WRITER: Karyn Usher DIRECTOR: Peter O'Fallon
CAST: Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows), William Fichtner (Agent Mahone), Amaury Nolasco (Sucre), Rockmond Dunbar (C-Note), Robert Knepper (T-Bag), Lane Garrison (Tweener), Paul Adelstein (Agent Kellerman), Sarah Wayne Callies (Dr Sarah Tancredi), John Heard (Governor Tancredi), Kurt Caceres (Hector), Barbara Eve Harris (N.A Group Sponsor) & Kristin Malko (Debra Jean)
Michael and Lincoln reach Utah at the same time as T-Bag. Meanwhile, Sucre tries to stop a wedding, C-Note has problems aboard a train and Tweener's cover is blown...A slight level of fatigue bubbles under Map 1213, as the initial excitement of watching the characters on the run and evading capture is replaced by a "been there, seen that" vibe. Agent Mahone (Fichtner) gets some cracks chiselled into his character by writer Karyn Usher, involving apparent drug dependence and regret over a previous case involving Oscar Shales. But, beyond that, Fichtner is left to pace around his thumb-tack map and bark orders to subordinates.
The main plot concerns four con's convergence on Tooele, Utah: Michael, Lincoln, T-Bag and Tweener. It's good fun to see some of the gang back together and it certainly causes plenty of friction -- mainly thanks to slimy T-Bag (who finally gets a purpose in the grand scheme of the show, thanks to the titular map that pin-points Westmoreland's $5 million stash).
The sub-plots aren't particularly interesting, although the development with Sarah is handled well; as Kellerman's plan to trace Lincoln through Sarah's contact with Michael gets a boost. Paul Adelstein is excellent as Kellerman and his betrayal of Sarah's confidence should be interesting to watch unfold...
Sucre's attempt to stop Hector marrying Maricruz is given short shrift, while C-Note's difficulties aboard a train doesn't offer us much beyond a spectacular leap from a bridge. It's also clear that without a protagonist involved in the conspiracy component of the show (previously filled by Robin Tunney's Veronica), the show is much weaker in that area. I'm hoping Sarah Tancredi assumes Veronica's mantle soon, as her father's connections inside the White House could provide the sort of in-house help that proves invaluable on 24.
After five episodes, Prison Break's second season is still moving at a strong pace, although now we've settled into the season's new style, events are becoming a shade predictable. Still, killing Abruzzi last week was a stark reminder that the producers can still pull the rug out from under us, so I'm sure there are more surprises in store...
