wentworth miller

Four years ago, many of us thought that Prison Break would last only one season because once the guys break out, it's not "Prison Break" anymore. However, due to the show's success, FOX renewed it over and over again. This lead to the gang being on the run during season two, stuck in Sona and trying to break out again during season three and, this year, working together to gather Scylla, bring The Company down and get their freedom.

Now that the OMG!WTF? mid-season finale aired, it's time to analyze the product we've been offered so far and make our predictions as to what will happen next.

If you haven't watched the mid-season finale, step away from this post right now as I'll dish the reveals after the jump... then again, if you've seen the way too spoilerish mid-season finale promos that aired on TV, you are pretty much in the know.

Come on! You think that I just spoiled the entire November 3rd episode of Prison Break by saying that someone will die? I don't think so as it is a given at least one person will die during Sweeps time when Prison Break is concerned and, in case you didn't know, November Sweeps started last Thursday.

However, before the jump I'll leave it to that: someone dies. I won't tell you who, I won't tell you how, I won't tell you why before the jump since I know how to spoil shows. But anything goes after the jump.

Oh and in case you don't want to know exactly who dies this week, I don't know either. But I'm making my predictions in this post based on official descriptions from the network and spoilers. So let's see if you come up with the same conclusions as I am.

Spoilers follow!

(S04E04) "I was thinking about maybe getting me a career in pictures." - T-Bag

Here we go - get ready for it. The hunt for the remaining Scylla cards continues! Boooooring. I don't feel like there's any challenge to obtaining these cards at this point when Roland's device makes it so simple. Stand next to someone holding the card for two minutes and you're done. Don Self could do this...himself. He doesn't need Scofield and Burrows. As was the case last week, the Scylla plot paled in comparison to what T-Bag is up to. It's the only solid mystery Prison Break has right now.

(S04E03) "Not every geek with a Commodore 64 can hack into NASA." - Roland

I think we're already starting to see how much of this season of Prison Break is going to play out. A constant struggle for Scofield and his team to deliver while pressure from Don and his Homeland Security buddies continues to weigh them down. I doubt very much that this is the last time the threat of being shut down will be used. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a mention of it every week - we are talking about their freedom after all. With that in mind, get ready to hear something that I imagine I'll probably be typing a lot as I review this season: the hunt for the remaining Scylla cards continues!

Don't get me wrong. I like Michael Rappaport. I've seen him in dramatic and comedic roles and he's equally impressive in both, but something just didn't work at all every moment he was on screen in Monday night's season premiere of Prison Break. Maybe it's because everyone from Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell to William Fichtner and even Robert Knepper talks in this sort of subdued menacing whisper. And then here comes Rappaport all filled with bluster and his thick New York accent and that quarter smile that's always on his face.

I don't know what it was, but every time he spoke it pulled me right out of the fiction. I know Prison Break isn't anywhere close to Shakespearean in quality or writing, but one thing it's always had going for it is the quality of the cast and their performances, making you believe all the ridiculous things that happen.

(S04E01/S04E02) "Yeah well, a lot of people that believed in me in the last few months Agent Self... not all of them are alive today." - Scofield

I've always loved Prison Break. I still do. We're four seasons deep now and I've fully accepted the fact that this show is constantly reinventing itself and as a result, the level of ridiculousness that you as a viewer need to be willing to eat is absurd. I'm not sure if I laughed louder when T-Bag adopted a cannibalistic lifestyle or Linc called the new guy Roland a douche. Oh right... and Sara is alive. So don't act surprised by the picture. But we knew that anyway. FOX didn't even try to keep that one a secret for us.

If you've watched FOX over the summer or read the upcoming season and episodes' official descriptions, you surely know of the big bombshell that will be revealed in the season premiere of Prison Break. It's clear that FOX wants its audience to know of that reveal before hand in order to lure some viewers back to the show and create a buzz around the show.

If you don't know what I'm talking about and don't want to know about it, don't read beyond the spoilers warning. I suggest you also stop watching FOX until September 1 at 8 p.m. and that you stay clear from anything Prison Break related. Because, as I've said before, it's clear the network wants you to know and they are not hiding that reveal at all.

