(S04E21/S04E22) "I don't want to run anymore." - Michael
I'm happy that Prison Break is over. I've been a fan since the beginning, and even though it tested your threshold for absurd and ridiculous TV moments on more than one occasion, Prison Break was still one helluva ride. While part of me wishes that it had gone out on a creative high after maybe a season or two, I still appreciate what Paul Scheuring, Matt Olmstead, and Co. tried to do in season three and on some level, I even respect what went down here in the final season - arguably the drama's worst. That being said, tonight's two-hour finale offered some solid closure while wrapping up most everyone's story in ways that actually felt believable.
With Scylla still on the line, both Cristina and Krantz took hostages at the end of last week's episode - Sara and Lincoln. It divided Michael's attention, but ended up being nothing more than a brief diversion until he figured out a way to save them both. Mahone handled Cristina and her goon with a fake Scylla rigged with a bomb, while Michael lured Krantz and his men away so that he could raid the loft apartment and get Sara from T-Bag's clutches. Speaking of T-Bag, I'm glad we finally got a little back-story speaking to his sadistic motivations - childhood sexual abuse leading to neurological impotence. If anything, it confirms what most of us probably assumed anyway.
While all that was going down, some familiar faces showed up - Sucre and C-Note. Sucre was still on the run from the law and it turned out C-Note was too, after the case he was testifying in (against Mahone) fell through and he lost his government protection. With clean slates as motivations, the two of them were approached by someone we all thought was dead but always wondered about anyway because his "suicide" was so ambiguous: Paul Kellerman. Turns out he now works for the same anti-Company group that Aldo Burrows worked for. If Kellerman can get Scylla to the UN (who will use it for good), anyone with ties to Lincoln, Michael, and Fox River will be free and clear. Surprisingly enough, it all made sense.
One minor gripe? We found out that Lincoln was indeed adopted and that his parents were company operatives who had died. So how could Aldo Burrows have been either Lincoln or Michael's father? The last names don't add up and even if they did, he should have died years earlier. Michael's father should be a Scofield. Anyway, season four was obviously never even considered when Aldo was introduced in season two, and I can look past that. There are even bigger inconsistencies that I won't even bother getting into.
One other thing I've had a hard time connecting is the overarching conspiracy as it relates all the way back to season one. Why? Because it doesn't. At this point, I think the easiest way to justify all of it is that following Terrence Steadman's murder and the Fox River escape, this is just what they got involved in - period. It doesn't have to make sense, unfortunately.
OK, back to the finale. I didn't really see much point in introducing Agent Franco. The only purpose it served was to put one more person in their way and not believe their story. At this point, we've seen enough of that and I'm glad the interrogation scenes with Franco, Mahone, and Sucre didn't get too deep. However, I loved the scenes with Franco and Self in the hospital. After Cristina's goon turned him into a vegetable with that injection, I wanted to feel bad for him, but I just couldn't. Considering what Self did to his wife and what he subsequently did to try and remedy it, he got what was coming to him - a lifetime of having some nurse wipe drool off his chin.
As for the final confrontation between Michael and Cristina, I was honestly disappointed that his gun was empty. Having Sara put the bullet in Cristina's back was far less exciting. I guess at that point, though, it didn't really matter who killed who because it was all over. Kellerman got Scylla and everyone got deals. Still, I would have liked to have seen Michael finally let his rage take over - we never really got to see that side of Michael. His anger was always so well controlled.
Four years later, Mahone was dating Agent Lang (there was a romantic connection there?), Lincoln and Sofia owned a surf shop while LJ went to college, Sucre got his family back (where was Mari Cruz?), C-Note works for UPS (not sure that's really a happy ending...), Krantz got the chair (he cried!), and T-Bag ended up back in jail after everyone voted against giving him a deal too. I did like how they acknowledged that the past wasn't completely erased when now Congressman Kellerman was confronted by the widow of some guy he killed while employed by The Company. Makes you wonder how he even got elected.
As for Michael and Sara... well, Michael Jr. was doing just fine. His dad? Six feet under. It didn't come as much of a surprise. Michael was sick and you knew he would die young some day - but is that how he died? Apparently, his death will be addressed in the still unscheduled two-hour telepic, Prison Break: The Final Break. Guess we'll just have to wait for the DVD release on July 21st.
One thing to note? Michael's date of death was 11/4/2005. Prison Break premiered on 8/29/05 and if we assume that it took place in real time over that span, then the whole series (save for the four year jump) only encompassed a little over two months. I'm not sure that time-line fits completely, but I can accept that.
It was nice that the anniversary of Michael's death apparently spawned a yearly reunion amongst those still around, and I appreciated the little nods to season one, like the paper crane or even T-Bag making his new prison bitch hold on to his pants pocket as they entered the yard. Like I said earlier, though, Prison Break's creators and EPs should have taken some advice from the book they created (GATE: Greatness Achieved Through Excellence) and pushed for quality over quantity. Had Prison Break ended a few seasons ago with an ending that tied in more closely to the original plot, this show might have actually been remembered for being excellent rather than just being over.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-18-2009 @ 10:26AM
guest said...
