Prison Break

What kind of hell on earth did Michael just walk into? Why are the next 20 feet going to be the most dangerous? How come Mahone didn’t have to do that walk? How many times did Bellick get, um, loved by that big dude? Why did Sara leave the police station without waiting for Lincoln? What happened to Sucre? Are Kim and Kellerman really dead?

I have to be honest — and the above paragraph proves this — I’m still not sure what to say about this episode. When the hour was up, my first instinct was a large amount of confusion followed by slight disappointment. I even went onto Fox’s PB message boards to get an idea of what other fans thought — which I usually never do, but I just really didn’t know how to react to what I’d just seen. Some of them loved the episode and called it the best of this season; others swore off watching Prison Break’s third year. So I’m really curious as to how you all feel, especially since some of you even predicted a few of the parts to the cliff-hanger.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some pretty fantastic moments tonight, but I just thought overall as a season finale it was lacking something that I can’t quite pinpoint. Maybe I was expecting more answers, but with so many questions raised it definitely got me hooked into watching next season. Because I still have no freakin’ clue what Sona is. Yes, it’s a prison in Panama — a very dirty prison in Panama. But why did Pad Man want to capture Michael just to have him break out? A couple of episodes ago the Company people didn’t even know Michael and Lincoln’s plan was to end up in Panama. Out of all the countries in the world, it was the same one with this prison. Why did Pad Man tell Kim (well, he wrote it on a pad of paper) that only one was needed? And does he run some sort of human experiment facility? Is he going to use Michael for scientific testing?

OK, I’ll try to ease up on the questions and move on to more important things, like the moment Sara and Michael fans have been waiting for since the train kiss. Actually there were two moments tonight: The first was hearing Chaco tell Michael, “She’s very pretty,” and then the shot of Sara standing there on the boat. Anyone notice a little bit of Sarah Wayne Callies' cute baby bump? And then, of course, when they told each other “I love you” and had a very emotional kiss, before Michael held her at gunpoint and confessed to her crime to the police. On a sidenote, much of this episode with the foreign prisons totally reminded me of Brokedown Palace.

The shootout with Kim and his agents, Mahone, and Lincoln and Michael made for some heaving heart-beating, not knowing who was at the receiving end of each bullet fired. But the moment that really put a smile on my face was hearing the reporter announce that Lincoln had been exonerated and then seeing his reaction to Sara’s news. “I need a drink.” Well put, Lincoln.

Now about Kellerman: I want to say it’s safe to assume his “Nazi firing squad” reference and then “took you long enough” meant that he had the whole thing set up to be killed rather than face trial and prison. But we never saw his body or anyone else’s in that van, for that matter. Maybe this is the writers' way of letting Paul Adelstein know that if the Grey’s spin-off doesn’t happen he can still come back to PB. Or maybe he really is dead. Kim has to be dead, right? He was shot in the chest and probably sank to the bottom of the water (cheers all around) with the backpack filled with $5 million. So, dare we say R.I.P. to him?

A few last thoughts: it’s actually quite funny that T-Bag is stuck in jail after the Company guy broke their deal; I loved when Mahone called the police and told them, “a well dressed Asian man has just been shot by two Americans”; but even more, I loved the shot of Michael and Mahone staring at each other in the rain outside Sona. Chills. And to the writers: I love PB, and I love Wentworth and Dominic, so please keep this show as wonderful as it’s been the last two years.

Finally, I wanted to say it’s been an absolute blast writing about this show and sharing it with all of you, and it was so fun checking in every Tuesday morning to see what you all had to say. It sounds like I’m signing a yearbook here, but really I just want to say thank you!

Did you hear? Prison Break got picked up for a third season, check out creator Paul T. Scheuring's interview after the announcement. The good news, of course, is that we get another year of nail-biting television and we don’t have to say bye to our favorite brothers, but — and I hate to ask — does anyone wonder how much longer this whole on-the-run thing can really go on? Obviously next week’s finale is going to set up the new game plan and I have total faith in the writers to keep us hanging until September. The hope is to make it last through the following April. But hey, as long as I’m entertained in the meantime — which has worked for two years now — I’m all for it.

So it’s been really fun reading all your speculations about the upcoming cliff-hanger, and even with those crazy previews we saw tonight, I still have no clue what’s really going to happen! But my head is spinning with theories, so instead, how about recounting the number of times I gasped and yelled, “Oh bleep!” during tonight’s episode? It usually happens a lot during this show (and props to those of you who watch 24 right after. That’s a whole lot of stressful TV to sit through!). But there were plenty tonight to make a list of gasp-worthy moments:

— The first one kicked off when Michael bumped into Sucre, and then not even getting the chance to smile at the reunion when Bellick came up behind him with his “Que paso, Scofield.” Bellick is getting up there with Sawyer from Lost with witty one-liners, like calling Michael “Dudley Freakin' Do Right” and describing his trip as “the diarrhea trail to get to this backwards-ass country.”

— T-Bag being followed by those two (company?) guys, who were being followed by Michael, Sucre and Bellick, being followed by Mahone and bam — Lincoln came out of nowhere and punched him out. Nice job, Linc, especially about beating the ever-living crap out of him after that. But he didn’t stop there, he called Mahone “son of a bitch who killed my dad” before attacking him yet again.

— And what do we have behind closed door No. 1? Yep, a dead girl, which for a quick second looked like Maricruz, but it was also the clear sign that T-Bag had caught the guys in a trap. Shame on you, T-Bag. When Michael had the flashbacks to Fox River and all the evil things T-Bag did, it really made me miss Season 1 and the whole trying to break out of prison and fighting to survive in those cells story.

— Kellerman shooting himself in the head: wow. Even though it was shown in last week’s previews, I wasn’t too sure he’d actually go through with it. Hearing him talk to his sister about how the only other time his weapon jammed (and his officer called it suicide, now here he is years later trying to commit suicide and it jammed, just a tad bit ironic) broke my heart a little. But it looks like Paul will be taking this second chance at life and be the hero, as he showed up at Sara’s trial as a surprise last-minute witness.

