Home Featured TV Shows All TV Shows Movie Reviews Book Reviews Articles Frequently Asked Questions About Us

Is Prison Break broken?

[This is a brief review of the second season, including the finale.]

White coat guy: "You know he's going to break out. It's in his blood."
General: "That's exactly what we want him to do."

We got about a minute and a half of happily ever after, but I knew they'd leave us with a killer cliffhanger. But I didn't think they'd leave me wondering what the hell just happened. I hate indefinite. Give me anything instead of indefinite.

In truth, I just haven't been as in love with Prison Break this season as I was with season one, and I know why. Because the focus this season was often on the dispersed fugitives, most of whom I didn't care about, instead of on Michael and Sarah, who are the reasons I watch. Adding Mahone as Tommy Lee Jones was great, I don't deny it. And I really liked Kellerman. Sucre is okay, and T-Bag is so slitheringly evil that he's a lot of fun to watch.

But the other escapees? Not so much. I was relieved when they steadily killed them off. Maybe they shouldn't even have bothered. Cut to a brief scene of someone dying in a hail of bullets, over and done, much like what they did with Abruzzi, but shorter. Maybe they should have had several of them meet somewhere to plan something diabolical, and then the building could have blown up.

And what have they left us with? A mysterious, graffiti-covered, bizarro prison for Michael, with most of the cast from Fox River as his cell mates. Lincoln freed. Sarah walking away. Kellerman and Kim dead. Sucre and Maricruz possibly dead. Five million bucks underwater. A new threat in the form of the Company and whatever Sona is, with a strange general who appears to be faking muteness. I'm not sure how I feel about all this.

Although I do want to comment on Kellerman, who went out with class in a big, big way. He was a great character. I'll miss him. Yes, we didn't actually see him gasp his last, but I don't think they're going to be that devious. Will they?

In the irony department, Michael just put himself in jail again to save another person he loved. Maybe we'll have Lincoln giving his all to get Michael out of jail next season, which would be a fun reversal. Maybe.

Ah, well. No matter what they do, I'll still be able to spend an hour every week looking longingly at Wentworth Miller. And that's never a waste of time.
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

8 comments:

  1. Hey Billie,

    You pretty much covered most of my reaction. Prison Break has not been anywhere near as much fun this season. All the disparate stories just didn't do for me. And it really took things to new levels of absurdity. The timing never seemed to be right. I had serious trouble suspending my disbelief this year. And while I loved the addition of Mahone (go William Fichtner!), even T-Bag got tiring for me at times. Some weeks I had to force myself to watch the show, just because I still needed to see where it was going in the end.

    So now the end of the season is here, and I thought the episode was OK on the whole. But I loved the end. I think it is great that we are going to be back in prison next season. And with Mahone, T-Bag, and Bellick to boot! As for the weird "pad writing" guy and Sona ... I'm not giving it much thought at all. It makes little sense, and I don't even care what it means. The conspiracy aspects have always been among the weakest aspects of the show. But seeing Michael trying to break out of prison again, without a pre-planned escape? Count me in.

    And RIP Kellerman. If you are really dead. I hope you did go out with a smile.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You really think Kellerman is dead? I thought the guys who showed up were his guys there to break him out. Of course I can't figure out who he had any contact with besides his sister, but I really don't think we've seen the last of him.

    It is an interesting idea that Linc and Sarah would now need a plan to get Michael out, but I don't think that Linc is smart enough to hatch a brilliant plan...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also liked the first season more. I think it's because the prison is a 24x7 monitored environment which creates a constant pressure on the escapees.

    Uri.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well, Billie, I really agree with you... For me, Prison Break has lost its thing, what made it special.

    I mean, is still great, but... I don't know. I've always thought that a second season was too much for a stroyline like this...

    At least (and at last), I really hope Michael and Sarah end up together, because is my reason number one to see the show.

    Sorry if my English is not correct...

    Kisses from Spain :)

    SofĂ­a

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, and just one question, Billie...

    Are you planning on review Prison Break? I'd really love it :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. As would I. But retro-reviewing can get really boring for the reviewer, so I would just go with reviewing season 3 next fall (if the time permits for Billie, of course. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love Prison Break, but I doubt that I'll ever review it. In order to write a review that satisfies me, I have to watch each episode twice and obsess about the details. I don't feel a desire to do that with Prison Break like I do with my favorite sci-fi-like shows. And add that to my feeling that it's not as exciting as it was its first season.

    If one of my review shows is cancelled this spring (and I think one of them is going to be), I'll probably take on something else. I'm leaning heavily toward Supernatural -- if it's renewed.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh :(

    Well, I totally understand you, Billie, but Prison Break's first season was one of the best seasons ever on TV, just amazing.

    I don't know... I felt conned with Michael and Sara, because I've been specting for them to be together like years and, what do I get? NOTHING! DOUBLE NOTHING! The brief moments they are together are pretty disappointings... C'mon!!!

    I'm planning on doing a blog myself (but I don't have time) and I'll probably review Prison Break. Season One deserves it. But, of course, will be in Spanish! :)

    If you guys can understand the language or speak it or, just, want to take a look... Be my guests!

    ReplyDelete

We love comments! We moderate because of spam and trolls, but don't let that stop you! It’s never too late to comment on an old show, but please don’t spoil future episodes for newbies.