By Faith McQuinn
I spent the majority of last season, and the season before, wishing death upon T-Bag (Robert Knepper). This season, the honors go to Bellick (Wade Williams). First of all, I’m not too keen on seeing poor Bellick limping around Sona prison in his dirty tighty-whiteys. I’m also just getting really sick of the man. He’s gone from a conniving half-wit of a bounty hunter to a--quite literally--slimy, conniving half-wit of a prisoner.
In a desperate, albeit justified, attempt to get clothes, food, and water, Bellick decides to play nice to everyone who will listen at Sona. In last week’s episode, he delivered a message for the mysterious Whistler. It turns out knowing Whistler’s whereabouts is a good commodity. First, he shares the info with Michael (Wentworth Miller) in return for a little water. Second, he shares the info with T-Bag in the hopes of getting some clothes and food from big man Lechero (Robert Wisdom). Soon, Whistler, the prisoner who’s been successfully hiding from an entire prison for God knows how long, has been revealed to at least ten guys.
It turns out there’s a price on Whistler’s head. Any prisoner who kills him will receive a get out of jail free card. So Bellick giving up the man’s whereabouts to whomever he pleases puts Michael’s little plan of escape in a bit of a bind. Gee, Michael’s escape plans aren’t going as smoothly as he hoped? Wow. I’m so surprised!
Meanwhile, outside of the prison, Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) is checking in with scarred woman (Jodi Lynn O’Keefe) who now has a name. Well, it’s probably not her real name, but from now on she’s called Susan B. Anthony. Funny, huh? I thought so. Anyway. Susan lays down the law, telling Lincoln that he must check in with her every day giving Michael’s progress. Lincoln responds by telling her that he will hunt down everyone she loves if anything happens to L.J. or Sarah. Good ol’ Lincoln, always using his noggin.
But I’m not going to spend too much time talking about Lincoln’s story because the real action, as it should, is going on inside the walls of Sona Prison. Whistler has now been pulled out into the open by Mahone (William Fitchner), and I can’t decide if this man is just hard up to get out because he wants to see his family or he really needs a fix.
No matter which it is, Michael’s only hope of keeping the Whistler alive and out of Mahone’s hands is to gain Lachero’s trust. He does this by pulling a move that MacGuyver would be proud of. He uses alcohol, plastic bags, and a box of matches to unblock a water pipe. The scene was complete with overdramatic music as match after match wouldn’t stay lit. I was almost half hoping for a bomb to be counting down to the last two seconds.
Because of Michael’s mad MacGuyver skills, Whistler has the protection of Lachero and his gang. Bellick receives some clothes and some food so I no longer have to look at his nakedness for another episode. T-Bag has got to be cooking something up as he kisses the feet of Lachero every moment he gets, and Michael now has six days left to break out of a prison that no one has ever broken out of before.
Heck, if Clint Eastwood can break out of Alcatraz. I’m pretty sure Michael Scofield can get out of Sona.