'Prison Break' fall finale raises important jurisdictional concerns

November 27, 07:09 PM

So you're Prison Break, a serialized drama on the verge of taking a hiatus for nearly two months and you need to find a way to keep viewers pinned to their seats for your crucial "fall finale," give them something that will haunt them and keep them guessing until late January. Under those circumstances, do you dedicate an entire episode to issues of post-9/11 law enforcement jurisdiction?

Monday (Nov. 27) night's episode of Prison Break decided not to concentrate on car chases, doomed romance or carefully devised codes. Instead, viewers were treated to an hour of pulse-pounding debate about whether federal agents trump border patrol, local officers trump federal agents and department of corrections officials trump shadow conspiracy henchman. And how are those jurisdictional issues impacted by 9/11 or by it being an election year? I understand that killing Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield to protect the integrity of our unseen (except for Sunday nights at 10 on ABC) president is a complicated process, but maybe if the episode had dedicated less time to transportation logistics, we might have been able to spend a couple seconds with the absent C-Note and Haywire.

During the course of the episode, presumably taking place on a single timeline, the following things were able to occur: Lincoln and Michael sat in a holding cell having periodic flashbacks while several people plotted their murder. Bellick was arraigned, accepted a plea, was sentence and was transported back to Fox River Penitentiary. T-Bag killed a military vet for his hand, romanced a "plain" postal employee to get a forwarding address for his ex-flame and made his way to her new house. And Sucre jumped out of a plane and parachuted to the ground. I'm not sure how those things all happen simultaneously.

The episode did end with a couple cliffhangers, I guess. Who could have foreseen Agent Kellerman (Paul Adelstein) popping a cap in Agent Mahone and offering Lincoln and Michael the chance to take down the president? Oh. You could have? Me too, actually. And T-Bag showing up to torment the woman who got him sent up the river? That's a little freaky.

But seriously, where's Haywire?

I've said it before and I'll say it again... As long as I'm entertained, I don't question this show's logic. The minute they bore me with an episode devoted to people being ushered from one holding cell to another and expect me to be enthralled, I get annoyed.

Some thoughts and questions about where the series might go starting in January:

If you're transferring prisoners and you already know that you may be called upon to take part in a gunfight, you wear a vest. That means that that Mahone will be back, even if Bill Fichtner was nowhere to be seen in the scenes from upcoming episodes.

If you were responsible for putting away a psychotic killer/pedophile and he vowed to show up at your doorstep and kill you and then he escaped from prison, you'd either have a guard watching your house or a handy gun, right? At the very least you'd have a peephole in your door, right?

Did Dr. Tancredi use that ominous razor blade to trim two inches off of her hair? Is she trying to look like a different person, or just to look homeless?

Favorite line of the episode: Michael telling Lincoln to "Just pray there's another way out of here" as they're running through a dark tunnel. The guy's an architect. You think he'd be confident that it's rare that a system of tunnels that contains a only single exit.

Second favorite line (a bit more genuinely): Michael's response to Lincoln's query about whether he'd do it again being the vague "I don't regret the act, just how it turned out."

Who's the bald-guy who frightens Secret Asian Man (Reggie Lee)?

Where's Haywire? And the dog?

Does anybody honestly care what happens to Bellick at this point? Are we supposed to root for him to break out? Or for him to get a taste of his own medicine? And how long will that be entertaining for?

What did you think of the fall finale?

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Comments (16)

Comments

The last three episodes of Prison Break were actually quite good because they had a big dose of the first season's suspense. But, I won't truly be happy with this season until they bring Haywire back. I really hope it won't be something lame like the Coast Guard finding his body washed up on the shores of Holland State Park!

Xannie | Nov 28, 2006 5:30:25 AM | #

This is my favorite show I just wish they would balance out the screen time. Sucre and C-Note are getting screwed. I was surprise Bellick wanted to go back to fox river I can't wait to see what happens with him. I thought Mahone or Kellerman would die, as the episode went on I thought it would be Kellerman but I was wrong.

Andre | Nov 28, 2006 6:08:34 AM | #

Invariably there will always be quirks in scripts and creativity. So why dissect the show. Why be over analytical. If you find the show entertaining and an escape mechanism -- which I really do -- to me that's the bottom line. And I'm definitely looking forward to its return.