Beware: spoilers ahead!

We're far enough removed from Buffy's original run now that there really aren't any surprises left for most of us. By this point we've seen the episodes so many times through DVD, streaming, and syndication that the story has been told. There's still something to be gained from watching again, though.

A little water under the bridge has given all of those bit-part actors that were once feeling lucky to book a Buffy gig a chance to move on to bigger and better things. I'm still occasionally surprised when I catch an old Buffy and realize just who that is standing in the background. After the jump, nine of my favorite small part players from Buffy that went on to bigger successes.

After much speculation and "on the bubble" murmurs, Variety is confirming that FOX has gone ahead and renewed Prison Break, one of the more popular guilty pleasures currently on network television. Prison Break has been picked up for a possible 23 episode fourth season, set to return in the fall.

Is the show that good? Sort of. Do the plots always make sense? Sometimes. Do I love it anyway? Absolutely. After a mediocre second season, the show roared back with a pretty enjoyable third season that got cut short to thirteen episodes by the WGA strike.

(S03E13) "You know, you're the first person to ever break out of Sona." - Gretchen

This was a great episode. Really solid and enjoyable. However, you can see why it was originally meant to be the mid-season finale and not a season ender. There are just simply too many questions left hanging and, for lack of a better way to put it, it just doesn't feel right. Fans of Prison Break, you know what I mean. As far as finales go, this wasn't satisfying. While it left me yearning for more, I'm equally annoyed. Plenty of other shows are coming back with four or five new episodes starting in about a month, so why not Prison Break? What really worries me? No word on any sort of renewal from FOX. This very well could be the last we'll see of Michael and Lincoln.

(S03E12) "Screw you Mahone." - Lincoln

Is it just me, or was it relatively easy to break out of Sona? When compared to Fox River, it was cake! No tattoos required -- just dig a hole and run. And before you say, "but what about all those guards with guns," look at it this way: they're what made it easy! And Michael used it to his advantage. He gave them something to occupy their time (allowing Lechero, T-Bag, and Bellick to go first and get caught) and then he, Whistler, Mahone, and McGrady pretty much just walked through the hole in the fence. So, with that in mind... remind me again why The Company had to use Michael to get to Whistler?

(S03E11) "Welcome to the coal mine, canary." - T-Bag

And the escape is on! I honestly can't say why I like this season of Prison Break so much. It's far from being the edgy show that it was during its first season and at the same time it's miles ahead of last season's manhunt mess. Maybe it's simply due to the fact that there literally isn't much else on TV right now and as a result, it's good by default. But after tonight's episode, I'm leaning more towards the unpredictability factor.

(S03E10) "If he doesn't take you, I will." - Lincoln

Well isn't that special. Lincoln's got a crush on Sofia. Not like we didn't see that coming. All that's missing now is the clichéd scene where something stressful happens, they lock eyes, and start sucking face amidst all the chaos of planning an inmate bust. You know it's coming. Here's the real question though: what are the chances of finding a gift shop that sells Eiffel Tower keyrings in Panama City?!?

(S03E09) "Let's see if he has the tattoo to get out of that one." - T-Bag

Prison Break may not be the best thing on TV at this point, but hey - at least it's new. It's been over two months since the mid-season finale and I was a little sketchy on what had happened previously, but this was never a show that required much thinking. Once the action started, it was easy to figure out what everyone was up to. You know... breaking out of prison.
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(S03E08) "Take them all out." - Gretchen

The writer's strike hits again. We were supposed to get five more episodes before this season's fall finale. Instead we got a plain ol' ending comparable to any regular episode of Prison Break. Certainly not what I would have expected based on this show's history. It's not a bad thing, just disappointing. I understand the need to stockpile and space out the dwindling supply of new episodes, but it's unfortunate that it results in segmenting seasons in such sloppy fashion. Enough with the complaining though. The writer's strike is happening and we knew what to expect. If you can look beyond that, this episode really was quite good. It left us with plenty of questions to ponder as we wait for Prison Break to return in January.