— The words “12 years” came as a huge shocker, too. When Sara’s lawyer told her the plea agreement meant she’d get 12 — 12! — years in prison, my heart broke again. Even with good behavior, she’d be facing at least nine years for just trying to save the man she loves. Ok, so she also aided in the escape of eight convicts, but that’s just a minor detail. Watching her remain calm and realize she’d be out of prison by the time she was 40 made me so sad, but then, of course, in came Kellerman. I can’t wait to see what he does on the witness stand.

— And I saved the best for last: Michael stabbing T-Bag was just fantastic (stabbing him in the one remaining good arm), especially since T-Bag didn’t think “Mr. Michaelangelo” had it in him. I knew Michael wasn’t going to kill T-Bag, just like I knew Lincoln wouldn’t kill Mahone, because like Mahone put it, both the brothers don’t have the “heart to kill a man.” Once again, T-Bag’s character continues to amaze me, as I can go from laughing about him telling Michael he could get his legs tattooed and then instantly feel icky all over with his “it’s been a long time coming, pretty.”

One of my fellow TV Guide Channel coworkers interviewed the cast a couple of weeks ago at the Paley Television Festival and most of them stayed tight-lipped about next week’s finale. But Dominic Purcell hinted that fans can expect “a big shock” and Robert Knepper said we’re “going to say goodbye to some characters and say hello to some new ones.” Shameless plug: to see more of their interviews, tune in to TV Guide Channel’s The 411 Thursdays at 8. See ya’ll back here next week, for the last time!

Well it’s down to the last two episodes, and while I’m going to miss being glued to the TV for a thrilling hour every Monday night, I’m definitely anxious to see how it will all go down. A good guess would be that we’ll be saying bye-bye to at least three more people (Kim? Kellerman? Another prostitute who won’t realize the danger in calling Susie Q a bitch?). Then again, my track record of predictions on Prison Break isn’t something to brag about. So that’s where you all come in.

Now, what on earth was Michael thinking? After finally reaching the last step to set them free, he just ditched Lincoln and Christina Rose to run into town and risk everything. He’s got to have some idea that someone will be coming after him. He knows Mahone is always surprisingly one step behind him, and Kim is probably not too far. And besides, I just can’t believe he didn’t once doubt it was actually Sucre sending him a message on europeangoldfinch.net. Wouldn’t there be a “Papi” in there? That ending scene with Linc alone on the boat yelling, “Michael? Michael!?” was just fantastic.

Of course, while mentioning fantastic scenes, how about that fight? It wasn’t all that shocking — boys will be boys — and sometimes they beat each other up when things don’t go their way. Plus, maybe it was fun for them to pretend like they were kids again and show some good old-fashioned brotherly love by wrestling. Although Michael had a right to be hurt when Lincoln told him he never asked to be rescued from prison, Lincoln wins in the loss-of-a-love department. It was interesting to see their different perspectives butt heads: Michael only saw the negative and felt guilty about Sara and about T-Bag on the loose, while Lincoln could “look for the good” and appreciate the chance at a new life. For me, their relationship is one of the key elements to this show and it stems all the way back to that look they shared when they saw each other at Fox River for the first time.

A certain element that’s been missing from the last few episodes was back in full swing tonight — Mahone’s tattoo-decoding game. It’s just so crazy watching the way he slowly unfolds every little detail that Michael has so cleverly come up with. But he was finally wrong: It wasn’t about who Christina Rose was but what and where it was, which was a great twist. Don’t laugh, but for a second there I really thought their mother was actually still alive somehow. I couldn’t remember the story of when she died, plus on this show you just never know.

One more thing about Mahone — I loved, loved him sitting on the floor staring at all those Post-its and photos, muttering, “Where the hell did you go, Michael?” It looked like he’d totally lost it, which seemed like karma laughing in his face. Then bam, he got a quick flash of a triangle and he comes back full swing. Runner-up for my favorite Mahone moment was when he confronted Wheeler in the parking lot. Check out TVGuide.com’s recent Q&A with William Fichtner, who always entertains me whether he’s playing the mental case Mahone, the badass agent Mahone or the cold-blooded killer Mahone.

Sara gets the “take one for the team” award tonight by turning herself in and keeping the boys safe. So much for Sara and Michael sailing off into the sunset. I’m really curious whether these two will be reunited before the inevitable cliff-hanger comes our way.

With C-Note, I’m not sure if we can believe he’s actually free and safe quite yet, but it’s the least of my concerns. He did have a very sweet reunion with his wife and daughter, so at least one of the convicts is close to happily ever after.

Bellick and Sucre sure make for one funny team. I thought Bellick was a dead man when he told Sucre that his sweet little plum would dry up like a raisin. And then Sucre had his moment with, “I hate this gringo, but I need him.” The best had to be seeing them both running after T-Bag and the cab and that bag of cash. I wonder how much money is actually left in there? For more on Bellick's future on PB, check out the TVGuide.com blog written by Wade Williams.

So now T-Bag is in Panama, too. It’s a safe assumption that Kim sent him there to track down the brothers, since Kim told Mahone there was a change in strategy after casually mentioning T-Bag was apprehended in Mexico. So what was up with the guy with a gun who kept nodding at T-Bag while he was shopping around for just the right girl? Does Sona have a connection to Panama? And are we ever going to find out who the heck the bald guy is — besides being the only person to make Kim feel inferior?

Lastly, spoiler alert! (Don’t say I didn’t warn you; stop reading if you don’t want to know.) Did you see who’s been cast in the potential Grey’s Anatomy spin-off? Does that mean his character is for sure a goner?

