Wentworth Miller on Prison Break
© Fox

Mania Grade: B
Episode: Sone
Stars: Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, Sarah Wayne Callies, William Fitchner, Wade Williams, Robert Knepper

Related Links

0

"Prison Break: Sona"

Many fans have said that this series lost steam after the prison break finally happened.  There have been a few times this season I was inclined to agree, but the last several episodes have been just as entertaining as some of the best from season one.  The magic ingredient of this series is the ensemble cast, get them together and the episode is good fun, split them up and there’s a good chance the episode will fail.  This recipe isn’t foolproof but it works more often than not.  In the season finale, everyone who is of any consequence finds their way to Panama and other characters see the end of their story arcs altogether. 

Last episode, Kellerman found himself with a gun to his head ready to end it all when his sister convinced him that he might leave a better legacy by trying to right as many of the wrongs he was a part of as he could.  I think he agreed because he knew how it would end if he did that.  So, this episode he testifies for Sara, even bringing documentation to back up his testimony, and in the process clearing Sara and Linc’s names.  Sara is set free and she heads straightaway to Panama to tell Michael and Linc what’s happened.  Kellerman of course gets blasted on by some thugs in ski masks.  His character had a really strong arc in the series, he was a bad guy but he thought he was being the bad guy for the betterment of his country, and the unrequited love of the Vice President.  When he realized everything he had done was wrong and that she never really cared for him, his decision to kill himself or fix some of what he did and get himself killed made perfect sense. 

Another character, Mahone, finally acknowledged the desperate situation he is in.  The problem with Mahone is that he believes he can still get out of it and that led him to forcing a trade with Michael, the boat and the money, for Linc.  Mahone of course planned a double cross.  He would wait with Linc and Michael for Kim to show up, kill Kim, and blame it on Michael and Linc.  It bothered me a bit that he so horribly underestimated Kim who showed up with a squad of men carrying heavy weapons but I chalked it up to Mahone’s desperation. Michael and Linc escape the firefight between Mahone and Kim leaving Mahone to be arrested by local police.  Michael and Linc make there way to a replacement boat where Sara is waiting.  Now, I realize Michael left her a message that would lead her to him but it’s a little ridiculous that she made it to Panama so quickly.  But, this is a series built on the impossible, you have to sell yourself on it or switch the channel and the dramatic reunion made the questionable timing worth it for me.  Kim shows up at the boat and lets them all know they “almost did it”.  When he raises his gun to kill only one of the brothers Sara emerges from the boat and kills him just as the police arrive leading to a chase on foot. 

Michael takes the blame for killing Kim and turns himself in protecting Sara and paying her back for everything she has done for him.  Then he finds himself transferred to some sort of ancient looking prison facility, the “Sona” that was referenced earlier in the episode in a notepad conversation between Kim and his boss.  There Michael catches a glimpse of Mahone and Bellick, and I’m sure T-Bag can’t be far behind as the last we saw of him was that the “company” left him to rot in a local Panama prison.  There are hints throughout the episode that only one of the brothers was of importance and it’s not Linc.  At the end of the episode that’s more apparent as the architects of this whole plot discuss the fact that Michael is sure to escape and that’s exactly what they want him to do. 

There are some plot holes in this episode such as how quickly Sara makes it to Panama, how easily she is set free even though she did commit some criminal acts, same for Michael and Linc but as I mentioned earlier, this is in many ways like a modern day MacGyver crossed with The Prisoner, you just have to suspend you disbelief and go along for the ride.  I do it for LOST, Heroes, and 24 and will continue to do so as long as the series is entertaining and this episode was definitely entertaining.  I can’t wait to see this new group work their way out of this new prison and I can’t wait to see why the company wants them to do it!  I read that the producers originally planned for this series to run three seasons with season one in prison, season two out of prison, and season three back in prison and based on this season final it appears that everything is on track.  Hopefully, we’ll get one more bang up season of Prison Break and it’ll be over.