’t give it the hook,” he said. “It’s just played out.”

* He described “Fringe” as “a keeper,” though he also referred to it as “a bear, creatively, because it’s so ambitious,” and doesn’t really expect it to take off just because it’ll be airing after “American Idol.”

* “Moment of Truth” has a season’s worth of episodes – 24, he reckons – sitting on the shelf, and “we’ll come back to it at some point,” but “we had other options, and we had other things that we wanted to put on more immediately. We have it as a tool when we want to go for it.”

* The idea of doing a show about a high school glee club (“Glee”) was one that came about predominantly because of one reason: it was created by Ryan Murphy, of “Nip/Tuck” fame.

* He hopes to have Paula Abdul stay with “American Idol” for the long haul.

* He described NBC as “the crazy ex-wife I can’t get away from,” but gave them credit for signing up Jay Leno and described it as “a smart, strategic move for a troubled place.”

* “Bones” works everywhere they put it and has only been growing, thanks to its base. If it does what they hope it will do for them on Thursday, however, they’ll lock it down there.

* He smirked that “Do Not Disturb,” if nothing else, made a lot of lists this year, and that they’re mostly sticking with their animated sitcoms, though they’re ordering five half-hour pilots and will see whether or not one of them will end up on the fall schedule. “It doesn’t make sense to order comedy for the sake of comedy,” he said. “Even if I have a show that we love, if we don’t think it can be protected on the fall schedule, we won’t put it on there.”

American Idol, External Entertainment, External TV, Interviews, News, Prison Break, Reality TV, TCA Blog 2009, TCA Press Tour, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, TV, TV Action, TV Comedies, TV Dramas, TV Sci-Fi

Prison Break 4.16: “The Sunshine State”

December 23, 2008 /

The show (ponderously) moved to Florida for its “fall finale.” This was apparently meant to geographically separate Sara and Michael from the gang, which now consists of Lincoln, Gretchen, T-Bag, Don and a late-arriving Mahone. I’m not clear about what “deals” Don, Gretchen and T-Bag made with the General, but they seem to be committed to the quest wholeheartedly (when they should probably be on the run).

Gretchen and Lincoln had an interesting moment at the hotel when she offered herself up to him, and it would seem rather pointless if she is truly now on her way to jail. Maybe the writers were just trying to amp up the sexual tension, or maybe they’re setting something else up for later on. I presume Lincoln is still committed to Sofia, who I believe is still with L.J. in Panama.

“Is that the secret to unlimited renewable energy in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

Unsurprisingly, the new buyer for Scylla is Michael and Lincoln’s mother, but it’s not clear why she had to buy the device if she has so much power within the Company. The psychiatrist could have been yanking Michael’s chain to get him on board, but even if he had agreed to work with her within the Company, the jig would have eventually been up once he learned that she didn’t work there.

Don had a couple of great lines in this episode. First, he introduced Mahone as “Bruce Liberachi,” and then he went on this spiel once he realized that Gretchen had betrayed the group:

“You whore. You’re a whore. Your mother was a whore and her mother was a whore. And your father use to turn tricks at a gas station ‘cause he was a whore too.”

This, coming from a guy who has betrayed every single character on the show at least once.

From the tag, it looks like Michael and Lincoln are going to be pitted against each other in the search for Scylla. Seeing that Linc agreed to work for the Company in order to get Michael the necessary medical care, I’m not sure why he doesn’t join forces with his brother now that he’s safe with Sara. If his reasoning is that he “just wants his life back,” that’ll be pretty lame. If he wants his life back he should just join L.J. and Sofia in Panama. Why does he have to mess with Michael’s seemingly impossible and endless quest to take down the Company?

The tag also said that there are only six episodes left, which (somewhat) contradicts the news that the show was going to have its filming schedule extended by two episodes. There has been no additional news since mid-November that would give us any clues about the show’s future. I, for one, agree with the General in that the whole cat and mouse has been “exhausting.” It’s well past the time to wrap this thing up.

External Entertainment, External TV, Prison Break, TV, TV Action, TV Dramas

Prison Break 4.15: “Going Under”

December 16, 2008 /

All right, I just want to get this prediction out of the way: the woman on the phone – you know, the “other buyer” – she’s Lincoln and Michael’s mom. Has to be. That would be the only explanation for all the “other patient” talk the last couple of weeks and the introduction of the Tombstone II folder. As soon as I heard the woman’s voice on the phone, a light bulb blinked on.