Oh, Caroline. Elvis and Neil Diamond would be so let down to hear she hasn’t been a “Sweet Caroline.” (Everybody now: “Sweet Caroline, doo doo doo, good times never seemed so good….”) Hey, it’s only fitting I go there since that was the name of tonight’s episode, not to mention that’s what her “brother” called her on that oh-so-secretive tape which we finally got to hear.

Notice how I put the brother in quotes, because I am seriously confused about Steadman and Caroline’s relationship, as he told her, “It’s killing me not being able to see you,” and “I think of you, lying in bed… your warmth, your touch.” I guess that’s what Michael meant by: “This particular conversation you might want to keep in the family.” I’m sensing a Cruel Intentions déjà vu. And by the way, it was great to finally see Madame President in person, played by Patricia Wettig, who’s been busy shaking things up on Brothers & Sisters.

As for the next President Reynolds shocker, it was nice seeing someone stand up to Kim and telling him, “I am the commander in chief and you are a corporate lackey.” I definitely loved seeing Kim’s face in reaction. She gave such a convincing declaration of power, I was sure she was really going to honor Michael’s request just to piss off Kim and the rest of the company. And she also seemed quite genuine when she made the deal with Michael, so it looked like it was really going to happen. Of course, I was thinking she wouldn’t have time to make the announcement because I thought Kellerman was going to shoot her. I certainly didn’t think she was going to chicken out, claim she has cancer and step down, effective immediately. I really have to stop predicting what’s going to happen next.

It was pretty heartbreaking watching Michael and Lincoln smile and repeat “we did it,” since we all know the way this show goes and things rarely work out. What I did enjoy watching was Michael’s badass attitude toward Reynolds. Where he finds the guts to show his face in such a public place and hand Caroline the “We have the tape” note is beyond me. Not to mention the number of times he threatened the freakin president of the United States (“Pardon. On stage. NOW!”) Obviously he and Linc have a lot of built-up anger (242 days on death row is no picnic), but he’s also not scared. I admire that — I’d totally be crying if I was in his situation. He’s one tough cookie, that Michael Scofield. He really managed to keep his cool when Kim beat the crap out of him — which, of course, I hated watching. It’s a shame to ruin that pretty face, but also it’s no fun watching Kim get his revenge on Michael, who had gotten revenge on Kim just a few weeks ago. And so the circle of corruption continues.

Speaking of which, what on earth is Sona? And why does that bald guy never speak? Actually I take the first question back, because I’m trying to stay spoiler-free for the rest of the season. But I am very intrigued as to what’s inside that file, and what Kim claims he knows about Caroline that she’s hiding. I’m assuming this is some kind of setup for Season 3.

While I’m pretty annoyed that C-Note didn’t actually die last week, at least he’s going to finally do something useful and help bring Mahone down. Although it was much more entertaining watching Sara try to take Mahone down with the psychological route and admit she was a druggie once, too, and eventually hold him at gunpoint. As for T-Bag, that was a pretty dumb move on his part to chase his luggage and then beat up the airport worker (I’ll say it again – with his one arm). And I kinda like the idea of Sucre and Bellick teaming up to find T-Bag and the five million. There’s bound to be plenty of comedy with those two together. With only three episodes left this season, you know some of these story lines have to get wrapped up — should be interesting to see who will be the next to get an RIP. And to see how Michael thinks him and Lincoln could “disappear forever.”

Well, here we go again: Before we begin, we should take a moment of silence for C-Note. It’s only fair, because since I started writing this blog in October, we’ve had moments of silence for the other 100 people who’ve died on Prison Break. But since then, this was the saddest one to see. While I do admit I used to complain about his recent story lines, it was just because they were irrelevant to the rest of the show. C-Note was an interesting character, and I certainly felt sorry for his crappy situation of being on the run with a sick daughter and a wife in jail. For a slight second I thought maybe next week we’d see him still alive, since we didn’t see him actually die. But I think the writers knew his time was up. So R.I.P., C-Note, and here’s hoping we see the actor who played him, Rockmund Dunbar somewhere else soon.

Oh, and one more thing about C-Note: How does Mahone sleep at night? How can he live with himself when he kills his subjects, convinces them to jump to their death, and pretty much forces them to hang themselves in prison? Sending C-Note the “package” with rope was pretty messed up. Couldn’t he have at least sent him a bottle of pills and a bottle of vodka?

So, after being in suspense since about 9:01 last Monday about what was on that freakin memory stick, we still didn’t get to hear a single word on it. At least we know that Michael, Lincoln and Sara were able to hear it, and that it has Steadman’s voice on it. I’m so glad Lincoln sent the fake Cooper Green on a wild goose chase through the park and made him throw out his $2,000 jacket. And I love how Michael knew to test him on his so-called asthma.

But of course, when the boys finally met the real Green, it was quite disappointing to hear that the tape was inadmissible evidence because there was no time stamp. Michael’s a genius so we figured he’d have yet another idea, to use the tape to blackmail the president for a pardon. Sure, it could work, but the boys have no idea Kellerman is minutes away from assassinating his dear Caroline.

Looking back at last week’s episode and the many comments you left about how sorry you felt for T-Bag, I’m curious to see how you feel now. Because I totally fell for his emotional breakdown and the whole wanting to “be baptized under a truer light.” But that all went down the toilet tonight, so just wanted to check whether I was the only one who felt betrayed. As soon as T-Bag told Dr. Stammel he couldn’t deny the “commonality in our visages” I knew the doctor was a dead man and was about to have his identity stolen on top of it. Wow, how many murders is that now for T-Bag and his one hand? And how come no one at the airport noticed his bag spilling over with cash?

