The third season, in many respects, has been a return to premise for “Prison Break”. While some elements could not be restored, such as the complex tattoo used as a map for escape from Fox River, that opened the door for character exploration. Everyone in Sona is fighting to gain control over a weakness or vulnerability, and that keeps the story from faltering completely.
Michael, for example, must overcome his tendency to panic without a well-constructed plan, not to mention his difficulty reading people and their motivations. Mahone must overcome his addiction and recover his ability to read people, particularly Michael. T-Bag has maneuvered himself into an important position in Lechero’s gang in record time, positioning him to survive with or without escape. Bellick, on the other hand, has yet to find a way to succeed, as yet another round of torture aptly demonstrates.
When the story focuses on the action within Sona, it is a far more interesting show. It could stand to be more imposing, as it was in the second season finale, but watching Michael overcome the odds is the conceit of the series. For all that the writers are trying to make Lincoln’s situation interesting, he doesn’t even have a solid opponent. Veronica and Sara had Kellerman, after all.
Of course, the discussion on this episode won’t focus on the interesting battles fought within Sona, psychological or physical. It won’t focus on Sucre’s decision to help Lincoln and Michael. Instead, it will focus on Sara’s brutal death and the off-screen drama surrounding it. I wasn’t shocked at all, just as I wouldn’t be shocked if the show were to plummet in the ratings.
This could be interpreted as an unfortunate example of misogyny on the part of the writing staff. That may be true, but according to the producers, the network was unhappy with the direction of the third season. The producers ultimately suggested killing Sara, and that was approved by the FOX executives. It wouldn’t the first time that FOX had a major impact on the success of a show, and it certainly won’t be the last. It’s just a shame that the season, and possibly the series, will be marred by this turn of events.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
John Keegan
Reprinted with permission
Original source: c. Critical Myth, 2007
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