Episode 4 - Eagles and Angels
22 January 2009
Review
Synopsis: The gang track down the next card holder at a charity event. On the way they run into T-Bag who begins his job at GATE and receives messages from a man called Xing. Michael manages to successfully capture the Scylla data but Lincoln gets caught by a company security guard. Bellick saves him by stabbing the guard. Agent Self’s lead to Scylla’s location is murdered by the company. Wyatt tracks down Sara as she mourns Bruce’s death in a bar.
The Good: A solid but unspectacular episode, keeping on top of the developing threads without being compelling.
Sara and Michael continue to bond in an affectionate way. It’s good to see them plan for a future beyond the Company. It gives them a goal to pursue and (for many viewers) something for us to root for. I give the writers credit for showing the affects of Bruce’s death on Sara. Bruce wasn’t a major character by any means but her wallowing (along with Mahone’s anger) has done a lot to remind us that death and its consequences matter in Prison Break. It’s nice continuity to show Sara’s substance addictions surface in this time of stress and depression.
The theme of loss and mourning is nicely continued when the gang has to attend a benefit for dead police officers. It’s a clever touch to see Michael and Mahone remembering their own lost ones as they take a moment for the fallen LAPD officers.
Michael and Lincoln coming across T-Bag was a nice surprise moment and allows their stories to begin to intertwine. Now we can see how they will end up needing his help to access Scylla. He is well characterised as we see him nervously adopting his new identity before strolling through the doors with his unflappable confidence. It’s a nice glimpse into his sleazy past when we see him “switch on” like that into conning mode. The brief glimpse of Xing and his operation gives the first sense of consequence to Whistler not being in place to continue his plan. We can now begin to see how the plan to steal Scylla will become increasingly complicated and confused as the season progresses.
Bellick again shows a nice contrast to Lincoln and the others. After stabbing the company agent he quivers with the shock and guilt of what he has done. The contrast with Lincoln’s cool demeanour as he sticks the knife in is a welcome reminder of the different characters at work here. Lincoln thanking Bellick is another small step in bonding the gang together.
Michael’s nosebleed is used effectively to add more tension to a static scene and remind us that he is not all that well.
The Bad: The break in to steal the police uniforms seems far too efficient. It seems to be one of Michael’s genius plans and each part of is plausible enough on its own. But we have seen no evidence of Michael scoping out the particular building which they break into (again with their finger prints going everywhere). So apparently he could plan for all eventualities even though he surely couldn’t have known what the specifics of the fence, security cameras and doors would be. It’s one of those annoying moments which attacks your suspension of disbelief.
Lincoln murdering a company agent doesn’t receive any comment or reaction from him. It seems incongruent with the show as a whole and is one of those nagging problems with the show’s development. Michael gave up his own freedom to save his brother from being convicted of a murder which he didn’t commit. Yet this season he has killed two men in cold blood (although in self defence here and in 401) and there has been no comment from anyone. Yes they are under attack but hasn’t Lincoln become what Michael fought to prove he wasn’t? It’s not a major problem, we know who is largely in the wrong in this situation but Lincoln’s unrepentant killing is hardly a good thing to showcase.
The Unknown: Is Roland hiding information for a specific reason or is he just looking for a way to exploit his position of knowledge? Who is the female card holder Lisa Tabak? What is her relationship with the General? They seem a bit intimate? She can’t be that involved in company operations if she doesn’t know what Michael looks like.
Best Moment: T-Bag sweating and breathing hard before walking through the doors to GATE with a swagger and a smile. He is the most intriguing character on many levels and the writers have put us in an ideal position to sympathise and understand his situation even though he is a bad man. It’s very entertaining to watch.
The Verdict: Prison Break’s formula continues to function well. The plot is ticking along nicely and the characters are showing some nice moments of depth. Nothing too great but dependable developments.
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