A few other noteworthy moments:

— Bellick busting into Mahone’s office and threatening to “drop trou” if he didn’t get his reward money.
— Kellerman having a tender moment with his sister as he confessed that he’s “changed in a really bad way,” right after his “just 'cause someone spits you out of their crotch doesn’t make them your mother” line.
— Seeing Manche at good ole Fox River was cool, yet finding out he might tattle on his cousin was quite upsetting.
— The return of LJ… not that I’ve missed him all these months. And I definitely didn’t like that he broke Lincoln’s heart by telling him he wanted to stay in one place and have “something normal.” Selfish kid.
— Bellick sitting in the middle seat in coach and getting attitude from the flight attendant, while T-Bag got to flirt with her for a refill of champagne in first class. That’s obviously leading to a face-off between the two once they land in Mexico.
— Speaking of Mexico, it was so sweet seeing the lovey-dovey Sucre and Maricruz in bed and feeling the baby kick and Sucre foreseeing his son’s future as captain of the national soccer team. For a quick second I was picturing a certain Billy Madison “He’s going to be a soccer player” line. Sucre’s repetitive “everything is going to work out, everything is going to be perfect” was worrying me, though. I wonder if he’ll be the subject of our next “moment of silence.”

Happy President's Day, all. What better way to end my relaxing three-day weekend than shouting and cursing at the television in excitement/sheer frustration over and over again while watching Prison Break? I’m hoping you all had the same reactions; let me elaborate, and then you can do the same.

My favorite moment of tonight’s episode is actually a three-way tie between the three times I shouted for joy. In fact, I even squealed after the first: when Michael ran over Kim. I could have been satisfied with just that, but then came the part where Lincoln totally beat the crap out of Kim. And then an even more magical moment after that: Sara locking the car door just as Kellerman tried to open it. When you’ve become invested in a show and you’re really rooting for the main characters, it’s always fun watching them succeed. But I think this was just above and beyond anything we’ve seen so far on PB. Obviously the biggest satisfaction will come when the boys get their names cleared, but we’re not ready for that yet, since it will mean the show is over!

I think what made it so wonderful was the fact that our three heroes, Michael, Lincoln and Sara, each got their own chance at a small percentage of revenge, and they all came one right after the next. Too bad they only got a few seconds, but they definitely made the best use of that time. These three make an awesome team, and I can’t wait to see what they’ve got planned next. Oh right, another reason to love that scene might have been seeing Kim’s bleeding face.

Something else I loved about this episode – the return of former Warden Henry Pope (played by Stacy Keach, who will also show up on this week's ER). As soon as he saw Michael and gave him that half-“I want to kill you,” half-“but I’m glad you’re OK” look, I knew he’d be the one to genuinely help. Pope was not just a savior for getting that all-mighty memory stick, but he let Michael back out of his word to turn himself in. It’s nice seeing a good guy on this show once in a while.

The scenes with C-Note were those moments of sheer frustration I mentioned earlier. Are we really supposed to believe Mahone just let him jump on the train and get away because his daughter wouldn’t let go? Why didn’t Mahone jump on the train after him? And I about lost it when C-Note almost let that “doctor” at the free clinic — who was smoking a cigarette inside — stick a catheter into Dede’s neck. I was actually happy he turned himself in so he could save his poor daughter, but, he better have been lying when he told Mahone he’d get him Scofield. I don’t need another reason to root against C-Note.

As for T-Bag, correct me if I’m wrong, but this was the first time we found out his dad used to touch him in bad places, right? It obviously doesn’t justify the number of rapes and murders he proceeded to commit, but it pretty much pinpoints the downward spiral of young Theodore’s life. And the fact that he had to memorize the thesaurus so he could be president one day probably didn’t help with his sanity. I’m glad he finally let Susan and her kids go, after that heart-breaking speech in which he declared, “No more Bagwells shall roam this planet, not with that vile blood in their veins,” and that he’d “be baptized under a truer light.” All he wanted was for Susan to love him back, even if it was just a little.

Other leftover thoughts: there’s not much to say about Sucre, but that was a very sweet and quick reunion with Maricruz. I thought it was kind of funny when Kellerman tried bonding with Linc and told him he hadn’t spoken with his sister in 15 years. And then he tells him, "There is no light at the end of this tunnel. One way or another, you and I die. Your brother, too.” That Kellerman sure knows how to be a pal. And, of course, Sara trying to ease the tension by telling Michael he still owes her dinner was very sweet, too. Now, onto the file on that memory stick.…

Let’s begin with a moment of silence for Haywire. At least he died with a smile on his face, if you can get past the blood coming out of his mouth. Here’s hoping he found peace and will have a better life in Holland/Heaven. R.I.P., crazy one.

Now that that’s out of the way, I just have to say that I really liked this episode. Prison Break is one of my favorite shows and I almost always enjoy every episode, but there was just something about tonight’s that I can't quite pinpoint. And I’m not just talking about the kiss. (Swoon.) More on that later. But I loved the train ride, the fake president calls, Mahone making Bellick his “junkyard dog” — and how Kellerman became the helpless victim held by his throat, twice. Even C-Note’s scenes, which usually bore me, played out pretty well during the restaurant holdup.

Maybe it was due to how hard I laughed seeing T-Bag driving the “family” that he was holding hostage around in a Volvo station wagon and sticking his arm out the window to signal that he was turning. What a law-abiding citizen that T-Bag is.

Or when I laughed even harder watching Bellick check himself out and flash his badge to the rearview mirror — “Bradley Bellick, FBI. Brad Bellick, Federal Bureau of Investigations. Special Agent Brad Bellick, FBI. Hi there, I’m Brad Bellick with the FBI. Brad Bellick, I’m with the bureau” — and settle on the latter when interrogating the “piece of white trash” girl who knew Haywire’s whereabouts. For those of you who don’t know, Wade Williams, who plays Bellick, has his own TVGuide.com blog. Check it out here.

Nice work to those of you who suspected that there was something odd about the president’s voice when she called Paul last week. I had no idea it wasn’t actually her; I just assumed she was trying to lure him in to destroy him. Should have known by now, it always comes back to Kim. What a great look on his face when Kellerman told the fake Caroline, “Tell Bill Kim that he just screwed up big time.”

