The Erstwhile Warden Pope has stopped mulling and resumed ranting. He doesn't give a rat's ass about Michael or his brother. "I trusted you! Day after day you lied to me. What kind of a man does that?" Michael looks suitably chastened. "A desperate one." He replies breathily. Pope, immune to the steely eyes, ain't havin' it. He has no choice but to call them in. Michael levels his gun in Pope's general direction. "I'm sorry. I can't let you do that," Michael says, clenching up his entire face in a way that would make Sheriff Seth Bullock proud. If this is the only way he can convince Pope, then so be it. Michael never wanted to ruin the Warden's life. The Pontiff's all yeah, that's great, but unless you're here to un-ruin it you can stop trying to convince me to help you. Sara interrupts: "You're not saying anything to him I haven't said myself, Henry." She's looked in to this. She believes what he says. He just wants people to know the truth. Pope says that's easy for him to say, standing on that side of the gun. Michael, always up for a good dramatic gesture when the circumstances call for one, puts the gun down on the counter and spins it around. "What if I'm on this side of it?" Dun!
Everyone stands around listening to the tense strings on the soundtrack for awhile. Pope says "I could shoot you right now and not even think twice." Which, who do you think you're fooling, man? You're a big softie and the guy who made your wife's Taj Mahal knows that full well. Michael reminds him he's spent too much time around prisons to throw his life away like that. Somehow I don't think he'd get into all that much trouble if the #1 fugitive in America turned up dead in his breakfast nook. In fact, wouldn't he just get $100 grand? His Holiness just asks what the hell Michael is trying to pull. It's simple, he says. That's the key to an innocent man's freedom. He gestures toward Sara, who is helpfully displaying the humidor key like it's a tennis bracelet and she's one of Barker's Beauties. "We both know there's something going on here. Too many people have died." Pope has no moral obligations toward Michael. For all he knows, Linc could be guilty as hell. Then why doesn't he take a ten-minute drive with Michael and find out? Sara reminds him that he's looked in to this before, but he's a man of the law, and right now he has a convicted felon standing inside his house. Michael, with so very, very much steel: "Well maybe there's something I can offer you that'll make you change your mind." It's actually rather suggestive, but the music does not start going "Bow chicka bow wow" and Michael does not disrobe. Rats.
We're back at the old Bagwell family manse, and I am not optimistic. It's at least seventeen kinds of creepy in there, all dusty and full of holes and graffiti and evil. T-Bag is wide-eyed and lost. The Hollanders shuffle in behind him, giving him a Moment with his dark, horrifying past. He reaches in to a hidden spot in the wall and pulls out a giant leather-bound dictionary marked up in colored pencil. We hear an echoey chuckle, and it's clear that it doesn't exist outside of Teddy's scary mind. Oh, fantastic. Susan, noting the extra dose of Crazy in his eyes, carefully asks what he intends to do with them. He doesn't answer, choosing instead to thousand-yard stare his way right in to a full-on flashback.
Little Teddy, who incidentally is freaking adorable, is listening to his dad and his dumb drunk loser friends calling each other dumb drunk losers. One of them tells Teddy Senior that the Stupid seems to be genetic, and Daddy responds: "Teddy! Ten synonyms!" He tells the guy to pick a word. "DEEEstroy!" says the most vocal Dumb Drunk Loser. Little Teddy stands up obediently like he's at a spelling bee, "Ten synonyms for 'destroy:' annul, mutilate, liquidate..." The Dumb Drunk Losers are suitably impressed, and Daddy declares "Stupid my ass. My boy's gonna be President." Present Day T-Bag shakes off the memory, and in an exquisitely creepy gesture I can't help but think was an Acting Choice by Robert Knepper, holds the old dictionary up to his nose and inhales deeply. Disturbing. The Hollanders, who probably really have to pee by now, just kind of hang back as T-Bag continues to regress and reminisce.
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Comments (9)
I dont know if its just that screencap of Sucre and Maricruz in the car, but are she and C-note's wife played by the same person?
