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Prison Break 4.2: "Breaking and Entering" |
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Tuesday, 02 September 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.
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(Note: This review covers the second half of the two-hour season premiere event. The first half was covered in a previous review.)
The second episode begins where the premiere left off: with the new status quo firmly at the center of attention. Michael and his team (a name for which is sorely needed) must find and acquire the encoded black book of the Company, called “Scylla”, thought to be located on a datacard in the possession of one particular Company associate. Once Scylla is in their possession, they must break into a super-tight Company facitlity, steal the means to decode Scylla, and deliver all of that to Homeland Security. Oh, and they have to stay alive in the process, despite having a Company assassin and T-Bag waiting in the wings.
It’s actually a very simple setup, so it’s no surprise that the first true episode of the season hits the ground running. Mahone proves his worth from the start, identifying the man likely to carry Scylla, and the rest of the team (with the notable exception of Bellick) comes together with a reasonable plan to copy Scylla without putting themselves in the line of fire. Of course, things go wrong, and that’s where the fun begins.
Michael is always least comfortable in a situation that requires quick thinking with little preparation. He’s better at putting together the perfect plan and working out the contingences. His experiences in the second and third seasons have forced him to evolve that dangerous mind of his, but it’s still hard for him to adjust to unforeseen circumstances. Seeing him work through that process and come out the other side is the strength of the episode.
Some moments strain belief (a “Prison Break” staple). For instance, I don’t know that exposing Sucre to Company inspection during the initial gambit with the car was a smart idea. Granted, he’s probably the least identifiable of the squad, but any exposure could be problematic at this stage of the game. It’s also hard to believe that the Company security force would leave such a long and wide gap for Michael and Mahone to exploit.
It’s a nice touch, however, for Scylla to be split into six datacards. It places the Company in a much stronger position, and also ramps up the danger for Michael’s team. It also gives the season a reasonable scope: the search for the other five datacards and the subsequent break into the Company facility will comfortably stretch over a full season. Adding a personal medical issue (tumor, perhaps?) on top of the artificial pressure from Homeland Security should keep the tension high. The trick will be making each and every challenge unique. |