Anyway, this was kind of a clunky episode as the series tries to reposition itself for a stretch run now that Scylla is complete. After the representative’s saucy (and completely inappropriate) “nothing more than a fancy box…(look at Gretchen)…speaking of…” comment, Don and Gretchen got a look at the data on the device and based on Michael and Sara’s later conversation, Scylla is more about renewable energy than anything else. Clearly, this would be a VERY profitable thing to get one’s hands on, so it will be interesting to see if Michael (or, in this case, Lincoln) can be the one to bring renewable energy to the world.

(In the interests of full disclosure: When I first saw Michael drawing boxes around B – AR – GA – IN, I thought they were states. Not “B” obviously, but Arkansas, Georgia and Indiana. I am a fool.)

“The salesman said that if I stare at this long enough, I’ll eventually see a unicorn.”

We had another classic “Prison Break” moment when the buyer’s representative pulled a gun on Gretchen and Don, and instead of just shooting them, he explained, “I’m sure you understand that no one can know where Scylla is going.” Why is this explanation necessary? Why does he care if the people he’s trying to kill understand why he’s trying to kill them? Isn’t enough for the American viewing public to accept the fact that there’s a lot at stake here and that buyers and sellers are going to try to double-cross each other when they have the chance? That moment was totally ridiculous.

Meanwhile, Mahone is once again on the run after his former partner (and love interest?) let him escape. I have no idea where this is going. Mahone could attempt to reunite with Lincoln and Michael or he could go visit his wife (though surely that would be the first place that the Feds would look). Strangely, Sucre also seems to have left the story, at least for now. Maybe the two are going to reunite in Mexico and get a jump start on that scuba shop everyone keeps talking about.

From what the General said to Lincoln, it sounds as if he has to work with Gretchen, Don and T-Bag in order to find Scylla. Once again, the show has doubled back upon itself and reshuffled the deck. My guess is that the next several episodes will follow this new group (with Michael and Sara joining them soon) as they try to hunt down the new buyer (a.k.a. the brothers’ mother). Whoopee!

External TV, Prison Break, TV Action, TV Dramas

Prison Break 4.14: “Just Business”

December 9, 2008 /

This episode started off with a serious head-scratcher – if the gang is trying to elude Don Self, why in the world would they go back to the warehouse where he can find them? I guess Michael’s plan was to buy time in the warehouse while Sucre hid inside Don’s trunk, though that requires the leap of faith that Don and Gretchen aren’t going to notice that their car suddenly has half the trunk space. But by acting as a sitting duck at the warehouse, someone could have easily been shot (or worse).

Once Don’s held-at-gunpoint “if you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” speech was over, each side went about the business of screwing the other over. I guess if we’re supposed to believe that Don isn’t going to notice Sucre in his trunk, then we can also overlook the incredulousness of Don’s little gadget being able to see through a concrete bathroom wall. Of course, even if that technology exists, Don would have to be looking in just the right direction at just the right moment. Not only that, but why did Michael have to hide the chip after the attack? Wasn’t it already hidden?

“Don’t be fooled by the gas bombs and gunfire. I’d really rather split the payout with you.”

Time to repeat my mantra: This is “Prison Break.” It’s best not to get bogged down in the details.

Michael’s plan at the hotel was a little half-baked. First, Sucre alerted Don and Gretchen that there were enemies about. So the idea is to draw a highly trained killer into hand-to-hand combat with a guy that is still recovering from a bullet wound? Wouldn’t it be a better idea to have Sucre send the gas bombs into the room and have Lincoln outside to do battle with Gretchen? And what was their plan before they found the gas bombs in Don’s trunk?

This is “Prison Break.” It’s best not to get bogged down in the details.

Meanwhile, back at the house, we witnessed T-Bag’s “awakening.” At one point, I bought that the guy was just a Bible salesman, but as soon as Theodore let him go, I had a feeling that the writers were going to pull the ol’ switcheroo once again. That, coupled with Michael’s ill-timed health problems has two of our main characters in Company custody. Three, if you count Lincoln, who now apparently has to retrieve Scylla so that the Company will perform the operation that will save Michael’s life. (Take special note of the doctor saying that he has only seen a tumor like this “once before” – did he spend any time with Michael’s mom?)

Essentially, the series has doubled back on itself (for what, the sixth or seventh time?) and, at this point, I’d rather watch a show that follows Don Self as he retires to a tropical island with $125 million in tow.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I truly hope this is the last season of “Prison Break.” If the season ends with Michael being sent back to prison, setting up a fifth chapter where he’ll have to break himself out again, I think I just might shoot myself in the head.

External TV, Prison Break, TV, TV Action, TV Dramas

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2023 Premium Hollywood

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