Speaking of Kellerman, he’s become the No. 1 character I love to hate on TV. Actually, he’s tied with Ben, the Other formerly known as Henry Gale on Lost. I just love seeing Kellerman wither in pain when he gets what he deserves, and I hate how smug he is. But then, I love how he keeps me guessing whose side he’s decided to be on today and what his next move will be. Major props to Paul Adelstein in this role.

Everything that happened on the train really kept me entertained; it was a nice switch from the cars we always see the boys in. Hijacking it, running through the road block and then throwing out the conductor and passengers for the cops to chase were fantastic ideas.

And, of course, the train scenes also gave us the very long-awaited kiss between Sara and Michael. While I like that PB isn’t one of those dramas that feels the need to throw in romance just for the sake of having romance, the relationship between Sara and Michael has been growing from the beginning, and it was satisfying to finally see them both acknowledge it. You know two people are made for each other when one declares her love by saying, “The first thing they tell you when you take the job is never to fall in love with an inmate,” and the other one later responds with, “About before… me, too.” Sara also brought out Lincoln’s tender side when he apologized to her for having to be involved and told her that her help meant a lot. Now we just need to find him a girl that he’ll get around to hooking up with in another two seasons. Hey, casting directors – here I am.

Lastly, for those of you who don’t watch previews to avoid spoilers, don’t tune in next week because there won’t be a new episode until Feb. 19. And now, what did you all think of tonight?

Could you imagine this happening in real life? Breaking news: two prison escapees go on national television to proclaim their innocence, name a group of high-powered officials who stole billions of dollars and murdered dozens of people, and accuse the president of the United States of being involved. And then all of a sudden the story is dropped when the threat level was raised to orange because a storage unit rented by Arab Americans was seized. Which we know was just made up as "damage control" demanded by the authorities.

Well, I suppose maybe it could happen, but in all honesty this is one of the reasons we love Prison Break, for its exaggerated story lines (Mahone catching Linc and Michael numerous times and them managing to escape each time, Bellick going to prison without being convicted yet, T-Bag killing a bunch of people with only one hand, for example).

That being said, I was really impressed that Michael and Lincoln had the guts to make that video even though it was a fantastic idea to help clear their names. But don’t they realize how much angrier Mahone is going to be now that they've publicly blamed him for the deaths of John Abruzzi, David Apolskis and Oscar Shales? I love how Mahone just brushed it off with “The guy’s nuts,” but then was told that every move he’d make had to go through Internal Affairs. Somehow I don’t think he’ll be following that order.

How funny was that whole “The water is warm” fake Morse code in Michael and Lincoln’s video? It was so entertaining watching the agents analyze Lincoln’s textbook behavior — looking slightly up and to the left, arms folded, and swallowing, all while it was just done to mess with their heads. It’s times like these when I appreciate Kellerman being around to help our boys, but I still don’t know if we should trust him. He’s either trying to get back at the president, or trying to get back on her good side and it’s a confusing mystery! Lincoln himself said it best: “Reality is kicking faith’s ass.”

Now, about Sucre and Haywire. Don’t hate me for saying this, but is there really any point to any of the stories involving the other fugitives? (Besides T-Bag, I’m actually still interested in that one.) Last week I was bored with C-Note’s scenes, and although I like Sucre’s character, I was disappointed he stole the car of the nice man who took him in. Watching Haywire was just a waste of my time, but it was nice seeing Kaley Cuoco as the girl whose drunk father got knocked out by Haywire. (She was on Charmed and 8 Simple Rules if you’re trying to place her.)

For those Sara-Michael fans, I’m sure you were happy to see their quick scene tonight, even though it was over the phone. Good thing she happened to be watching Fox News at the right time and was later smart enough to figure out what Michael meant by saying "safe haven," "another chance," "every doctor’s nightmare" and "arriving at 1." And since she couldn’t make it to Ohio in time, she was once again smart enough to call the hospital looking for “Michael Crane,” since it sounded better than origami. I’m glad she was finally able to tell him she came back to him in Gila, but someone stopped her. If only she had told Michael who that someone was, who coincidentally also tried to drown her in the bathtub. Lastly, on a side note, congratulations to the actress who plays Sara, Sarah Wayne Callies, on her pregnancy, and I love how a few of you already are hoping for Sara to get pregnant with Michael’s baby on the show. Hey, it could happen.... Isn’t that the motto for this show?

“So this is the conspiracy, huh? Bunch of little boys in suits running around trying to kill each other. It’s pathetic.”

Well, it’s about time Michael realized the true nature of the conspiracy – it’s really all a game that people with power like to play. And no matter how hard he tries, those people are always going to get their way. Like having one of the key people in the game blow off his own face in defeat.

Yep, Prison Breakcame back with a bang... OK, two bangs, but we only witnessed one. OK, four bangs if you count the guards who failed to protect Steadman. And now all Michael and Lincoln are left with is a “John Doe.” They were thisclose to getting their names cleared but let’s be honest, that would put an end to the show, and no one wants that to happen yet, do they?

So Steadman is dead, Mahone is still alive, and Kim needs to sign up for some anger-management classes. Actually, Lincoln could probably use one of those classes himself, but I don’t really blame him for holding up a gun to Kellerman and later Steadman (played by Jeff Perry, who was also recently seen on another one of my favorite shows, Grey’s Anatomy). It's a good thing Lincoln’s got his little brother around to keep him in check. I still hate Kellerman for being an evil piece of scum, but I do appreciate his help in the meantime, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing Mahone join forces very soon... once he gets over the fact that Kellerman tried to kill him. But I’m pretty sure Mahone will do anything to get back at Kim. I mean, he did respond to his son’s “accident” by putting a bullet in the messenger’s forehead and then stuffing him in the trunk.

