Prison Break 2.15: "The Message"

Written by Zack Estrin and Karyn Usher
Directed by Bobby Roth

In the previous episode, the main plot thread involving Michael and Lincoln was a bit too straightforward, hobbled by several other subplots that seemed to have little or nothing to do with the advancement of the season arc. It was, in many ways, symptomatic of the criticism leveled at the second season as a whole. In the first season, all of the character arcs were tightly connected to the main plot thread. In the second season, the characters all have their arcs, but the connections are often indirect or non-existent.

In this episode, the main plot thread is more complicated, and the writers restore one of the most interesting elements from earlier in the season. It was always a lot more fun when Mahone was unraveling Michael’s latest move, and that’s what happened in this episode. The various elements of the conspiracy were still in play, but Mahone’s careful and observant deconstruction of Michael’s message to Sara was the best part of the episode.

Connecting Bellick’s subplot to the main action again was another welcome development. This finally places his troubles in Fox River within a meaningful context. If he becomes Mahone’s bloodhound, everything leading up to that point in the story becomes Bellick’s motivation. And taking him back to Fox River reminds the audience of the dynamic in the first season, linking Bellick’s anger and resentment now to his more privileged position then.

As previously noted, Kellerman’s motivations are questionable at best, especially now that the object of his desire is possibly in his grasp. Up to this point, his resentment towards the president was his only logical reason for helping Michael and Lincoln. If that resentment no longer applies, his logical move is to get Michael and Sara together and eliminate all the threats at once. Once Sara sees him again, she’ll likely tell Michael that he tried to kill her. That should lead to some messy and interesting consequences. Even if Kellerman was genuinely ready to help, would he be forced into a corner by Michael’s reaction to his treatment of Sara?

Sucre’s subplot, on the other hand, seems completely disconnected from the main plot thread, and it’s hard to imagine how it could eventually come back into relevance. It’s entirely possible that it never will. There are shades of more familiar stories in this part of the episode. For example, I couldn’t help but think of the beginning of “Les Miserables”, with Sucre playing the part of Jean Valjean. Will this act of kindness push Sucre into a new way of life?

Even less connected to the main action is the subplot with Haywire, which seems designed to fill time, more than anything else. Haywire has been off the charts for so long that the writers might have been better served by ignoring him completely. This subplot seems to serve no other purpose than creeping out the audience. Then again, his act of murder could divert attention away at a critical moment.

It’s also hard to know how many of these subplots are meant to tie back into the main plot thread (as with Bellick), how many are meant to come to a close by the end of the season, and how many are meant to set the stage for a possible third season. Many speculated, at the beginning of the second season, that Michael and Lincoln would be exonerated by the end, leaving the third season to something very different: Michael’s struggle to repair the damage done by his fellow escapees. He might even be tasked with the unfortunate job of assisting the authorities with the capture of the rest of the Escape Squad in exchange for a pardon (as ludicrous as that may sound).

If so, then it makes a little more sense for the writers to spend so much time on subplots that have little or nothing to do with the conspiracy or Michael. The situations with Sucre, C-Note, T-Bag, and Haywire are all moving into unknown territory. There’s plenty of time left in the season to bring those to conclusion, but it’s also possible that they will remain open-ended. Only time will reveal these intentions.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10