So, the new fall season has kicked off early on FOX with the show that I swear has been advertised on FOX since March,
Prison Break.
The premise is an interesting one: Our hero, Michael Schoefield, comits a crime so he can land in prison and spring his brother from the pokey. Seems brother was wrongfully accused and convicted of killing the vice-president's brother and is going to be executed. So, there is a bit of
The X-Files like conspiracy going on of--who really commited the crime and why was the brother set up as a patsy.
Lost yet?
Honestly, this is one of those shows like
24 or
Alias where you just have to turn off the logic centers of the brain and just go with it. For example, our hero works hard to ensure he ends up in the prison with his brother...oh yeah and he just happened to have helped design said prison. Also, our hero is leaving some things to chance such as getting certain prisoners on board in helping with the escape. I like that it seems as if Michael has done a lot of homework in getting ready to attempt this bold plan to escape from prison and I also like that there are some things coming up he didn't plan for--such as having his cell mate change. Though the twist that his new cellmate never sleeps was a bit much.
Meanwhile, outside the prison Michael's lawyer, Veronica is working to uncover the conspiracy. Oh yeah and she aslo used to date the brother and was engaged, though her new found obsession with this case has already cost her the fiancee. (Which it was better this happened sooner rather than later as it could have got real old real fast). And the Secret Service is somehow involved in all of this...they're the heavies so far. Though they have some weird connections to the mafia and some of the prisoners inside.
Plus, Michael is very chatty and flirty with the cute prison doctor, who is he is faking out, saying he has diabetes when he doesn't. (He is taking an insulin blocker so he can get insulin shots and have access to the clinic for some reason we've not yet explained).
It sounds kind of complicated, I know. But no more so than your standard day of 24, where you start off with 17 plotthreads and slowly whittle them down to the main threat. And if you can go along with the concept that every where in L.A. is five minutes apart as you do on 24, you shouldn't have too much problem accepting anything that happens here. Such as the fact that Michael's plan is so detailed that even a minute change off can throw the whole thing into disarray. Or that no one noticed that his full body tatoo is the layout of the prison.
I have to admit I'm intrigued by all of this. I'm eager to see where it all might lead. The second episode has been, by far, the most intriguing of the three. Last night's felt like a bit of filler more than anything else. But it could have been one of those-OK, we've got the pieces on the board and now we've got to move them around a bit but not so much that we lose everyone. But it lacked the dramatic punch that the second epiosde had in which Michael's plan is caught in the middle of unexpected racial tension within the prison. But I do have to wonder just how they will escape and what this plan of Michael's is. Also how does all this fit into why the VP's brother was killed and this trial that starts soon and everyone keeps referencing?
And if you thought Jack Bauer suffered on an average day of
24, he's got a new buddy for the pain club. In the second episode, Michael loses a couple of toes to hedge trimmers..and even though it's not shown on screen (the actual cutting off of the toes), it was still one of those effective cringe-worthy moments.
posted by Michael Hickerson at 9/06/2005 08:23:00 AM |
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