Bad News Boys

FOX announced today that they've finally given the axe to Prison Break. 

Certainly the show hit some serious creative snags when, you know, they broke out of prison. And sure it's been years since the show was the bonafide ratings hit that it was in season 1. But I still liked it. 

Prison Break, week in and week out, was entertaining. The action was consistently exciting, many of the characters were engaging and surprisingly deep, Robert Knepper and William Fichtner remain some of the most detailed character actors in the business and Wentworth, not to diminish his talents or anything, remains one of the most beautiful. 

So I'll have to learn to live without my weekly dose of misunderstood but beautiful convicts.

But where does that leave FOX? The cancellation of Prison Break means that there is officially NOTHING I watch on that network from the moment So You Think You Can Dance ends to the moment it premieres again. They'd better hope Dollhouse is freaking amazing. 

Goodbye Bellick

Like Charlie Pace (Lost) before him, Prison Break's Brad Bellick (played by Wade Williams) drowned this week, sacrificing himself to save his friends and their mission. 

Starting off as one of the show's principle antagonists, Bellick was one of Prison Break's many "love to hate" characters. As the series progressed Bellick spent a couple of years as the outsider, not a part of Scofield's group but not on the right side of law either. By the fourth season, Sucre having vouched for him, Bellick became one of the good guys, often somewhat questionable in morals but usually pretty dependable. 

This week's ending was the perfect way to say goodbye to such a roller coaster of a character. Bellick was ultimately redeemed in his end and will be remembered as an integral part of the show. 

Prison Break: new season, new genre

This week's season premiere of Prison Break made 3 things clear:

1) Sara's back, it's totally plausible and the audience is not, under any circumstances, to question it. And question it I won't, because having Sara back means an end of the vengeful, mopey Michael and more of the thoughtful, focused Michael of earlier seasons. The romance also adds a little variety to the usually one-note show. 

2) Mahone, Sucre, Bellick, Lincoln and the new guy are all going to serve useful purposes this year and not just be dead weight around Michael's neck again. Mahone's long and detailed speech detailing how they can uncover the identity of the cardholder served the essential purpose of reminding the audience that Alex Mahone wasn't always a pill-popping and paranoid loser, once upon a time he was at the top of his FBI division. 

and

3) We've moved into a completely different genre. Prison Break hasn't been a suspense show since season 1. For the past 2 years it's been a conspiracy and action-based show. Now, for season 4, they've moved towards an espionage angle. With all the breaking, entering, defrauding and data stealing that went on in the two-part premiere, there were times when I had to remind myself that I wasn't watching an early season of Alias. 

So it's not even pretending to be about a prison break anymore, but the new season's premise seems to be the most promising in years. I only wish that they had gone through with the murder of Gretchen, there's no need to have the bitch from She's All That playing tough all season. 

Prison Break episode 2

Last night's second episode of the Prison Break season was certainly meh. The sleuthing should not be left to Lincoln. Susan B Anthony is clearly ridiculous- first off she's completely unbelievable as an agent of whatever she's an agent of, she's also played by the bitchy prom queen from She's All That, please. I hate it when Michael doesn't have a plan- its not nearly as interesting. I'm also tired of Sucre already (who we've only just been re-introduced to) though perhaps he'll be better once this Marie-Cruz thing is over. And I can't stand what the writers have done with Mahone. I disagreed with the direction they took for the character in the first place but they've taken him to idiotic extremes that someone of his supposed intelligence would never stoop to. With all he went through last year he would know that he can't beat Michael and that his only chance for survival would be to work with him. Instead, he's clinging to an immoral strategy that he thinks will get him out of prison but which even he admits doesn't sound like it will work- what? Id rather just have Mahone killed. The second season was great for that- they killed off beloved characters because there's no way all 8 of them could have made it, they showed no qualms about losing them. We lost Abruzzi, Tweener and Haywire to that (no one cared at all what happened to C-Note) and the series survived- so lets off Mahone and be done with him.

on the good side- I love T-Bag, he's one of the coolest characters ever. Robert Knepper is impeccable as the villain you love to hate. Its amazing to see how he transforms himself (a funny, happy-seeming, kindly man) into the snake that he portrays on screen. In the audio commentaries on the season 1 DVD you can hear him talk about the techniques he uses to develop the character. I also love Mike and Linc, as corny as it may be I love seeing them swear to go to the ends of the earth for each other.
Though he drives me crazy, the writers have done a great job throwing Bellick into a completely different world than the one in which we were introduced to him but keeping him true to his character. Unlike Mahone, Bellick is consistent in character. His willingness to do anything (including betraying Michael- the only person he can trust) to survive in relative comfort is reminiscent of his time as a CO, taking bribes from the inmates. Similarly, T-Bag's degrading himself for protection and status makes perfect sense and is full circle from his forcing young men to hold his pocket for protection at Fox River.

Overall I still thoroughly enjoy this show even if there are tons of things I would do differently if I was writing it.

Also: Wentworth.

PS: I MISS SARA!!!!!!

Holy Prison Break Batman!!!

I admit I love the Wentworth. I love his secretive eyes, his heart shaped face, his perfectly defined lips, the small mole on his temple, his strong hands, the way he exudes quietly intense intelligence, etc... but I have to admit that even if we put him aside for a moment I still love Prison Break.

Ive just finished watching the third season premier of the show (courtesy of fox.com) and was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was a little disappointed in the second season as a whole so was unsure about the third (now mind you I was disappointed but still enthralled so there was no way I wasn't coming back) but so far its proved a bit of a return to the original brilliance. Though not as exhilarating as the first season (I'm already tired of the prisoner who runs the prison and his so called "rules"), it's nice to see the guys stop running and have to think things through again. What made the first season so great was knowing Michael's plan was already set and watching it play out (as well as watching him think on his feet and adapt to the obstacles that came up). sure it was an action/adventure show but it was more intelligent and suspenseful (also home to some of the most interesting and well-played/developed characters on TV- Robert Knepper is the king of character study!!!). The second season was mostly running and Link without a shirt. This season Michael's back in Prison (alongside 3 other characters we already know- the bores that are Bellick and Mahone and the awesome villainy of T-Bag) and we get to see him come up with an escape plan. It's sure to be somewhere in between the brilliance of the first season and the mediocrity of the second. Also, this plot line certainly wasn't in the original plan so the answers cant be in the tattoo. we're sure to see plenty of long sleeves on Wentworth this season (so he doesn't have to spend the extra 5 hours in makeup).

We're also going to sincerely miss Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara Tancredi) who' s not in the cast this season. As far as we know Sara and LJ are alive and have been kidnapped but with Michael's attachment to her and her non-existent contract she's bound to meet an unfortunate fate. Too bad, I always like Sara.

Must go, more to come as the new TV season unfolds.