Richard | Nov 28, 2006 8:44:49 AM | #

when the show eventually ends, as all shows do the fade out scene should be of Haywire, and the dog standing near a wind mill, with a rickety raft behind them, and given that only 9 nine days has elapsed since the break-out, and how long it would take to float to Holland, the show would be on a very long time, and as long as I'm entertained, that suits me jus fine, especially given the lack of soilid entertainment at the cineplex . Hollywood scriptwriters it seems has lost their way, sadly there haven't been very many films worthy of being a future classic...Once 24 kikcs in gear teamed with Prison Break, it'll be a heckuva of Monday !!

bo | Nov 28, 2006 1:59:59 PM | #

I WISH THIS CRITIC WAS IN CELL WITH THE SEVEN FOOT GAY SASQUATCH!

WHOLETRUTHY | Nov 28, 2006 3:26:40 PM | #

I really enjoyed your commentary on this episode. I've been tied up and haven't had a chance to post my own weekly recap.

And, I think I might have been the only one interested in the jurisdictional issues, but that's just because I'm a law student. Honestly, I think last week's episode ending with a big fiery crash and Mahone getting ready to shoot Mike and Linc would have been a better finale.

I agree that Mahone will be back. He's a good compliment to Scofield. They keep each other on their toes and appear to be just as intelligent as the other. However, after having attention drawn to your comment about Mike hoping there was another way out and he was a structural engineer was pretty amusing.

And you're not the only one who thought Sara looked homeless with that haircut. But, maybe that was the look she was going for? I was moved by her phone call to Michael though, her admitting that she needed him.

Anyway, I suppose we will all have to keep speculating until January!

legallush | Nov 28, 2006 7:40:25 PM | #

hope he get back in jail that ould be funny and gets his ass kick by the guards

redneck | Nov 28, 2006 8:58:03 PM | #

Best. Episode. Ever. I agree, as long as the show is entertaining, who cares about logic.

| Nov 28, 2006 9:14:55 PM | #

hi, my question...now that kellerman is w/the good guys, what happens when sara meets up w/them? after all, he DID try to kill her!

anneboone | Nov 29, 2006 2:44:50 AM | #

OH MY GOD! Can you believe it? Last week - remember? They almost got away! What a nail biter! The week before that - HA! They almost got away. This week - OH LORD! Looks like they have almost gotten away again! Holy smoky! What will we do for a few months?

BORED | Nov 29, 2006 7:27:57 AM | #

What a great episode. Never saw the Agent Kellerman thing coming. I hope Mahone isnt really dead. I think he is one of the best characters on the show. Before him Micheal was the smartest guy on the show, now he's met his match.

JenM | Nov 29, 2006 9:39:02 AM | #

I'll admit that the fall finale was the best episode so far in the second season. However, I still think that the first season was way better; this year everything has been soooo stretched out. I couldn't believe it when the TV reporter said that it had only been TEN days since the Fox River convicts had escaped. The writers are trying too hard to drag this conspiracy out. I agree with other posters that said that we would like to see more of Haywire and the President herself!

CS | Nov 29, 2006 11:06:05 AM | #

While we're on the subject of unbelieveability (is that a word? for this show it should be), there IS NO WAY ON EARTH that Linc & Michael would be sent back to THE SAME PRISON THEY BROKE OUT OF, do ya think? Or that they would let Bellick be housed there, too.
I agree with the other posters who say "as long as I'm entertained, I'll stick with it", but this show is stretching the laws of credibiltiy so thin Nicole Ritchie is trying to fatten them up. Seas 2, Part 2 had better be damned good or they might as well not bother with Season 3.

JSR | Nov 29, 2006 9:34:37 PM | #

I'm from New Zealand and have to download the episodes as they air over in the states as it takes too long for them to get here - or i just cant wait - whichever - i hate the fact that its not on again until the end of january. love the show but the episodes are too short

The Gavity | Nov 30, 2006 3:52:02 AM | #

will the finale be aired again - I thought I had recorded but I ot the last 2 minutes!!!! I have to see it - what can you tell me-will it be aired again??
thank you.

carolyn | Apr 3, 2007 8:23:17 PM | #

Fall finale what fall finale? I don't remember this happening before, I have waited for months for it to come back on Sept. then was preempted for baseball then to be stopped for the fall. Please leave my Prison Break alone, I need my weekly dose of Michael

YaYa | Nov 12, 2007 7:22:51 PM | #