As for Bellick, well you know what they say about karma. It just makes me think of all those kids I was mean to in elementary school and how it would suck if I went to a prison where they were night guards. I do feel slightly sorry for Bellick since he didn’t commit the crime he’s locked up for, but I was kind of amused with the look on his face when he heard the taunting “Brad... ley... ” echoing through the cells of Fox River.

The person I do feel sorry for is C-Note’s daughter. The poor girl hadn’t seen her dad in months, now her mom is in jail and has been denied bail, and she is stuck in a trailer home in the middle of nowhere with an escaped prisoner. She’s definitely going to need some therapy when she’s older, but in the meantime, you know C-Note is going to try to get his wife out. It’s only fitting for the title of this show.

And speaking of kids needing therapy, Susan’s son and daughter will for sure need it — if they survive. Leave it to T-Bag to say he was “happy” when Susan spat at him like he was “a rabid animal.” Now Susan and her poor kids are being held hostage by a guy who warned them, “We will be a family if it kills us.” Yikes.

While the drama and excitement of the show is why I watch it, I do love the funny moments sprinkled in here and there, like Steadman laughing in Kellerman’s face about proposing to his sister, “You actually thought you would be the First Husband?” and Lincoln telling Kellerman, “We don’t need compliments out of you, jackass.” The best was when the agents were trying to evacuate Steadman and all he wanted to bring with him were his mints.

Where was Sucre? Sara? I guess her new hairdo is really helping her stay in hiding.

On a final note, I read today that the season finale has already been scheduled for April 2, so mark your calendars. The fact that it’s being called a season finale must mean it’s getting another season, right? Let’s hope so.

Raise your hand if you were watching tonight’s episode and thinking the whole time that Mahone was the one who was going to switch sides.

Now put your hands down, because you were wrong! Even though I had a feeling it would be Kellerman that ends up saving Michael and Lincoln, it was only because so many of you had that theory and it made perfect sense. But it was still quite shocking to see the moment when it all went down. I’m glad I was wrong in predicting that Kellerman or Sucre would die because, well, I love Sucre. And also because now we have this whole new Kellerman twist to the story to explore after the break.

Since it was the fall finale, I knew we’d be in for one crazy Prison Break ride, and it actually was even better than I had expected. Michael and Lincoln started off this-close to being killed by Mahone, were arrested and locked behind bars yet again, and then found the real inside connection to the conspiracy, who then ends up taking their side. It was so obvious the whole construction delay in the tunnel was a setup, especially once we saw that Lincoln’s chain was unlocked and every single guard and officer escorting them got out of their car. Oh, and the keys accidentally left on the seat. I’m so glad Michael was able to see right through that, but Lincoln felt it was his turn to take the lead and save the day. So they ended up running anyway.

And now they have the chance to keep on running since Kellerman is going to be helping them. I’ve been hating Kellerman for quite some time, but actually found myself happy to hear him tell the boys: “President Reynolds ruined your life; she ruined my life. You wanna take that bitch down? You just found your inside man. But it’s gotta be right now.” Yes, now, go!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Somebody please give Robert Knepper an Emmy for playing one of the creepiest characters on television but doing it in a way that makes you want to see more. T-Bag's scenes tonight were fantastic — starting with him finding a prosthetic hand, seducing Denise to do things she’d never done before, which led to him getting his old girlfriend’s forwarding address, and then killing Denise because she saw his picture on a “Wanted” poster at her office. The best was when he showed up at Susan’s door and, with that creepy tongue thing he does, said, ”Don’t be frightened. Teddy’s home.”

How heartbreaking was Sara’s message to Michael when she told him, “You’re the only person I can trust.… I need you to be OK, and I need you.” And very tricky of them to show us Sara holding a razor blade to her hands, only to see her a few minutes later with a new short hairdo. But does she really look that different?

Sucre’s very limited moments in the episode were also great, especially knowing he’s safe across the border now. He was hilarious with his, “Oh, hell no!” when the pilot threw him a parachute and taking a swig of liquor before jumping out of the plane.

Bellick, oh Bellick. How does that orange suit feel? Loved the look on his face when he found out he’d been assigned to gen-pop and would share a cell with Avocado. “Welcome home, Boss.”

So here are some burning questions that I now have to wait two months to answer: Is Mahone dead? What happened to C-Note and his wife? Where is Haywire? Is T-Bag going to kill Susan right away — or torture her to no end? Can we please see Dominic Purcell in just one scene without his shirt on? I’ll take some more topless Wentworth Miller, too. Who was the guy telling Kim to order Mahone to "retire Kellerman"? Where is LJ? Does anyone really care about LJ?

Thanks to everyone for all your comments the last couple of months, and see you all in January!

There have been rumors swirling about that Fox was considering airing continuous new episodes of Prison Break or that the show might come back from hiatus in January instead of the originally planned March. And then in tonight’s previews for next week, they called it the fall finale, so I’m still not sure what’s happening. Does anyone have any more information?

Whether it is the finale or not, many things happened tonight to guarantee next week’s episode will be a killer. That’s right, I’m going to predict here and now that someone is going to lose his life next week, and it could be Sucre or maybe even Kellerman. Even with Geary’s brutal murder last week and this week’s surprise death of Aldo, we all know how much this show likes to throw in those death scenes with all those attempted-death scenes.

Like tonight’s attempted murder on Sara, which is now what, the third time she’s been almost killed? Too bad for Kellerman, Sara is one tough cookie and was able to drain the tub by pulling out the chain with her mouth. It was painful to watch, but I was so happy she got her revenge on him by burning his chest with the iron. Speaking of painful to watch, props to Sarah Wayne Callies for her fantastic acting in the scene where Sara is sewing her own stitches. I really felt that pain along with her. If you want to hear more from the lovely Ms. Callies, be sure to read Matt Mitovich’s interview with her in our TVGuide.com Features this week.

