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Prison Break 3.12: "Hell and High Water" |
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Monday, 11 February 2008 |
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By John Keegan
Visit Critical Myth for an archive of John's TV Review archives, with more than 1100 entries.
| As anticipated, Escape Squad Part Deux managed to get out of Sona, but the process was far from simple and Michael had to balance out intentional harm against long-term gain. Also, for the first time, Lincoln’s side of the plan was revealed in all its glory, and it’s great to see how well both brothers were able to play to their strengths. The escape was relatively straightforward in the end, and the real tension came from the unexpected consequences.
Michael did a nice job of using Lechero, Bellick, and T-Bag as fodder for the true escape. I was anticipating some casualties, so it was a bit surprising to see everyone survive. Lechero could have easily been killed under the circumstances, and Bellick is still little more than a convenient punching bag at the end of the day. T-Bag, on the other hand, remains the most dangerous wild card in the deck. I can’t say that I saw this fate coming for Sucre, but it does add to the ongoing complications. Clearly some plot elements will remain within Sona for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, some nice nods to continuity came with the escape. Lincoln couldn’t help but notice that Michael picked up another stray in the process of getting out of prison, and his grudge against Mahone and the death of his father is front and center. With all the other distractions and issues, I thought Lincoln’s desire to avenge his father was short-sighted, and sure enough, it led to Whistler’s unexpected getaway. With both Whistler gone and the bird guide in T-Bag’s hands, Michael and Lincoln will have some serious explaining to do.
At this point, there would usually be little need to delve into the conspiracy or worry over the eventual resolution of plot threads. After all, the mid-season cliffhanger is usually just a way to kick the season arc into the next level for a (hopefully) strong finish. The writers’ strike has completely disrupted that plan. The next episode, the anticipated action-packed cliffhanger, has now been dubbed the third season finale, and there is no word on a fourth season pickup.
The obvious issue is that the writers didn’t anticipate ending the season at this point, and it would seem there were no plans in place for a fourth season at all. So there is a real possibility that the writers were preparing to end the series with the third season (since the concept is effectively played out at this point), and a real danger that there will be no fourth season at all.
This is unfortunate, because despite some slow episodes here and there, the third season has been a welcome return to form. Nothing will ever match the first season, but this season had its own flavor and the story deserved to be told. I want to see how Michael and Lincoln save LJ and find the peace they were looking for, and I want to find out if Sucre can be rescued from his impending imprisonment. I want to see T-Bag and Bellick get their just deserts, and I want Mahone to get back on his feet again. But most importantly, I want the overall struggle with the Company to get full resolution, giving this upstart series a strong and worthy finish. |
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