Writer: Karyn Usher
Director: Michael Switzer
Cast: Wentworth Miller (Michael), Amaury Nolasco (Sucre), William Fichtner (Mahone), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln), Michael Rapaport (Agent Don Self), Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Gretchen), Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara), Cress Williams (Wyatt), James Hiroyuki Liao (Roland), Leon Russom (Pad Man), Dan Sachoff (Aide), Dylan Kenin (Guard) & Robert Mammana (Police Officer)
Director: Michael Switzer
Cast: Wentworth Miller (Michael), Amaury Nolasco (Sucre), William Fichtner (Mahone), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln), Michael Rapaport (Agent Don Self), Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Gretchen), Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara), Cress Williams (Wyatt), James Hiroyuki Liao (Roland), Leon Russom (Pad Man), Dan Sachoff (Aide), Dylan Kenin (Guard) & Robert Mammana (Police Officer)
It's best to approach Prison Break with low expectations, particularly now its connection to any penal system has vanished. I continue to be surprised by how the writers manage to keep the story ticking along, but it's best to focus on the well-staged action beats, chemistry between the actors, and the here-and-now of whatever silliness we're being presented with. Just don't take a broader view of the show, as it really doesn't make much sense season-to-season."Eagles & Angels" finds the gang trying to copy another Scylla data-card, this one owned by a Company worker called Lisa. To make things difficult, she's protected by three bodyguards, so the only place they stand a chance of remotely stealing her card's data is during a police memorial service she's attending. So Michael (Wentworth Miller), Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) and Mahone (William Fichtner) steal some police uniforms and infiltrate the ceremony, intent on getting close to Lisa during the function without arousing suspicion.
Prison Break's at its best when orchestrating tense situations and mini-missions, and season 4's A-Team vibe is working quite well. The only problem with the team dynamic is how Sucre (Amaury Nolasco) is being partnered with Bellick (Wade Williams) in an unlikely double-act -- especially because the latter's role on the show is on shaky ground. Bellick's role on the show came to a natural end in season 2, when the former prison guard turned bounty hunter. This episode tries to get Bellick more involved (he saves Linc's life and shrugs off an offer of friendship from fellow "outsider" Roland), but it's not really working for me.
There's also the Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies) problem. I can understand why the writers opted to bite the bullet and retcon events to enable her return after "death" -- but she's not really providing a strong drive for Michael in this capacity. This episode find the two love-birds dreaming of freedom and a happy ending, in wistful scenes that are embarrassingly written and awkwardly performed. To cap it all, Sara spends half the episode moping around after hearing of Bruce Bennett's murder at the hands of hitman Wyatt (Cress Williams), culminating in a lone trip to a bar where the recovering alcoholic doctor contemplates drowning her sorrows. Yawn.
T-Bag (Robert Knepper) resurfaces in L.A, having taken Whistler's secret identity as GATE employee Cole Pfeiffer, and is immediately spotted by Linc and narrowly escapes by attracting the attention of a policeman. The bird book in his possession would appear to be this season's version of Michael's full-body tattoo -- crammed full of codes, numbers, names, symbols and references that Whistler jotted down to help him gain access to GATE and decrypt "Scylla". Clearly, both parties need each other in order to take down The Company effectively.
Admittedly, the handling of T-Bag is more imaginative than his season 2 misadventures, and his presence far more relevant than in season 3. Here, Knepper has fun chatting up a bosomy receptionist and hoodwinking corporate suits -- who luckily only know Pfeiffer by reputation and were unaware he has a prosthetic hand! Yeah, just go with it. As fans know, Prison Break's plot-holes and cliffhangers are all designed by God-like writers who regularly twist and half-explain events just enough to make you grudgingly accept them. The show looks half-improvised at times -- which is both its biggest strength and unfortunate weakness.
Overall, the effective moments in this episode are borne from its focus on the data theft scenario at the police event, and T-Bag's brand of mild comedy is distracting enough. Sara's subplot is very weak, although it does result in icy killer Wyatt clapping eyes on his prey earlier than expected, and I'm glad Gretchen (the deliciously evil Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) seems likely to re-enter the fray soon. It was also interesting to see the return of Michael's bleeding nose: is that stress related, or an early sign of illness? I wouldn't be surprised if Michael escapes this mortal coil by season's end, let's put it that way...
16 September 2008
Sky1, 10pm
