Director: Michael Switzer
Cast: Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows), Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield), Wade Williams (Brad Bellick), William Fichtner (Alexander Mahone), Amaury Nolasco (Fernando Sucre), Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Susan B. Anthony), Danay Garcia (Sofia Lugo), Robert Wisdom (Lechero), Robert Knepper (Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell), Chris Vance (James Whistler), Carlo Alban (McGrady), Laurence Mason (Sammy), Rey Gallegos (Cristobal), Alec Rayme (Cyrus), Nathan Castanedo (Mariano) & Felix Pire (Osberto)
Cast: Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows), Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield), Wade Williams (Brad Bellick), William Fichtner (Alexander Mahone), Amaury Nolasco (Fernando Sucre), Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Susan B. Anthony), Danay Garcia (Sofia Lugo), Robert Wisdom (Lechero), Robert Knepper (Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell), Chris Vance (James Whistler), Carlo Alban (McGrady), Laurence Mason (Sammy), Rey Gallegos (Cristobal), Alec Rayme (Cyrus), Nathan Castanedo (Mariano) & Felix Pire (Osberto)
Sammy stages a coup, T-Bag forces Bellick into another fight, Lincoln plans a surprise for Susan, and Michael, Mahone and Whistler are forced to hide in the tunnel..."You know, uh, I am a fisherman. I am. I'm just maybe
a little bit more connected than I've let on."
a little bit more connected than I've let on."
-- James Whistler (Chris Vance)
Dirt Nap is one of those episodes Prison Break does every so often; the entertaining, yet ultimately totally unnecessary run-around. By the end, it's status quo all round, which makes it a little frustrating – particularly because it's repetitive and contains a few strange tics.
In lawless Sona, the mail system can still be relied on, as Mahone (William Fichtner) receives a photograph of his young son, having apparently recovered from his cold turkey shakes. Lechero (Robert Wisdom) is appraised of the situation with his backroom tunnel from Michael (Wentworth Miller), and sends T-Bag (Robert Knepper) off to get some vital digging tools.
Unfortunately, Sammy (Laurence Mason), now in possession of a gun, seizes his chance to takeover from his boss, and throws Lechero out of his quarters, informs the other inmates of the coup, and offers a case of rum for the man who delivers Michael Scofield to him. It's funny, but Sona has never seemed particularly huge, yet people seem able to hide quite effectively in there!
Michael, Mahone and Whistler (Chris Vance) are unaware of Sammy's revolution top-side, and get on with creating supports for the ceiling tunnel out of wooden crates.
This week's subplot for Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) is one of the weakest for some time, as he browses the internet for "Gary Miller" (Whistler's alias), and buys a small bomb with the help of Sofia (Danay Garcia) from a local criminal.
T-Bag and Lechero know that Sammy's coup puts the escape plan into jeopardy, so T-Bag promises Bellick (Wade Williams) a place on their team if he kills Sammy in another yard fight. Bellick, basking in he glory of his win against Octave recently, reluctantly agrees to the idea and challenges Sammy.
He hopes to win using the same underhand tactic that worked on Octave (coating his hand-wraps with solvent and suffocating him with the fumes), but finds that all the solvent has been used up. I mean, seriously, would you really challenge anyone to a fight-to-the-death without checking your plan thoroughly beforehand?
Back outside, Sucre (Amaury Nolasco) meets with Susan B. Anthony (Jodi Lynn O'Keefe) in a bar, still masquerading as a turncoat, and is given a $25,000 cashier's cheque – despite delivering no information of any use to her! This subplot is straining credibility slightly, although I've grown to really enjoy O'Keefe's performance. She's not the greatest actress in the world, but she does hateable bitch very well, and recent episodes have allowed her more opportunities to shine.
A little later, Sucre is given Linc's bomb and manages to plant it in Susan's car during another meeting. However, Susan reveals her true intentions behind recruiting him to be her "mole": after he cashed his cashier's cheque to girlfriend Maricruz, this gave the Company her address, and she threatens her life – effectively getting a hold over Sucre. He sheepishly leaves, unable to retrieve his bomb, which I'm sure Susan will discover sooner or later...
Having spent most of the episode stuck underground, with Whistler making a futile attempt to persuade Michael and Mahone he's just a regular fisherman, the trio decide to head back up top in search of Lechero and the tools they need. Once above ground, they realize a shift of power has taken place and are chased back down, with Whistler being caught as Michael and Mahone make it behind the locked door.
Sammy threatens Whistler's life unless they give him the combination code to the door. Michael can't allow Whistler to be killed, but doesn't want Sammy to know about their escape. Eventually, after preparing for a last-stand with Mahone, Michael makes a decision and opens the door. Sammy and his men pour inside and realize an escape tunnel is being built. Sammy inspects the tunnel himself, but it caves in he's killed under the weight of soil. Suitably distracted, a fight ensues and Sammy's henchmen are incapacitated.
Later, Lechero is reinstated as Sona's alpha male, and ensures the inmates see the dead bodies of the rebels who dared overthrow him. Outside, Sofia is at home throwing out Whistler's clothes and notices a bag with a secret compartment, containing a metallic suitcase...
Dirt Nap passed the time, but it was essentially a self-contained story with no far-reaching effect on the season. I don't mind that, because not every episode can be essential viewing, but it also suffered from raking over old ground (Bellick's second fight in as many episodes), ridiculous elements (Lechero managing to "hide out" in Sona?), a listless subplot for Lincoln/Sofia/Sucre and a general feeling that the writers were just clicking their heels.
Of course, there were nuggets of intrigue for fans: Susan texting someone called Edward Guthrie, pretending to be Gary Miller... the seeds of a romance between Lincoln and Sofia (with him giving her Eiffel Tower key-ring)... and the reveal that Michael intentionally rigged the tunnel to collapse on Sammy, thus marking his first act of premeditated murder. But I hated how the episode thought we needed a three-second flashback of Michael setting his trap – it was obvious what he'd done!
Dirt Nap wasn't awful or unwatchable, but it didn't get my heart-pumping and I spent half the time chuckling at silly moments, instead of being swept along by the story. If there's ever been an episode that you could easily miss, and just watch the next episode's opening recap to get all the information you need – this is it.
4 February 2008
Sky One, 10.00 pm