I’m sorry for those of you who are C-Note fans, but I really could do without his scenes now that he’s completely cut off from the rest of the escaped convicts. Well, I take that back because T-Bag hasn’t had any recent scenes with the convicts either, but at least he was with Geary and Bellick. Plus T-Bag is a much more compelling character than C-Note, don’t you think? I guess it’s sort of interesting to see him screwing his wife and daughter’s life up, but I’m just not that invested in his story.

So Bellick looks like he’s in super big trouble now that T-Bag has pretty much set him up for a murder charge. (Nice work those of you who predicted Bellick would be held responsible and whoever said they thought T-Bag found a receipt with Bellick’s credit card number on it — you guys should totally be writing for this show!) Best line had to be when the detective interrogating Bellick said she didn’t care if he and Geary were in Kansas because they were “going Brokeback.” That joke is never going to get old! And I know the actress playing the detective, Romy Rosemont has guest-starred on a lot of shows recently, but I most remember her as the woman whose best friend shot her in the face on Nip/Tuck a couple years ago.

Now what was the point of bringing Aldo back into the picture only to have him die? Poor Michael, as if it weren't traumatic enough having to recall those awful memories of being abused, now he has to find out it was his dad who saved him from the abuse only to then have his dad die in his arms; it was pretty sad. I was sad for Lincoln, too, and I know I’m not the only girl out there thinking, "If it were up to me, I’d be a great shoulder for Michael and Lincoln to cry on."

And last but not least, I’ve gotta hand it to Mahone for still believing he can catch these guys. He’s come so close so many times, but he’s just not having any luck. I like the theory some of you have that he’ll eventually change sides and start working with Michael and Lincoln instead of trying to kill them, but at the same time I get a kick out of watching him fail miserably. I was happy to see Sucre get his chance to escape on the plane ("Fly safe, Papi"), but I have a bad feeling he’s not going to make it to Panama. What a great ending to tonight’s episode, with Mahone crashing into Linc and Michael’s car and holding them up at gunpoint just as the cell phone connected to Sara. “Hello, Michael? Michael?”

“Hi, my name is not Lance, and I’m not an addict.” I’ve always hated that Kellerman and his smarmy one-liners, but he may go down in my book as most-hated if he actually drowns Sara in the tub. After last week’s kind of bland episode, I definitely appreciated tonight’s action-packed hour, and I'm learning a whole lot about the conspiracy, but there’s still something missing. Maybe now that Michael and Lincoln have reunited things will be back to normal.

OK, not normal, since Prison Break is anything but normal, but you know what I mean. Especially after finding out that Michael has actually seen his dad before. And being amazed that Mahone was able to decipher “Bolshoi Booze” as coordinates on a map. And getting chills when Lincoln told Kim it ends with “me staring in your dead eyes with my hand around your throat.” So, while the whole “on the run” thing has gotten a little old, I’m still very much entertained with all the things that go wrong and the things we find out.

Speaking of which, now we know why Michael went to the Botanical Gardens for the nitroglycerin. Since the plan didn’t go as planned, he was smart enough to improvise and use sugar water to trick the guy who held his ticket to freedom. Well, maybe not that smart, since it almost got him killed. But then (cue hero music), Sucre showed up and shot the guy with the plane hookup — did I miss his name or did they never say it? But since Michael had gone to confession earlier, he knew he couldn’t sin anymore and leave the guy behind to die. So his reward was finding out the plane was on its way. And after their intense scene, leave it to Sucre to make a joke, “I’m glad I figured out how to work a GPS — could you make it a little more difficult next time?”

It was great to see Kim and Mahone meet face-to-face for the first time and Kim tell the still-locked-in-a-cage Mahone that he doesn’t like to be in the field. What was up with the mysterious call Mahone made to Pam? It sounded as though he was saying goodbye because he was about to kill himself. Either that or he thought he was on the verge of catching Michael and killing him, so he didn’t want Pam thinking badly of him if she heard it on the news.

And now let’s have a minute of silence in memory of PB’s latest casualty: R.I.P. Roy Geary, who almost got away with stealing the five million dollars and almost got a hooker to do something really dirty. Who would have known that T-Bag was smart enough to put a tracking device in the bag and follow it to Geary’s hotel door? Hey, you know what they say about karma. So while T-Bag had to rip his arm off of the radiator without his hand — ouch — at least he’s got the money to get a prosthetic one. For now.

Well, I’m impressed with those of you who predicted last week that Burrows Sr. would show up to save his son and grandson. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the guy, and what a great way for him to come back — arranging for Lincoln and L.J. to be kidnapped after being run off the road in the backseat of a police car. If that doesn’t say “Daddy loves you,” I don’t know what does. But here’s the kicker: How many of you predicted Mr. Kim was involved? It should have been obvious one of all those people at that house was in on it, yet I still sat there surprised. I mean, come on, isn’t anyone safe, ever, on Prison Break?

And although a few of you also mentioned that the rendezvous between Sara and Michael wasn’t going to be the romantic moment everyone’s been anticipating, I was still a bit disappointed that nothing really came out of their meeting. Yes, he used her and lied to her, and she has a reason to still be upset over that. But at this point, after almost being murdered twice, I would think she’d see Michael is the only one who will protect her. She even said to him, “I don’t want to be alone.” But then she later left him at the hotel with the “This time I know better, I’m sorry” note. Wasn’t Michael’s “One more day, that’s all I’m asking” good enough for her? Then she drove me crazy sitting in the car too long. And when she finally decided to go back to Michael, of course Kellerman showed up. To that I can say: like we didn’t see that one coming.

I said it last week, and I’ll say it again until something changes: I really miss seeing the characters interacting. It used to be such a great dynamic with all the guys hanging out at Fox River, and even at the beginning of the season, when they were on the run together. The Sucre story line kind of dragged down the episode, as did the scenes of Bellick and Geary continuing to torture T-Bag. (Although we did get some hilarious, shall I say, “crappy” one-liners... see below for more on that later.) Was it just me, or was the whole episode overall lacking its usual thrills and charm?

