Episode 3 - Call Waiting
30 March 2012
Synopsis: Michael tells Lincoln he needs to speak to Sarah. He blackmails T-Bag into getting him Lechero’s cell phone and Sarah gives him clues as to where they are. Lincoln tracks Sarah down but the kidnappers evade him. Mahone is still struggling with his addiction and Whistler tries to find out more about Michael. T-Bag begins to spread distrust between Lechero and his men while Bellick keeps his ear to the ground.
The Good: This is a dramatic and logical episode. It begins with a sensible idea, which is that Michael can’t break out in only a week. So he asks Lincoln to find LJ and Sarah. Her phone call to him is typically clever and the scene where Lincoln finds them is exciting. The plot resolves itself nicely as the kidnappers are smart enough to get away and it looks like they may have lopped off someone’s appendage as punishment for Lincoln’s behaviour. It’s great suspense and again reinforces how serious the kidnappers are and how difficult it will be to break out of Sona.
Within Sona there is more good logical storytelling. Michael’s threat to reveal T-Bag’s past sins to his new friends makes sense. And Lechero discovering Michael’s presence because he didn’t put the cell phone back properly is very plausible. T-Bag’s meddling with Lechero’s operation is also spot on as it is the only way he can protect himself.
Mahone’s acting is excellent throughout (see Best Moment) and this episode does a fine job of setting in motion all the different dynamics and relationships that will form the bedrock of season three.
The Bad: The only significant complaint I have is that Sarah Tancredi, or rather Sarah Wayne Callies, the actress is clearly not in the episode. The voice over on the phone is obviously not coming from the woman in the room whose face is carefully concealed. It all looks very fake and makes it clear that Sarah (the actress) is not on the show anymore. For those who chose to dig up this information it means that something very disturbing could be waiting for Lincoln in that box.
Other than that a couple of moments look unconvincing and could have been filmed better. First Sarah seems to break a glass window simply by kicking her slippers at it. Then Michael rushes to put Lechero’s cell phone back and holds it in clear view of the other prisoners. Hardly a stealthy move.
The Unknown: Whistler said in the last episode that he didn’t know why anyone would try and break him out. Now he claims that he does and that they want him to take them to specific coordinates in the ocean. Is that true? Is someone messing with Lechero’s “business” dealings? Is Sarah’s head in that box?
Best Moment: The public defender comes to see Mahone and says his trial is set for a year from now. Mahone says that Michael will testify that he is innocent. The defender points out that one inmate taking the fall for another is hardly convincing evidence. Mahone then demands that the defender bring him “medication.” The defender scoffs at the implied drug smuggling and leaves with Mahone screaming at him until the guards shoot near him and tell him to move away from the fence. It’s another pleasingly logical scene with the defender pointing out the problem with Mahone’s defence and once more underlining the fact that no one gets out of Sona easily. All through the scene Mahone is twitching with withdrawal and he swings from threats to sweet talk, desperate to get what he wants. It’s a very fine performance.
The Verdict: A strong episode. It keeps the plot moving pleasingly and logically without delving too far into Michael’s escape plans. The next few episodes are set up nicely by all the intrigue going on here.
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