Prison Break 2.20: "Panama"

Written by Zack Estrin
Directed by Vincent Misiano

When last we left off with Michael and Lincoln, their last ditch effort to blackmail President Reynolds into clearing Lincoln failed miserably. Their only recourse was to get as far away from Chicago as possible, which as Lincoln stated, was the plan from the beginning. Of course, since then, Sara has become a bit of a complication to the plan. Sara takes one for Michael’s sake, which is just about the greatest sacrifice she could make under the circumstances. That doesn’t make Michael any less cranky.

As anticipated, Michael has been counting the cost of the lives necessary to complete his plan. Given his psychological makeup, it’s impossible for him not to feel responsible, and he knows that the body count continues to rise with every day that T-Bag remains free. That’s a conflict that has been lingering in the background since the very beginning of the series.

This leaves Mahone in a compromised position, because while he spins his wheels, Internal Affairs is working with C-Note. With William Kim under fire from the corporate power behind the conspiracy, it’s both a source of distraction and focus. Mahone has to deal with a nagging problem, but he is finally pushed into a corner where he has nothing left to lose.

Mahone’s manic deconstruction of Michael’s tattoo, particularly his complex analysis reminds us that he is effectively as intelligent, if his own way, as Michael. And it never hurts to bring back that symmetry, even if it means that the tattoo will no longer be applicable beyond this season. (Unfortunately, that element hasn’t been present much at all this season, anyway.)

Down in Mexico, Bellick and Sucre continue to hunt down T-Bag and Westmoreland’s money. With Maricruz in the balance, Sucre has no choice but to work with the bastard. This allows for a useful sleight of hand. T-Bag’s particular brand of insanity doesn’t quite afford him a low profile, and sure enough, that becomes a weapon against Michael. The internal investigation against Mahone pushes him to the point where he’ll allow T-Bag to kill to bring an end to the chase.

With two episodes left, the series has yet to be renewed for a third season, but that seems like a sure bet. Who might survive to see the third season is a completely different question. I hate to say it, but I don’t think Mahone will make it past the finale. The writers seem to be wrapping up his character arc, which is unfortunate. It would be a lot more interesting if Michael and Mahone were working together in some fashion in the third season.

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

Final Rating: 8/10