Some moments worth mentioning:

— Bellick and Geary using “I’m Walking on Sunshine” on repeat as a way of torturing T-Bag.
— I had a hard time watching the first 17 minutes of the show without any Michael, but then it was almost worth it to see that car pull up, a pair of feet get out, wondering if it was Mahone or Michael, having my heart beat rapidly, then seeing Michael in those sexy sunglasses and hearing him say, “Hello, Sara.”
— Finally getting to see what Michael handed Sucre back at the money pit: a note that said “Bolshoi, Booze.” But where the heck is that?
— Bellick to Geary: “Get the stool.” Geary: “What stool?” Bellick: “The stool.”
— Michael locking Mahone in that cage, and then Mahone telling Michael he knew he was planning on running to Panama. Yikes.
— Geary to T-Bag: “You just crapped out your last bargaining chip, pal.”
— Geary growing a pair and knocking Bellick out (“Next time you pick through the crap”) and then taking the money. Yep, didn’t see that one coming!

Oh, L.J. You tried, but you're just not "on the run" material. Your dad warned you it was tricky business to be a fugitive, but you wanted to stay by his side. And yes, you two shared a tender father/son moment when discussing your first sexual experience (with a girl four years older - nice!) But then you go and make one little mistake that ends up getting your wanted-for-murder father caught by the police.

Yeah, so Lincoln got caught! I honestly didn't think that was going to happen so soon. I know that this is Prison Break, and they're on the run and that things are bound to go wrong. But this is pretty much the worst thing that could happen to Lincoln and Michael's plan to escape to Panama, and I can't wait to see how Michael tries to get his brother out of this one. Maybe they should call the show "My Brother's Keeper." Anyway, there are only four more episodes until a really long break (new episodes return in March) so you can probably expect things to keep going downhill to leave us with a crazy cliff-hanger.

Did anyone else watch T-Bag stuff the money bag into locker No. 804 and automatically start thinking it had something to do with 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42? (That was a Lost reference for those of you who have no idea what I just said. It's also a sign I watch too much TV). Did T-Bag seriously think his ex who put him in prison would still be living in that house after his picture has been plastered all over the place and he's been labeled an escaped convict? Too bad for him that Bellick got there first and tried torturing him with a pair of scissors to find out where the money was hidden. Very painful to watch, but their conversation was hilarious - from Bellick calling T-Bag "Goldilocks" and telling him how the guards at Fox River used to laugh over his returned mail, to T-Bag calling Bellick "a grown man who still lives with his mama." Oh, and be sure to pick up a copy of this week's TV Guide Magazine and read the article on the Robert Knepper, the fantastic actor who plays that creep we all love to hate.

Leave it to Michael to come up with the idea of paying a visit to Mahone's ex-wife (played by Rescue Me's Callie Thorne. Once Michael saw the press conference where Mahone admitted to killing Tweener in self-defense, you could see those wheels turning in Michael's head. Of course he was able to figure out that Mahone also killed Oscar Shales and used that information to call Mahone and mess with his head big time.

While the episode overall was its usual thrilling self and I found myself yelling "Run!" at the TV a number of times (especially to C-Note when he walked into his daughter's classroom), I did miss the interaction with all the characters. I missed my Michael and Sucre moments, but I am definitely holding out for a potential Michael and Sara moment next week. What did everyone else think?

Monday nights have been feeling empty for a few weeks, but now it’s all better with the return of the boys on the run and all those crazy people chasing them. My heart had been beating too normally lately so I guess it was about that time for Prison Break to come back and have me gasping so many times I probably scared the neighbors. In just an hour, we found out Michael was behind Sucre’s hold-up, Sara was almost killed – twice, Sucre fell in the river and then nearly drowned, that poor girl at the pay phone was gunned down, and then of course seeing Mahone get into Kellerman’s car was the ultimate kicker. Should have known that scum sticks together. But more on that later.

First of all, hats off to Sucre for pulling that con on his fellow escapees and to Michael for the plan to get rid of them. How classic was that “Adios amigos, huh?”... “What, too much?”... “You were great” conversation between the former cellies? Of course, in PB’s “something always goes wrong” way, they ended up grabbing the bag with the magazines, while T-Bag drove away with the five mil.

Having Michael Scofield as a brother probably doesn’t leave much room for Lincoln to show off his brains, but his idea to pay that guy who picked a fight with L.J. was genius. While Linc probably didn’t enjoy watching his son get his butt kicked so bad he had to go to the hospital, he knew it was the best plan to get L.J. without anyone seeing. Their reunion was very sweet and makes you remember why it’s worth it to Lincoln to be on the run.

Speaking of sweet – and I know this show isn’t usually known for its feel-good moments but since we don’t get them too often among all the murders and bloodshed, I have to point it out – Sucre finding out that Maricruz left Hector “at the alter holding his spam in his hand” was fantastic. Oh, Papi, I’m so happy for you. But does that mean he and Michael are going separate ways for good?

Those damn origami swans and Michael’s secret messages to Sara really had me confused until she figured out how to decode the numbers. I hate Kellerman for getting to the last swan in her apartment because I really want Michael and Sara to have their rendezvous at sundown. He’s probably the only one she can trust now, seeing as how a lot of people are trying to kill her. But where that rendezvous will take place, only time will tell... that is if Kellerman doesn’t get there first and ruin it all.

So I had no idea that Kellerman and Mahone were connected – did anyone see that coming? It should be obvious by now that everything and everyone on this show is connected, but it’s still crazy to see how huge this whole thing is and how messed up it all is! No wonder Mahone had no remorse – OK, fine, he apologized first – in killing Tweener and Abruzzi, and is willing to do whatever the president orders. And leave it to Kellerman and Mahone to have the chilling last words of the night when talking about their mission: “They all die?” “They all die.”