Spoilers. We're still in the awkward mid-season transitional phase, and Prison Break's predictable unpredictability continues to surprise and aggravate in equal measure. "Just Business" has Michael (Wentworth Miller) targeted by Don (Michael Rapaport), who wants the missing Scylla component so he can sell The Company's "black book" to his buyer…As usual, the episode bulldozes by on sheer volume of events and developments, no matter how unlikely or silly they may be. Traitorous Don is captured by Michael and Linc (Dominic Purcell) after tear-gassing their warehouse surprisingly early, but Gretchen (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) expedites his escape thanks to her armed back-up. What the brothers don't realize is that Don's managed to plant sonar surveillance on their premises, enabling him to keep watch on their activities from a local hotel via laptop -- to see where Michael has hidden the Scylla chip. Don himself doesn't realize that Sucre (Amaury Nolasco) has smuggled himself into their car trunk, and informs Michael of Don and Gretchen's position…
Elsewhere, Mahone (William Fichtner) makes contact with his FBI friend Felicia Lang (Barbara Eve Harris), persuading her into believing his story about the mythical "Company" and their imminent exposure as part of a buried covert operation by Homeland Security. Lang agrees to hook him up with the only untouchable bureau agent she knows: Wheeler (Jason Davis), the stiff Fed from season 2 who always hated Mahone and considers him an embarrassment, but who apparently has the ear of the Attorney General.
T-Bag (Robert Knepper) is still holding Rita (Heather McComb) and Gretchen's daughter Emily (Regan Licciardello) hostage in their home; the script unsure whether it should hold true to T-Bag's paedophile origins. Of course, T-Bag is now going through a change, having tasted normality and respect while undercover as salesman Cole Pfeiffer. Rita tries to use T-Bag's inner conflict, appealing to his better nature and desire for a new start, but the arrival of a clichéd Bible salesman pushes T-Bag back into old habits -- convincing himself the salesman is a Company agent.
The action climax involved a multi-pronged attack on Don and Gretchen in their hotel, using homemade tear-gas propellants. During the commotion, Michael's nose begins to bleed again and he loses consciousness, before being captured by Company men and bundled into a van. Don manages to get to Michael's empty warehouse and retrieves the missing Scylla chip, before hotfooting it to a nearby pier to make the transaction with Gretchen's buyer.
The episode's most intriguing moments has Michael about to undergo life-saving surgery, now that he's under the care of The Company, and Linc (sans Scylla chip and his brother) has no option but to meet with General Krans (Leon Russom) and make a deal. The Company will use their advanced medical resources to remove Michael's tumour, but only if Linc helps them get Scylla back from Don. Will Linc make a deal with the devil to save his sibling? Well, yes, although quite why The Company can't capture Don and Gretchen themselves is a moot point.
"Just Business" was one of those episodes where a lot happens, but most of it doesn't really connect emotionally. I'm exasperated by all the double-crossing now, and the twists have become so commonplace their shock-factor has vanished. The only one that worked effectively was T-Bag's uncertainty over the pious Bible salesman. Seriously, if Character X aims a gun at Character Y's head, you can guarantee Character Z will cause some kind of distraction, nanoseconds before the fatal shot is fired. And, ultimately, the prospect of an extended runaround for Scylla isn't that exciting -- even if Linc regroups his team to work for the villains. A mini prison break for Mahone is probably on the way (again), as he's arrested by Wheeler once the Scylla plan falls through. Or is it finally William Fichtner's time to bow out? Hope not.
And I don't think anyone's really worried about Michael's well-being, as Prison Break would be totally adrift if they were foolish enough to kill him. More interesting was the caring look Krans had when Michael underwent his CAT scan -- the look of a creator worried about his project (a callback to season 2's inference that Michael is genetically predisposed to be a master escapologist?), or is Michael the General's son? Krans' dismissal of daughter Lisa (Stacy Haiduk) for not being the son he craved was perhaps a red herring? Or am I reading too much into a show that's beginning to run low on surprises? Hmm.
Overall, this was entertaining and bursting with incident, but still a bit awkward and difficult to care about. It's hit that crazy phase where the series is more concerned about keeping you wrong-footed than genuinely concerned for anyone's outcome. Well, except Mahone.
9 December 2008
Sky1, 10pm
Writer: Graham Roland
Director: Mark Helfrich
Cast: William Fichtner (Mahone), Amaury Nolasco (Sucre), Robert Knepper (T-Bag), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln), Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara), Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Gretchen), Michael Rapaport (Don), Wentworth Miller (Michael), Leon Russom (General Kranz), Barbara Eve Harris (Agent Felicia Lang), Jason Davis (Wheeler), Stacy Haiduk (Lisa Tabek), Raphael Sbarge (Ralph Becker), Regan Licciardello (Emily), Mark Pellegrino (Patrick Vikan), Heather McComb (Rita) & Graham McTavish (Ferguson)