And also, Michael's son got the tattoo. I found that interesting.
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5-18-2009 @ 10:26AM
Michael Brown said...
I don't think Michael's dead... the oragami crane... I think he is still alive... it is a possibility...
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5-18-2009 @ 10:27AM
bum2chair said...
why would he be hiding from his friend and family?
5-18-2009 @ 10:27AM
Michael Brown said...
Good Point... but with Linc putting it there... just hit me like Michael isn't really dead... I could be totally wrong I know that... maybe it is just wishful thinking... but how many other people have been "dead" or "killed" and ended up showing back up???
7-29-2009 @ 12:30PM
DODO said...
i dont think michael is dead, In prison break 4 Linc says that the photo in his mums house with her being pregnant with Michael that photo was a fake as that car make came out in 1978 and Michael was born in 1976, if you check his headstone it states his date of birth as 1974, So either He is still alive or Fox messed up in Prison Break 4
8-03-2009 @ 5:45AM
CAt said...
I dont think Michael is Dead, In Season 4 when linc is at his mothers house and finds the photo of him and her beside a car and she was pregnant, He could not remember the car and said the photo was a fake as the car they stood beside was made in 1978 and Michael was born in 1976, When you see the Headstone for Michael in the end his date of birth shows 1974. So either Michael is still alive or Fox messed up.
5-18-2009 @ 10:26AM
jayr2345 said...
Loved it Loved it Loved it. Say what you will about the direction PB took but that finale was awesome. It had all the action, crazy twists, and deceptiveness that PB has been known to provide for those fans that didnt abandon it after season 2. Had a problem with a couple of things though, everything just seemed to be a little TOO nicely tied up when Kellerman was basically running down the list at the end regarding the deals and everyone's loved ones. Also, 2005, really I would have liked to have seen more time pass, as the reviewer said, the show premeired in 05 so that is only like 2 or 3 months since fox river. Even if that whole 4 seasons took place within 3 months that would still be quick. What did he die that moment on the beach when he got the bloody nose. Did he not even get to see his kid born. hope they clarify that in the dvd movie. Other than that was ecstatic on how the show ended. Thank you so much Prison Break for providing me with so many hours of mindless, turn off your brain fun.
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5-18-2009 @ 10:26AM
bum2chair said...
I loved this episode I'm sad its over but we all knew that there wasn't much they could do after they broke out I'm actually surprised it lasted this long and was pretty satisfied with how it ended although I wished Michael hadn't of died and we knew a little bit more details on it oh well we'll just have to wait for the dvd release and as for Aldo being a burrows I believe it makes perfect sense Aldo and Cristina were never married so they had different last names Micheal was born as a Scofield and Lincoln was adopted by Aldo making him a Burrows
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5-18-2009 @ 10:27AM
bruce said...
"No Michael, don't kill the creepy murderous child molester who was just seconds away from raping and killing me!"
"No Michael, don't kill the evil General who has put us through hell for the past several months, ruined our lives, and was about to kill all of us, and who will continue to stalk us until he gets Scylla!"
"Okay Sarah, I'll let them live."
What the hell?!! If this were not the series finale - the last episode of this stupidity - I would quit watching right there. I did have to walk away from the TV just now. They just let the General live and I had to turn it off (I tivo'd it earlier tonight and am just watching it now ... are there always this many commercials - it's like every 5 minutes there are 6 minutes of commercials).
I'll go back and finish watching now. But unless it turns out that Sarah is working for the General and has had a secret love affair with T-Bag all this time - which would be unthinkably stupid - there is simply no explaining leaving T-Bag, and especially the General, alive. Do these people have no sense of self-preservation? And they've already don the "leave us alone and I'll let you live" thing before, only to continue to be chased. Unbelievable.
I'm afraid to go back and watch the last 35 minutes. I can only handle so much idiocy in one evening.
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5-18-2009 @ 10:27AM
bruce said...
"No Michael, don't kill the creepy murderous child molester who was just seconds away from raping and killing me!"
"No Michael, don't kill the evil General who has put us through hell for the past several months, ruined our lives, and was about to kill all of us, and who will continue to stalk us until he gets Scylla!"
"Okay Sarah, I'll let them live."
What the hell?!! If this were not the series finale - the last episode of this stupidity - I would quit watching right there. I did have to walk away from the TV just now. They just let the General live and I had to turn it off (I tivo'd it earlier tonight and am just watching it now ... are there always this many commercials - it's like every 5 minutes there are 6 minutes of commercials).
I'll go back and finish watching now. But unless it turns out that Sarah is working for the General and has had a secret love affair with T-Bag all this time - which would be unthinkably stupid - there is simply no explaining leaving T-Bag, and especially the General, alive. Do these people have no sense of self-preservation? And they've already don the "leave us alone and I'll let you live" thing before, only to continue to be chased. Unbelievable.
I'm afraid to go back and watch the last 35 minutes. I can only handle so much idiocy in one evening.
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5-18-2009 @ 10:27AM
az1324 said...
Would have been better if at the end a big solar weapon destroyed the world.