I'm 100% over Michael and his steely-eyed, overly dramatic statements. Can you imagine Michael in a normal social setting (ie one where his brother's not been framed for murder, he's not the most wanted man in the country, etc)? for instance ordering a Mcdonalds meal? "I'll have........(sharp intake breath, narrowed eyes)....the number...4........(5 second dramatic pause).....(deep breath)...with......a Coke (stare intently at cashier for an overly akward amt of time)
ugh so over him! Kellermen, Mahone and Kim should get their own show
1 of 9 | Posted by msu11y28
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Posted on February 22, 2007 7:47 AM
Great recap! Love the "bow chicka bow wow" comment - I could totally hear that playing in my head.
Poor T-Bag. He's one of those characters you love to hate, but right now I just love him (and all of his creepiness).
I haven't seen Prison Break in weeks, and am still relying on these recaps - thanks for doing them!
2 of 9 | Posted by Mrs.Meow
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Posted on February 22, 2007 8:40 AM
I've read somewhere that Wentworth Miller's eyes are affected by light sensitivity, and that's why he's all squinty eyed. I think the gravity Michael uses is amusing; also, I think it goes along with the physiological profile done on him in season 1.
T-Bag's bringing articulation back. He consistently has the best lines, as well has the best deliveries.
Sucre's story line is SNOOZE!
3 of 9 | Posted by StreetHassle
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Posted on February 22, 2007 9:32 AM
yeah, whose hotel room were they in and where did they get a computer? How do they even have any money?
as preposterous as this show is, it doesn't fail to deliver.
I would SO listen to a band call T-Bag and the Hollander Family Hostages!
4 of 9 | Posted by jobu
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Posted on February 22, 2007 9:53 AM
It's funny you say that about WM's eyes, because I noticed he has freakishly large pupils like I do. At least some of it seems to be actual squinting, but either way, have at it!
I think it does makes sense to play the character that way, especially when you think back to like, the pilot episode, and how his whole thing was that he's super intense genius who's had to look after his brother since he was like 8. Good call on the Season 1 profile.
Having said that though, ha, msu11y28. I almost hope we actually get to see that one day. "My name is Michael Scoffield, and I have some questions about my cable bill." *8-second steely-eyed glare* Dunnnn!
T-Bag has become way more interesting than I ever would have thought. Robert Knepper pretty much owned this episode. This show has really cornered the market on morally ambiguous characters, which is no small feat. And I love me some moral ambiguity.
And yes, Sucre and C-Note both like their women caramel-colored. Mrs. C-Note is prettier though. And less boring.
5 of 9 | Posted by Loula
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Posted on February 22, 2007 10:04 AM
i must concur with the praise of robert knepper as t-bag. i still think his is the most improbable plot thread (six words: veterinarian performs hand transplant sans anasthesia), but his character gained a new level of depth this week, and knepper's performances are wonderfully varied, from vicious campiness in the early episodes to this week's sensitive and surprisingly believable turn.
it's a bit ironic (although unsurprising) that the best performances are coming from the supporting character actors (stacy keach as warden pope; william fichtner as mahone; knepper and, to a lesser extent, the actress who plays sarah) rather than the pretty-boy leads. still, even though i think wenty miller is a real ham, you can't deny his charisma. all together, this was a great episode (i even like sucre), and the show seems to be finding its groove again. great recap, loula--
6 of 9 | Posted by jack
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Posted on February 22, 2007 10:43 AM
HUGE kudos to Loula for this amazing recap. Thank you for being there for us.
I always rolled my eyes when people would comment about being at work, reading the recaps, and having to explain to their coworkers about the laughter. But I must say, I just had one of those moments myself. "take care of their Grown Folks Bidness" was my first moment. I got a couple of gopher heads over the cubicle walls but no one approached. "it's actually pretty suggestive, but the music does not start going bow chicka bow wow." This would be about the time the coworkers began to wander by to see what was so funny. YOU try to find something legitimately amusing about the “query” (wink, wink) you are running. It ain't easy, people!
StreetHassle: "bringing articulation back" Doesn't have the same ring as SexyBack but it'll do.
7 of 9 | Posted by RealityTV4Me
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Posted on February 23, 2007 8:35 AM
One more thing....it would be highway robbery if Robert Knepper didn't win an Emmy for his performance this season. Of course, that would be the least of the charges against him.
8 of 9 | Posted by RealityTV4Me
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Posted on February 23, 2007 8:40 AM
Linc and Kellerman should have taken those guys' guns.. in fact, if they took away every agent's gun at every possible moment, it would resolve a lot of immediate future complications
9 of 9 | Posted by lola
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Posted on June 17, 2007 11:13 AM