Episode 11 - Quiet Riot
22 January 2009
Review
Synopsis: Gretchen fails to get the sixth card from the General, forcing Michael to adapt. T-Bag and Gretchen set up Self and Trishanne to get captured by Feng. Michael refuses to have surgery and leave the others to break in without him. He leads the silent charge into the Company headquarters where he puts his hands on Scylla, alerting the General to his presence.
The Good: The silent break in to the Company headquarters is a really unique way of making the action seem more tense and more significant. Other shows take note: silence can be more effective than talking. This is most effective when Sucre is building the initial bridge and the idea of total silence dawns on you and the tension starts to build (see Best Moment). The flashbacks (interspersed with the drilling) to Michael and Mahone explaining everyone’s role in the operation is also effective at giving us the plot exposition without slowing down the drama. Little touches like using umbrellas (which could be slid through a hole and then opened) to catch falling debris help with the suspension of disbelief.
T-Bag shines again as he plays with Trishanne and schemes with Gretchen. He again shows signs of enjoying the Cole Pfeiffer life a bit too much for the respect and status it affords him which is nice characterisation. T-Bag and Gretchen setting up Self makes them look clever. Its good storytelling too that now Michael has access to Scylla, Self doesn’t need Gretchen and T-Bag and so is ready to kill them.
The revelation that the General is the father of Gretchen’s daughter gives their relationship a more understandable context.
The setup for the next episode is very strong. All the good guys are in jeopardy and the action is sure to be fast and furious. There is still a long way to go before this season is over, so it will be fascinating to see what twist will prolong the story from here.
The Bad: Gretchen begins the episode seemingly bitching to T-Bag about the way the General has treated her. It’s a small moment but it is an entirely false note. We have never heard Gretchen complain to anyone about her lot in life. Why on earth would she confide in T-Bag at this stage?
The General allowing Gretchen to live is an annoying moment. He has been built up as the leader of the most ruthless organisation in America and yet he allows a very dangerous woman, who has tons of important information about the Company, go free. The writers try to cover for this with the daughter angle but it isn’t entirely convincing as the General clearly hasn’t taken too much interest in her life.
The drilling operation surely created more than ten decibels of noise. When Sucre drops the nitrogen tank a huge clang goes up which should have set off the alarm. Obviously the more complicated these break-ins become the less believable they seem.
The Unknown: How is Michael going to access Scylla without the sixth card?
Best Moment: As Sucre builds a bridge linking the outer wall to the Scylla glass wall the tension builds beautifully. Every piece of metal and wood that is put in place threatens to make a sound which will ruin everything. Particularly clever is the sight of Mahone and Bellick staring anxiously through the hole in the wall. Knowing that they can’t say a thing to help Sucre is a clever dramatic touch. After a while Sucre drops the tank and hangs precariously off the edge of the bridge clinging on for dear life and we head to a commercial break in silence. Very effective television.
The Verdict: The silent break-in stands out as a clever and gripping means to make a dramatic episode. But by the end of the show this episode feels like part one of two and mostly a setup for the drama of the next show.
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