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5-18-2009 @ 10:27AM
bruce said...
If they were going to bring back Kellerman, they owed it to us to show (or at least explain) how he didn't get summarily executed in the back of that jail transport van.
Likewise, if they were going to bring back Kellerman and have him avoid prosecution (remember, he confessed to all sorts of murders and other crimes in furtherance of The Company conspiracy), suddenly become the nicest, most honorable and empathetic character ever introduced in 4 seasons of Prison Break, they owe us an explanation.
They also owe us an explanation for how Kellerman goes from facing a huge indictment to working for the UN to being elected to Congress (!). Not saying we don't have criminals in Congress, it's almost a job requirement, but Kellerman was for all intents and purposes a scheming assassin, shooting people in cold blood and framing innocent people (LJ) for his crimes.
I'm also annoyed that four years after giving the Scylla info to the UN, everyone is still driving regular cars and nothing seems to be different. It would have been cool if they showed how amazing the Scylla info was after it had been freely implemented around the world.
Anyone notice the mean FBI agent who was grilling Don Self was the guy who played Ethan Rom on Lost (William Mapother)? I thought that was kinda cool to see him, though it took me a few seconds to remember where I'd seen him before.
I'm still horribly annoyed at Michael's inability to kill T-Bag and the General. At least he tried to shoot his evil mother (misfire? come on... lame).
One thing I liked is how Michael and Mahone became pretty good friends. Go back to season 2 where they were mortal enemies (well, apparently Michael doesn't believe in 'mortal' enemies since he can't kill people who are trying to kill him and/or rape and slaughter his fiancé) and now they're best buddies. Not saying it's not believable - they've been through a whole lot of ridiculous crap together (all of which took place over only 2 months? That might be the most nutty thing of all).
I'd like an explanation for how Kellerman was able to get General Kranz arrested. Kranz is still a powerful guy, even if he doesn't have Scylla (plus not everyone would know that he lost it). Not only that, but Kranz gets the electric chair? Isn't that a bit like Dick Cheney being arrested for torture? Just not gonna happen no matter how much he deserves it.
Whatever happened to the 5 cards necessar to read Scylla? I didn't see them anywhere when they were checking Scylla to load it up and see if it works. Am I forgetting something?
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5-18-2009 @ 1:30PM
David said...
Those cards were like keys to get Scylla from it's place in the Company headquarters
5-18-2009 @ 10:27AM
Frantic Monkey said...
I watched this show religiously over the first 2 1/2 seasons, but after that it just got a little stale and I stopped watching.
I'm glad that they ended the show the way they did though. I always felt there was never any real danger that Michael or Lincoln faced. Like they were never gonna die. I think I'll have to get hold of season 3 onwards to give myself closure on the show.
http://hollywoodhubbub.com
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5-18-2009 @ 10:27AM
bruce said...
Don't. It's a lot better if you just pretend Season 3 never happened.
If you really want to enjoy PB, pretend that the series ends at the end of season 2, in the last episode about 10 minutes before the end, when Michael and Sarah are together, boarding the little boat to sail away into the sunset, before "Mr. Kim" shows up. Just pretend Kim never showed up and they sailed away to live happily ever after. If it ended right then and there, it would have been a fantastic 2-season series - one for the ages.
5-18-2009 @ 10:28AM
Joe said...
It wasn't spaced over two months at all!!! Just because the whole series aired two months before Michael died doesn't mean that that was when it was set. It was over a lot more time because Lincoln's Execution was set for May 11th or something so it was more like six months!!!!! Anyway I loved it. A great Finale!!!
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5-18-2009 @ 10:28AM
stanwee said...
I, like a few others don't believe Michael is dead either, their is still a lot that has happened in the missing 4 years still to be explained.
After reading what happens in the next episode there looks like there could be a few twists yet.
Here is a preview of what is going on.
http://www.prisonbreakmanhunt.com/s04e23
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5-18-2009 @ 10:29AM
mommydearest9499 said...
No, I don't think the time line makes since. If the show started in 8/05, how could it all be over and Michale be dead in 11/05? When the show first started, the premise was that Linc was going to be executed in May and Michale had to stop the execution before May, right? And as I recall, he just made it or there was a stay of execution @ the last minute or something like that. Point being if he barely made the time line of getting Lince out of prison before his execution in May, how then could he have died 3mo later (Starting in Aug -->May of next year is def more than 3 months) Am I the only one that sees this?
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5-18-2009 @ 10:29AM
patsy said...
I agree that the timeline of only 3 months is too short. I mean, his toe amputation from the 1st year wouldn't even have healed. Too much happened. I think it had to have been at least 9 or 10 months. Yet there is the date on the headstone.
As far as Michael not killing the General or Tbag. Michael was not a killer. He was a thinker and a reader and an engineer. And going into prison he became a very damaged person. So much happened to him and yet he tried to be a decent human being. He felt responsible for every death and took it all on himself. He deserved to be free and I hope he is, wherever he is.
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5-18-2009 @ 1:30PM
David said...
The timeline was not three months, Michael arrived in Fox River in April, and died November, that is not three months