Episode 6 - Blow Out
22 January 2009
Review
Synopsis: At a racetrack the team are trying to capture the fourth card holder’s data. But the plan goes wrong and Mahone is arrested for assaulting a police officer. Self can’t get him out of jail and Michael initially decides to leave him there. But eventually Michael changes the plan and they break Mahone out of his arraignment and whisk him out of Wyatt’s clutches. Wyatt also has a word with Don Self about his interest in the General. Gretchen heads to her sisters place and we discover that her sister is raising Gretchen’s daughter as her own. Andrew Blauner finds major inconsistencies in T-Bag’s sales reports so T-Bag rushes out of GATE and is about to flee Whistler’s apartment when Gretchen arrives and knocks him down.
The Good: I urge all shows, whether they be comedies or dramas to focus individual episodes on single characters more often. I believe that focus can bring out the great performances, stories and bond an audience to certain characters more effectively than ensemble episodes. While the focus on Mahone doesn’t quite reach those levels, this is a very enjoyable break from the ensemble formula.
The opening scene of the episode is one of the shows more contrived looking plans as they tamper with the equipment at the horse races. But by joining the heist in progress it is easier to imagine that Michael has been planning this for a week rather than coming up with it on the day as in other episodes. The fact that the security guard doesn’t fall for Sara’s helpless girl with cleavage routine is a nice touch of realism and Mahone’s arrest reminds us that these heists do carry risks for all those involved. It’s another nice touch that Sara, Bellick and Mahone did most of the upfront work on this plan because they aren’t members of the “Fox River 8” and so would be less likely to be recognised.
Then we go an emotional journey with Mahone and the producers wisely rely on his acting to carry his scenes. He does an excellent job once more. First he tries to reason with the officer at the police station who notices his ankle monitor. His desperation when he realises Self isn’t getting him out seems very real. As does his voice choking up when he selflessly calls Michael to reassure him that he won’t give up any information about the operation. The slow build to his confrontation with Wyatt has been excellent and the moment where Wyatt aims his hand at Mahone and pulls an imaginary trigger is a very clever and satisfying end to another miraculous Michael directed escape plan.
The effect which Mahone’s arrest has on the rest of the group is particularly well written. Michael is of course wracked with guilt while the cooler Lincoln simply says that he would leave any of the team to rot in jail were it to affect the mission. That revelation, logical though it may seem has the effect of making Bellick and Sucre more rebellious when they realise how expendable they are. Don Self even pops in to suggest they kill Mahone in order to protect the mission, which would make them more like the Company they are trying to take down.
These reactions are a really important bit of storytelling because they show the danger inherent in these operations and they expose the underlying motives and behaviour of the crew. In a really nice touch we see Mahone in jail flashing back to a conversation he and Michael had in Sona as we see the weight of his situation pressing in on him. It’s a nice reward for long term fans and reminds us of the journey these characters are on.
Outside of Mahone we get some more solid developments. Self coming back to his office to find a man hacking into his computer is a nice example of the creepy and all pervasive reach of the Company. Wyatt’s acting deserves a lot of credit at this point as he manages to seem effortlessly cold and soulless all the time. His reaction to Mahone’s threats is interesting as he manages to convey a flicker of emotion but otherwise retains the ice cool demeanour that a professional assassin would need to have. T-Bag running out of GATE is one of those really nice moments of logic. Whistler’s lies have been discovered by Andy and instead of stay and wriggle T-Bag just decides to run away. It’s the kind of moment on TV when the character does what seems sensible but you didn’t think they would really do. We know his story isn’t over which made this moment so surprising in its simplicity. Self again seems to be spending time thinking about his wife who from the tone of those scenes may be dead.
Finally Gretchen looks like she will become humanised and given a character we might be able to admire. Her tears in front of the bathroom mirror are a necessary part of showing the pain and misery of her torture. But the revelation that she gave up her own daughter begins to paint a picture of her past and how she became who she is. Her run in with T-Bag should lead to some entertaining exchanges but more importantly bring the two of them into Michael’s orbit, so that like all the seasons of Prison Break, he will have to lead an operation in cahoots with those he doesn’t trust.
The Bad: Again the complexity of the horse race heist and the simplicity of the arraignment escape make you question the reality of the show. But it’s Don Self’s baffling lack of authority which is most confusing. Self seems to have the backing of a senator and other higher ups who approved his meddling with the justice system in acquiring Michael and company in the first place. It seems very odd that he doesn’t have the power to get Mahone released on petty charges. The nature of his authority could do with a clearer explanation.
The Unknown: We hear how one Scylla card holder is benefiting from the chaos in Laos. Is that all the Company intend to do? Profit from chaos which they create? Is Don Self’s wife dead and did the company have something to do with killing her? Why did Roland take Wyatt’s number? Is he looking for an angle or does he work for someone?
Best Moment: Wyatt’s gun gesture at Mahone. It’s difficult to create genuine tension in Prison Break’s heists because the “good guys win” nature of the show suggests that most operations will go well. Here the writers find a different way to make the tense break out feel important, by making the Wyatt-Mahone confrontation so personal. That hand gesture was a really unique way to end an escape with a memorable moment not related to the contrived tension of the escape.
The Verdict: I would have preferred even greater focus on Mahone and the ramifications of his arrest. But as it is this is a really enjoyable break from the formula as the audience gets a chance to really feel every step of Mahone’s story. In the background the other pieces are moved around the board in an intriguing and compelling fashion. A really good effort from all concerned.
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